So - If horse riding was banned......

[maisie06]

Say horse riding was to be banned (I hope not!!) would you still be involved with horses and keep them or would not being able to ride your horse be the deciding factor in giving up?

 

[Barton Bounty]

Never ever part with my boy

 

[lexi lady]

I would never get rid of my mare but I wont buy another horse .

 

[vmac66]

Would never part with my mare

 

[ponynutz]

Yes, I basically don't ride now unless I can get the odd lesson and I'm still involved - just not as much.

My childhood pony is now much loved pet and field ornament that gets dragged out for a hack every now and then.

 

[WispyBegs]

I would keep my current boy as couldn’t bear to part with him but I wouldn’t buy another

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

I haven't ridden for years because my riding pony retired fairly young and I collected 2 other field ornaments to keep him company, luckily I really like the caring for them part riding is just an added bonus. I've got a youngster at the moment and I'm loving doing stuff on the ground with him, obviously I would like to ride him but if riding was banned or for whatever reason he was unrideable he would still have a home for life with me, there's so much you can do without riding. His older friend is 20 and I rescued him as a yearling he's never been ridden in his life because he's a child sized pony but until recently he wasn't in anyway suitable for children, so really a riding ban wouldn't make much difference to me and wouldn't put me off getting another ?

 

[Jenko109]

My existing horse has a home for life, although out on loan currently. I wont be buying another anyway. I've lost the love for riding in recent years, finding more enjoyment out of the dogs, dabbling in a bit of agility etc.

Since buying my own home and having my own space, my happy place is no longer the stables, I am most at peace tucked away at home in my castle.

 

[McFluff]

Wouldn’t part with my boy, but also wouldn’t get another.

 

[dogatemysalad]

If riding was banned, I'd break the law. Stupidity shouldn't encouraged.
That said, I keep my horses for life, whether they can be ridden or not.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

My existing horse has a home for life, although out on loan currently. I wont be buying another anyway. I've lost the love for riding in recent years, finding more enjoyment out of the dogs, dabbling in a bit of agility etc.

Since buying my own home and having my own space, my happy place is no longer the stables, I am most at peace tucked away at home in my castle.

Same here, I'm now out of horses having lost the love of it about 3 years ago. I haven't ridden since and not really missed it, certainly haven't missed owning.

 

[Cortez]

I keep all of my retired horses for as long as they are happy and healthy and I don’t ride them if they are retired. I wouldn’t buy a horse that I couldn’t ride.

 

[PurBee]

Id happily have horses if i couldnt ride them, and mostly do - its other factors of life that determine whether im able to keep them or not, not the riding aspect, thats irrelevant to me personally now. I really enjoy caring for them, interacting in other ways aside from riding.
If i had only strong riding goals/wishes i‘d not be interested in owning if legally not allowed to ride.

 

[Ratface]

My old boy is with me for life. We're both semi-retired. I ride when I feel physically able to do so.
If horse riding was banned, I like doing groundwork and in hand hacking, so would probably get a youngster and do that.

 

[Snowfilly]

I’d keep anything old or retired that I had that I already had a fondness for but I wouldn’t get another horse or breed any more. It would be utterly pointless.

I don’t know what I’d do with a young rideable horse - probably break the law.

 

[milliepops]

I probably wouldn't breed any more, because my intention is to breed my next riding horses. but I would keep the gang for as long as they were happy and healthy. I just spent an hour with the non-ridden mares just hanging around and it was lovely, i do like their company, ridden or not.

 

[Gloi]

I'd finish training him to drive ?

 

[shortstuff99]

Mine are basically already pets so, yes I would keep them and still be fulfilled even without riding.

 

[Goldenstar]

I would see the ones I have out but I would not get anymore .
It’s hard enough to keep horses healthy when you can exercise them .

 

[palo1]

Yes, I would still keep horses - they are just part of our life and family. Riding is lovely but horses themselves are the intensely interesting bit. I would enjoy groundwork/liberty, walking with them etc and generally enjoying their beauty and physical presence in my life.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Mine would hardly notice! They do so little anyway at the moment.

I don’t think it’s even a remote possibility though.

 

[blitznbobs]

the industry would shrink drastically putting literally hundreds of thousands of people out of work... it's not going to happen any time soon... but i wouldn't be getting rid of any of mine in that environment as they'd probably end up at a meat market.

 

[cold_feet]

I wouldn’t keep a horse if I couldn’t ride.

 

[Equi]

I dont ride my 5 minis obviously, so theyre fine. My big boy i enjoy playing with more than riding but the ability to ride is what made me get a big horse..so i would keep him but i would not be buying another big horse if i couldn't ride it.

 

[Smoky 2022]

I only have my first horse she will never be sold. To be honest she is just a pet. we just have fun together we hack and do the odd jump. So not riding wouldn’t be a big deal considering we don’t do much in the first place . Not riding wouldn’t bother me and I would just retire her to the field.

 

[fidleyspromise]

I'd keep my 2 but wouldn't get another. One is retired and I enjoy taking her out walks when I am able but I mainly ride and lead.
I love heading down to the beach and trotting or cantering through the shallow water, popping over smallogs in woods, exploring new paths and chatting to my friend while we ride side by side.

My health is too much to explore while walking in hand. In as much as I thought I'd be fine with a horse and not riding last year my mare was out of action for a few months and I really missed riding and got depressed so it's shown how even though I don't ride much I do rely on it.

 

[cold_feet]

If you don’t have your own land, where would you keep your horse. Surely livery yards would no longer exist?

 

[Roxylola]

As a livery in an area with clay soil that struggles for any meaningful winter turnout much as I'd want to be around horses regardless of riding, I don't think I could justify keeping one that I can't keep fit and healthy year round

 

[Red-1]

Would we be allowed to drive?

Even if not, I suspect I would simply keep the ones I have but not replace them. I am of a more mature age anyway though. If younger I may feel more inclined to buy more.

 

[SO1]

I would keep my pony of course as a non ridden in the same way as if he got a health condition that meant he would be retired.

If I had the right set up I would consider non ridden with the right temperament that could go out for walks in hand if in an area where there was suitable walks and do in hand agility and perhaps in hand showing.