The completely hypothetical and extremely unlikely riding ban

[JenJ]

So given that the term 'riding ban' has been thrown around recently on FB etc, I though the potential implications of it on the equine industry might make for an interesting discussion.

I'm not suggesting for a moment that it might happen in the lifetime of any of us, but just curious as to the knock-on effects in a 'what-if' scenario.

Just a few ideas for starters:

The obvious one, what to do with all the existing horses?
What would happen with breeding, would people still breed? What types would be bred?
Would livery yards exist anymore?
Tack shops - would they still exist, or would equine supplies only be available from agricultural stores?
Would people be so concerned with longer-term veterinary conditions eg arthritis?
Would horses still be shod?
What areas could equine professionals move into?

 

[stormox]

Stupid thing to discuss! And totally impossible to envisage

 

[scats]

I think the need for grass livery would increase, as lots of people would opt to turn out their existing horses. I imagine a large number of horses would have their shoes removed, so there would be far more barefoot horses. Remedial shoeing would all but disappear as not many people would opt for that just to keep a horse field sound.
I think there would be an increase in abandoned horses.
It would have a huge knock-on effect for vets. My vet told me that a large part of his working week is travelling to competition yards and medicating joints to keep top horses working. Investigating lameness issues would massively reduce.
A lot of brands would go under.
The need for equine physios/chiros and body workers would seriously drop. Not many people would continue to use these professionals for horses they cannot work.

 

[scats]

Stupid thing to discuss! And totally impossible to envisage

Really? I think it’s quite interesting to think about.

 

[ycbm]

Stupid thing to discuss! And totally impossible to envisage

If you don't want to discuss it please just stay off the thread instead of being so damned rude to another poster.
.

 

[ycbm]

I think horse owning would focus down into a few breeds, the cute and cuddly tinies, donkeys and mules. I think there might be quite a lot of liberty and in hand work still done, and possibly training competitions along the lines of the dog ones.

Interesting question, thank you.
.

 

[Equi]

I have visions of the foot and mouth epidemic. There’s not many racehorses that would just be retired to the fields.

Many pet horses would continue as is just without the riding but breeding would be significantly reduced and maybe only native breeds desired.

 

[maya2008]

Me personally? I’d emigrate. With my ponies. I can work from anywhere in the world, and my husband drives a lorry - transferable skills r us!

Short term? Lots would be pts, a fair few abandoned, more and more would hop on a lorry to Europe.

Long term? Horses would mostly become scarce in this country. Maybe small ponies as pets left. Unless they became fashionable as a meat source.

I grew up in a country that eats horse meat. The ponies that bred ‘wild and free’ behind my house were farm animals, same as the cattle and sheep in the fields near my home now. The young ones were sent to slaughter at an appropriate age and ended up in the supermarket.

 

[gallopingby]

If you’re talking about a total riding ban then that’s a few years away!!! You’d be changing the financial focus in some government backed areas as well as the racing industry which contributes millions to the economy. However with the advent of ‘green energy’ maybe there could be more direction into driving rather than riding?

 

[Equi]

Look at these beautiful floppy ears!

I’ve no idea why that ended up in this thread

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I would hope that the Native breeds would find champions, as some of the native cattle, sheep etc have but there would be far fewer of them. Maybe we would all turn to driving instead.
I can't see it happening though

 

[Rokele55]

Well, once hunting and shooting are banned, racing and polo will be next in their sights. Dressage, show jumping and eventing after that. Then actually sitting on a horse will be deemed unacceptable. After that they will go after the farming industry with much more gusto. The countryside (what is left of it) will be for the enjoyment of the masses who will expect to visit petting centres who will present animal examples of the 'cruel old days' which best no resemblance of the reality. But a whole new industry will be created from which the government can make money with regulations and inspections by people who have been trained by technology

 

[Caol Ila]

Interesting intellectual exercise.

I’d personally emigrate.

As for wider effects, it would put thousands of people out of a job. The equine industry isn’t insignificant. And most of it is geared towards riding.

I think there would be serious welfare implications. Abandoned horses, mass culls. I know people like saying there are worse fates for a horse than PTS, but a situation where you’re killing vast numbers of them won’t be ideal for horse or human welfare.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I can only envisage it as something similar to the horrors of the F&M outbreak, but this time massive culling of horses instead. I think it would be highly discouraged by the government to agree to a ban, can you imagine the knock on implications to the economy?

 

[JenJ]

Stupid thing to discuss! And totally impossible to envisage

Sorry, I should have made it clear in the thread title that it was just a completely hypothetical question about an extremely unlikely scenario, to save you clicking on it and reading and replying. I'll do better next time

 

[Caol Ila]

I can only envisage it as something similar to the horrors of the F&M outbreak, but this time massive culling of horses instead. I think it would be highly discouraged by the government to agree to a ban, can you imagine the knock on implications to the economy?

Yes. A ban for the purpose of improving welfare would very much have the opposite effect. Maybe 20 years later, the only horses in existence would be living perfect lives in herds with no humans on their backs telling them what to do (that’s what PETA wants!), but it would not be a good situation for the existing generation of horses.

 

[tristars]

Horses might come in handy when all those electric cars conk out, visons of a world where I can hear hoofbeats clopping by on the road

 

[Celtic Jewel]

I wouldn’t say it’s impossible as some posters are critical of you op which is unfair. we are changing as a society to the point we’re some things that people got locked up in mental institutions years ago are perfectly acceptable nowadays , it’s entirely possible for the horse sports industry to be banned . People forget these teenagers that have strong opinions on animal welfare could be the ones running the country in a few years time. I can’t see something as old as riding still a thing in the future especially when we get more into technology in the next 50 years . Plus globe warming is going to negatively
affect farming and equtrain industries , population growth will take any equestrian land we use for horses

1. Land will be used for housing development and construction projects

2. Horse will no longer be breed or expensive horse will be moved to another country but it will eventually dye out . I think minis / Shetland ponies will be trendy.

3. Everything will slowly change people will go into non equestrian jobs and jobs will stops looking for people, tack shops will shut, livery yard will be closed and sold to developers for a few years.

4. People Who own land will keep their horse till the die and not replace them, or they keep non ridden horses.

5. the industry will go first racing and pro show jumping/ drassage/ eventing. People who just ride for fun will be able to be there for a few years.

6. Horses will be used for meat production to cut the population and then eventually will not be used.

 

[Jambarissa]

Well my life and herd would continue as is, and I'd finally get rid of those 8 saddles cluttering up the garage.

I'd stay in horses but probably buy minis or donkeys as pets when the current ones went. I had many years off riding with a medical issue and got into ground work and did something akin to dog agility with my welshie which was loads of fun.

I'm sure there'd be a huge cull of riding horses, the owners would probably want to put their energy into another sport or wouldn't he able to justify the cost of keeping an animal that no longer works as a hobby.

It's the racing industry that'd be decimated. I do think that'll be tackled over the next many years to make it safer, kinder, more ethical but not banned, it's too much money.

Vets, farrier, physios etc are probably 70% funded by the type of owners who would be culling the horses, but I'd imagine agri vets would be fine at keeping a horse pasture healthy and well all do our own barefoot trimming.

 

[First Frost]

Well it's a horrible thing to have to envisage, but something I have thought about recently. I am glad that I am in the later years of my riding life, as i can't imagine not riding throughout my life. Unfortunately i believe that in 100 years time horse riding may well not be exceptable. I feel sad for future generations.

If and when it does happen. I think some people may continue to keep smaller native and 'pretty ponies' as pets. Hopefully it would be considered important to keep our native breeds from a conservation perspective. Sadly i think the breeds now predominantly used for riding and competition would die out as they would have no purpose and would be expensive to keep.

If the extremely unlikely happened and riding was banned in my lifetime, I would keep the horses I had at the time as pets. When the end of their lives came, they would not be replaced. I would look back and think of myelf as truely honoured to have lived a life riding these beautiful animals.

 

[stormox]

I really cannot see why anyone apart from the mega millions brigade (status symbol?) would want to keep a horse as a "pet'....I know people do, but mainly they are people who once used to ride, or have had their horses a while and horses are now elderly, or unsound.
Horses are expensive and high maintenance, most people who set out to get a pet wouldn't choose 16 hands of pure flighty muscle. I think a lot would have to be culled.

 

[pistolpete]

I really cannot see why anyone apart from the mega millions brigade (status symbol?) would want to keep a horse as a "pet'....I know people do, but mainly they are people who once used to ride, or have had their horses a while and horses are now elderly, or unsound.
Horses are expensive and high maintenance, most people who set out to get a pet wouldn't choose 16 hands of pure flighty muscle. I think a lot would have to be culled.

I disagree. I see so many horse owner at diy livery who ride very little or not at all. As I’ve often thought the owning of horses and riding horses are two separate hobbies! I know which I prefer though.

 

[stormox]

I disagree. I see so many horse owner at diy livery who ride very little or not at all. As I’ve often thought the owning of horses and riding horses are two separate hobbies! I know which I prefer though.

Yes but did these people used to ride? Or had their horses when they did?

 

[Cloball]

Could we still walk them? Is it just riding or carrying weight? My pony would make a good hiking companion, she could carry lunch. People seem to like to take alpaca for walks these days. Maybe pony agility will become more popular.

I'd hope our natives would be used for conservation grazing especially with rewilding becoming popular however given most of our natives are pretty rare as it is I'm not sure that is suddenly going to change.

As for expensive pets my cat is currently the most expensive this year and he lays around my house loving my OH more than me in a rather disdainful way. At least my pony seems pleased to see me.

 

[Nonjumper]

So given that the term 'riding ban' has been thrown around recently on FB etc, I though the potential implications of it on the equine industry might make for an interesting discussion.

I'm not suggesting for a moment that it might happen in the lifetime of any of us, but just curious as to the knock-on effects in a 'what-if' scenario.

Just a few ideas for starters:

The obvious one, what to do with all the existing horses?
What would happen with breeding, would people still breed? What types would be bred?
Would livery yards exist anymore?
Tack shops - would they still exist, or would equine supplies only be available from agricultural stores?
Would people be so concerned with longer-term veterinary conditions eg arthritis?
Would horses still be shod?
What areas could equine professionals move into?

A ban on riding would include driving, I cannot see how it would not.

The simple fact is if riding as banned tomorrow, most horses would be PTS within a very short space of time once it was clear that there was not going to be a U-Turn.
People would stop breeding horses, as there would be no call for them.
Livery yards would close down as the horses once kept there are either PTS, or die of old age if kept as a field ornament because there would be no call for them.
All riding schools would instantly close.
Tack shops would close, there simply wouldn't be enough horses within any area to cover overheads, and selling nothing but headcollars, buckets and food probably isn't a great business plan either.
Saddlers would turn their hands to other forms of leatherwork, as tack of any kind would no longer be made.
Equine vets would disappear, potentially moving abroad or switching to other species/retiring depending on how old they are.
There would be no need to shoe horses that do nothing but stand in a field all day, most farriers would vanish, some would turn their hand to other forms of metalworking.
Transporters would vanish, as horses wouldn't be being travelled all over to competitions, and builders of trailers and boxes would end their equine lines.

I noticed a lot of people saying they'd emigrate, but that is ignoring the fact that it isn't just here in the UK that there is pressure on animal existence/ownership taking place. Outside of the horse world, other countries are already putting in bans on certain breeds of cat and dog for example, and I'm not talking about 'dangerous dogs' here either. Once the precedent is there is spreads ....

I'm also not so sure that we can be so confident in saying that something won't happen in our lifetimes, even if it seems extreme and highly improbable. We are on a knife edge now, and the animal owning world needs to wake up as a matter of urgency, or we are going to find the rug pulled from under our feet while we are still gawping at the sky.

 

[fidleyspromise]

Previous threads have shown there are a reasonable amount of riders who if they can't ride wouldn't have horses.
I have one field ornament, one who could become a field ornament any moment (she's 22 and I bought a young horse so she can retire however she's going amazing so that went well).

Some people may switch to agility and other in hand disciplines but will competitions be allowed such as in hand or would they be banned too? What about driving?

I think there would be a big welfare crisis.

 

[pistolpete]

Yes but did these people used to ride? Or had their horses when they did?

Doesn’t really matter. Think they just be glad pressure was off.

 

[stormox]

Doesn’t really matter. Think they just be glad pressure was off.

I meant maybe they only have horses because they used to ride? I'm not sure many people never involved with horses would decide to suddenly get one as a pet.

 

[KittenInTheTree]

Got to love how the assumption seems to be that nobody would rise up, rebel against it, and burn everything down in the process, leading to a glorious new era, etc.

 

[Pedantic]

Stupid thing to discuss! And totally impossible to envisage

Not really, farms are disappearing for housing sites and commercial parks, and byepass's, traffic has got horrendously worse just over the last few years where we are, they don't want us on the roads, coincidentally I was looking at my own YT videos just last night from only 2017, riding over 7 lanes of traffic which is classed as "Bridleway", (you can't realistically actually get to it now' so not even I ride it anymore) it made me realise how the fields at the side which were empty, are now full of houses, and permission to build even more FFS, also on my other videos of crossing a bridge, on my early videos the fields on the right were totally empty, now it's all commercial buildings and lorry parks and a service road etc, it's obvious they want any type of hunting banned, bit by bit like Sharia law coming, and it is, just a matter of time, little by little like a dripping tap, the equestrian world is shrinking away.