Unfit horses and strenuous work..

[myhorsefred]

Sorry this is a bit of a rant i suppose. (also in hunting forum)

A friend of mine is letting her hubby take their horse to opening meet this Sat. This horse has not been ridden for a whole month, and before that maybe ridden on very slow hack once a week. The horse is fat and extremely unfit.

I think it is very unfair on the horse to ask it to exert itself on Saturday having done no fittening, road or fast work to prepare it. I also think it is cruel as this is just inviting injury imo.

Do you know people who allow their horses to become so unfit yet still expect them to take them hunting?

 

[Nando]

Quite agree with your concerns -not fair on the horse at all.

It seems like an accident waiting to happen, especially with the current weather conditions I can't imagine the ground anywhere in the country being anything other than very holding - not good for an unfit horse.

The hunters round us are excercised all year round to keep them fit for the season, seems silly to treat a hunt horse any different from an eventer in terms of fitness, afterall its a long and pretty tiring day! Some people eh?!!

 

[amandaco2]

i hate this
i have people i know how dont ride for months then go galloping down the beach and out for hours.
i agree-not nice for poor horse and far more likely to pull a tendon/muscle.

 

[MizElz]

Poor horse

It's something I'm always so careful about. Our neighbour asked me if I would like to go on a sponsored ride on Sunday, but as I have just been on holiday and Ellie has been ridden, on average, less than twice a week for the past two months, there was no way I'd ask her to go ten miles. It bothers me that people just take unfit horses out and expect them to trot on roads and canter on hard ground, with no thought for the fact that their legs have not been given the chance to harden up through fitness work. Not to mention the issue of wind problems!

 

[SSM]

Please see your other post, which hunt is having their opening meet this weekend? - I would also be surprised if farmers allow them on their land at the moment as the ground is so soft and there are still crops to bring in.

 

[arwenplusone]

I would be really seriously concerned about this

Hunting is a HARD day's work for the horse. I would not take my girl yet & she is show jumping every week.
Is there any way that he can go for a half day, or for an hour or two?

Call it an over reaction if you will but I think this horse is at serious risk of breaking down/becoming ill. Over exertion/exhaustion can bring on colic. I have seen it happen and it is a shame as it is totally preventable

Sorry, myhorsefred, not having a go at you but I really HATE to see an unfit horse overworked.

ETA - just re read this properly and realised horse has not been ridden for a month. This horse should go NO WHERE NEAR a hunt meet.

not even for half a day, sorry

 

[myhorsefred]

Hi SSMum - just read my other post and relplied in there. Not sure what type of meet it is. Not being into hunting myself I didn;t know to ask what type of meet it is. I think, though, that even a fast hack would be too much for this unfit horse.

I did say to my friend, that didn't she think the horse was too unfit and that it was risking injury taking him (tendon, wind, heart attack etc) and she said 'well I pay a lot of money to keep him in livery, so he can do a days work when I need him too'!!! Really, really made my blood boil.

As her friend I've told her that I think its wrong, she shouldn't do this to her horse (however much money she thinks he 'owes' her) and that she'll be lucky to put him back in his stable unharmed at the end of the day, but she just thinks I'm being too fussy.

 

[myhorsefred]

Hi Mayflower - totally agree with you. This horse should not even do a fast hack in my opinion. He is such a genuine, willing type of horse as well and will do whatever is asked of him, bless his heart. I feel so sorry for this horse.

 

[RunToEarth]

Opening meet this Saturday? Blow me down with a feather- most openers around here arnt until the beginning of November. Don't envy the landowners around that opening meet

 

[Storminateacup]

How terribly, cruel, unfair and naieve of her.
I had a friend who did this and her horse got colic and was severely ill for days the livery yard staff were up all night with him, I thought he would die.
Its just totally inane to do this, after all she will have to foot the vets bill even if she has no concern for the horses' well being. Perhaps you could remind her of that aspect.

 

[JanetGeorge]

[ QUOTE ]


A friend of mine is letting her hubby take their horse to opening meet this Sat.

[/ QUOTE ]

Who on earth is having Opening Meet this Saturday - half the packs haven't started early hound exercise yet!

Mind you, even for that my OH's horse had been in daily work for 8 weeks!

I don't know anyone stupid enough to take a fat, unfit horse hunting (thankfully!)