What practices in the Equine world have shocked you?

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Bedford Joy

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I was once told of some very dubious practices in the Arab showing/breeding world ...
In order to accentuate the dish some breeders will place a large elastic band around the noses of foals noses which restricts the growth of the nose thus causing a more pronounced dish.

Also if you see an Arabian at a show standing still but with its tail high in the air there is also a practice of using Cayen pepper supposetories to irritate that area causing the horse to lift its tail higher when not moving ...

Some practices in the horse world have really shocked me, I think one of the worst I've seen is Soring ... One of the cruelest things I've ever seen. How people think the over exaggerated high stepping low back ended horses is beautiful sickens me :(
 
The practice of dealers selling unsuitable horses to complete novice riders and that of useless owners buying 4 year old ponies for their 5 year old children so they can 'grow together'.

FAR more widespread than the above (not that I am condoning any of it).
 
most high end showing in the US (think tenasee walking horses etc)
and some in the UK
i worked in polo for a while and must admit i found the argnetine method of breaking in very distressing to watch.... however they were - at the end of the processs - some of th emost well behaved ponies i rode... perfect for a patron who needed a touch button pony...
however i found them a bit ummm lacking personality? they had had it beaten out of them. i'd rather a horse with some spirit left in them
 
I'm not coming back to this topic because it's going to get depressing but the way horses and donkeys are treated in other countries ie over worked/under fed/worked lame/worked hard in extreme heat :(
 
Seeing well bred horses shut into their 12 x 12 boxes for days on end, dragged out for a punishing hour in the school, and then immediately shut back in for a few more days. They were clearly depressed - no surprise there - and it broke my heart. Very much status symbols for the rich. This was overseas by the way.
 
OMG looked up Soring, as haven't heard of it before and almost cried.. thats horrible :(

really don't know how people can be so cruel, just to be part of their showing world or because in there small minds its the best way to do things..

hate all cases of cruelty, as there is no need to treat any animal like that, just a sad sad world we live in..
 
sticking hackneys in completely blacked out stables filled with metal buckets on the floor for weeks on end so it turns into second nature for them to pick up as they frightened them selves

the way they used to (maybe still do) break in horses by tying them to a post with one leg tied to their body with no food or water for a week or so then beating them til the no longer react then sitting on them with their leg tied until they no longer react... now we know why its called "breaking" as its breaking their spirit...

the spiked nose bands they use on spanish horses so they round up

horses in egypt used for tourists

racing yearlings and 2 year olds... wheres the need?
 
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What about horses used in tourism? That thread about horses in Egypt really saddened me too. The sores on their backs and hips, they were so thin. They were run on the road until they literally just dropped dead.

When I first heard about Tenessee walkers about 15 years ago I cried my eyes out and joined a petition, sent money to a campaign, and just recently a man was convicted only gets three years in jail. That is the pinnacle of showing cruelty in my humble opinion, makes Arab showing look tame.

I tell you what else makes me cry... Running of two year olds in racing in America. Some are not even two yet and their bones are so soft, they break in the hard going. They are just disposed of as if they were broken bicycles... Dragged off the circuit so that the next death run can begin.

Oh what about the grand national? Not many would say that is cruel but why would a civilised society such as England, proud of its animals loving heritage, put 40 horses over jumps that clearly defy the ability of the horses... Hmmmmm. I think humans just like to be cruel.
 
Ditto the argintina method of breaking. I have an ex polo pony who was need & backed over there. Your right about the personality. Although after three years with me , it is coming out! Sucks cheeky madam !
 
People feeding far horses because the others are getting something and it isn't fair! Your horse is fat put it on a diet or sell to someone who will.
That's the most common one I see every where.
The amount if unsuitable feed on the market.
 
tallyho! said:
What about horses used in tourism? That thread about horses in Egypt really saddened me too. The sores on their backs and hips, they were so thin. They were run on the road until they literally just dropped dead.

When I first heard about Tenessee walkers about 15 years ago I cried my eyes out and joined a petition, sent money to a campaign, and just recently a man was convicted only gets three years in jail. That is the pinnacle of showing cruelty in my humble opinion, makes Arab showing look tame.

I tell you what else makes me cry... Running of two year olds in racing in America. Some are not even two yet and their bones are so soft, they break in the hard going. They are just disposed of as if they were broken bicycles... Dragged off the circuit so that the next death run can begin.

Oh what about the grand national? Not many would say that is cruel but why would a civilised society such as England, proud of its animals loving heritage, put 40 horses over jumps that clearly defy the ability of the horses... Hmmmmm. I think humans just like to be cruel.
Click to expand...

I think he only got a 48k fine..... no jail.... due to holes in the laws :(
 
Bedford Joy said:
Also if you see an Arabian at a show standing still but with its tail high in the air there is also a practice of using Cayen pepper supposetories to irritate that area causing the horse to lift its tail higher when not moving ...
Click to expand...

No pepper needed.

Flossstand.jpg
 
I think the treatment of tenessee walking horses for the big lick has been the thing that shocked me most.

What is the Argentine method of breaking polo ponies then?

I am also marginally horrified by the whole stabled 24/7 thing.... One girl I know said she thinks horses who live out are feral and horses that live in are better because they rely on you more.... I was baffled by this attitude!
 
In the polo world there are lots of practises I see that shock me even now.

I hate the practise withdrawing water from ponies before they play. And not giving them water after they've played, leaving them tied to the side of the lorry for hours without access to water - it makes me cross!

At polo this season we were one of the only teams I saw that bought hay necks for the ponies for their journey home too. It sorts of amazes me that people wouldn't give ponies some hay on the way home after they've been out of the stable for 6-8 hours.

The condition of some polo ponies is pitiful too. People seem to think that thin=fit. The high goal ponies look like racehorses, lean, mean, muscled and fabulous but I've seen some ponies that look not far off welfare cases in my opinion.

I've heard some people think I am too precious about my ponies, but that is one criticism I'm happy to take.
 
I am constantly shocked at the poor standard of instruction at most riding schools. And consequently at the poor standard of riding.
 
Soring - hobbles - rollkur - bit abuse - slaughter - general lack of basic care... Mainly unkept hooves/ dirty, thin bedded stables.
 
Despise tennese walking horses training and also arab breeding and showing methods, disgusting.
I also hate all things american (and irish for some things)
And racing 2y/o's
And that parelli crap (submission of the horse, tying its head to leg etc...)
 
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