Would you want a robot horse?

[Equi]

If there was an animatronic horse available would you want it? It rides whatever way you programmed it to..eg you could pop in plodding hack mode, or dressage mode or jump mode. It never spooks or refuses or disagrees and gives you a reliable ride each time.

Would you want it?

 

[HopOnTrot]

I have two mature ladies so it would fill the gap between retirement and replacement (I only have space for two)

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Maybe for fitness and to progress but I would much rather my lovely real life Arab's

 

[Emilieu]

Oh no. I’m here for the relationship

 

[JFTDWS]

Doesn’t go lane, no welfare worries… I think there’s a lot of people who would be better off owning one of them than a live animal.

I’m more interested in the nostril fluttering soppy pony moments you only get from a free willed living creature though.

 

[Boughtabay]

Nope - aside from my horses are hairy pals, I trust their judgement. I trust that if they stop before a blind bend in the road that they’ve heard something I haven’t (cars usually). I trust their ability to navigate rough/wet ground out hacking/hunting safely. In turn I like that they also trust us when we need it, not just because they’re programmed to do as we say

 

[Ratface]

No. The antics of The Orange Loon are far too entertaining. The automatic one would be much cheaper to keep, but very dull.

 

[Jenko109]

Hell yes.

Imagine being able to ride a top level dressage horse with all those amazing buttons built in, but not being able to undo all the schooling with amateur riding.

Or to be able to fly around a course at 160cm, knowing the horse will get the correct stride every time and you can just focus solely on your position and improving your riding.

Or to be able to gallop flat out on a top speed race horse, knowing the breaks are 100%.

I think it sounds fab

People ride mechanical horses for improving position. Imagine what one of these could do to improve your riding or tackle confidence issues.

 

[cauda equina]

But what about bugs in the programming?
When self driving cars go wrong things can go very very wrong
At least real live horses have a sense of self-preservation, even if our (the riders') safety is secondary

 

[Flame_]

No way. I like horses with personality.

 

[Peglo]

Not to replace my actual horses no. Riding comes secondary to having them for me. I would rather own a mechanical horse I could use to improve my riding whenever I like (like in bad weather ) and use it as exercise rather over a robot horse.

 

[scats]

Yes. I’ve always said if I could have a robot horse I’d trade mine in

 

[rabatsa]

With a robot horse I would not have to worry about weight limits. I hope that it would give feedback on rider position/weight distribution so the rider can improve.

I would still keep my live ones for the snuggles.

 

[Cowpony]

For learning and improving my riding yes. As a substitute for my real horses, no. I've always said I'd hate a pushbutton horse.

 

[twiggy2]

No, its the relationship thats more important to me, a partnership etc

 

[Spotherisk]

With a robot horse I would not have to worry about weight limits. I hope that it would give feedback on rider position/weight distribution so the rider can improve.

I would still keep my live ones for the snuggles.

Yes to all of this!

 

[ycbm]

As soon as they have one which is indistinguishable from a real horse when it's switched on, I'll be in the queue. I'm too old but it will be there, either in VR or in nuts and bolts, in future.

The same with a cat and a dog.

"Do androids dream of electric sheep?"

 

[Snowfilly]

For practice and fitness absolutely yes. It would be a really good training tool (and if they could get it to pace / amble / tolt, a way for us in the UK to experience all the gaited breeds) but it would never replace the bond with a real horse.

 

[ycbm]

I'm not sure that people who are writing about wanting a real relationship are following advances in AI and robotics........
.

 

[Roxylola]

Id ride one, I wouldn't replace a real horse with one but I'd love to train on one regularly. I think the current mechanical ones are too fixed in their feel to make me go out of my way to ride one but if I could have one at home (or at my livery yard) I would use it a fair bit

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I have ridden a mechanical horse when rehabbing a broken ankle. I wouldn't mind having one of those available all the time and if it could hack out so much the better BUT it would be like going out on a bike. I really missed the 'conversation' that you have when riding a real horse.

 

[ycbm]

It never spooks or refuses or disagrees ....

Unless you program it to do all those things ...
.

 

[Polos Mum]

I think that would take the essence of the sport away for me.

Mine are different every day (as am I !) so the joy from developing both of us.
Knowing when to ask a little more and when to chill out.
Making mistakes but learning from those (and both of us forgiving each other for our mistakes)

I make progress at a pace a snail would laugh at but I get real pleasure from improving every single time we interact (not just ride)

My 8 y/o now I'm constantly told how lucky I am that he's so good at XYZ - amazing how many 100's of hours it's taken to achieve that luck.

If I wanted a robot horse I'd get a bike (maybe motorbike to get the appropriate sense of impending death every time I went out!)

 

[dorsetladette]

I can see the usefulness of it - teaching rider position and riding combinations either cross country or a technical course of jumps or riding certain dressage movements to teach the rider without confusing a horse.

But the element of a horse thinking for itself to get out of trouble, like an extra stride before a fence or taking a stride out if the distance isn't calculated correctly by the rider. I know there has been some amazing advancements in AI technology but I'd still worry that the 'real life' element can't be replicated exactly.

 

[Glitter's fun]

If there was an animatronic horse available would you want it? It rides whatever way you programmed it to..eg you could pop in plodding hack mode, or dressage mode or jump mode. It never spooks or refuses or disagrees and gives you a reliable ride each time.

Would you want it?

Yes! Not instead of my real horse but as well as, definitely.

I'd use it to practise any specific thing I needed to work on. It wouldn't get bored, so you could repeat something as many times as it takes to learn it.

It could be programmed to do something right now, while the instructor is present, that my real horse only does randomly now and then, so I could learn to deal with those occasional quirks!
I'd also like you to have a program that replicates what it would feel like if it was mildly lame, stiff backed etc etc , so that could be included in riding lessons.

If you can make it very realistic please, I will put an animatronic rider and all-round cameras on it & send it out round the roads catching bad drivers without risk to real flesh and blood (their fine will include any repairs necessitated by their driving).

 

[honetpot]

I just think it would be wonderful if you have difficult mobility, just being to wander outdoors just about anyhere. I like ponies because if there is a gap they will go through it, I find horses a bit thick and slow on the uptake. So perhaps its one of things you have to make you life more adventurous, and perhaps be able to catch the blooming dog when it runs off.

 

[Birker2020]

If there was an animatronic horse available would you want it? It rides whatever way you programmed it to..eg you could pop in plodding hack mode, or dressage mode or jump mode. It never spooks or refuses or disagrees and gives you a reliable ride each time.

Would you want it?

Hell yes!

But as a 54 year old woman that hasn't ridden 'properly' for about 5 or 6 years, and that is on upto 17 painkillers/anti inflamms a day for a variety of issues and is a bit nervous and scared of doing worse damage by falling off, it would be ideal for me. Although a bit boring, I do like a nice WB that can throw a 'small' shape now and then and has a personality and trying to steer away from the WB is very hard, and I suspect will be impossible.

But in the same vein, riding as we all know is extremely dangerous even at low level (maybe even more dangerous at lower level) and so you have to be open to falling off and the potential for injury re/injury. If you are not prepared to possibly have this then you would never compete again, and personally I can't see a life without that in it.

Also if a horse could never let you know that there is a problem then that would be a recipe for disaster. It is only by listening to them whisper, and then speak, and eventually shout at us (if we fail them and we don't listen to that whisper) that we are alerted to any issues.

 

[Birker2020]

I really missed the 'conversation' that you have when riding a real horse.

Yes I know what you mean. Not just verbal communication but physical conversation too.
I would chat away to Bailey for hours when we hacked on our own, it was for that reason that I hacked on my own and preferred to do this. Not just the 'steady' or 'careful' (of the footing) chat but "anyway we will find you a nice tea tonight, put a few carrots and apple in" or "Honestly, its unbelievable, he asked me to download and print that drawing folder right before I left work but I managed to do it before I missed the train". lol

 

[Equi]

With a robot horse I would not have to worry about weight limits. I hope that it would give feedback on rider position/weight distribution so the rider can improve.

I would still keep my live ones for the snuggles.

A little report would slide out of the back printer

 

[Rumtytum]

Not to replace my actual horses no. Riding comes secondary to having them for me. I would rather own a mechanical horse I could use to improve my riding whenever I like (like in bad weather ) and use it as exercise rather over a robot horse.

Having ridden a mechanical horse (dressage) several times I would love one, but they are very, very pricey
Not to replace the real thing though.