stop the horse abuse

-Submitted by Hannah

Simon Delestre & Chesall Zimequest

Horses tongue has actually turned blue. Also in the article also stated alarmingly high heart rates.

People have the audacity to question why I  describe as horror.

“Natural Horsemanship”

A term used by many people who either take it too far (ie. Parelli, Anderson, ect), or who don’t actually realize that they do it themselves on a regular basis. Many horsemen/women worth their merit prefer to not use the term, because there’s nothing natural about a human mimicking horse behavior. It is, however, natural to the horse and the horse’s instinct. Though I suppose that’s a bit of a slippery slope, because it varies from person to person, horse to horse.

Do you let your horse walk all over you, drag you around, ect? Probably not. If you correct them, that’s technically “natural horsemanship”. It’s not all rainbows and unicorns. Sometimes you need to give the lead line a jerk and tell them “hey!” It’s like raising children. Manners are not innate. They are taught. Although that would just open the way for parenting arguments, so I’ll just stop it right there.

For some people and horses, the right amount of pressure and release works. For some, not so much. And that’s okay. Not every person is the same. Not every horse is the same. What is the right amount of pressure? Whatever is just enough. Just enough to start getting the reaction, and then immediately take it off. Increase the heat as needed, but never, ever too much. Too much would be Parelli, or to the limited extent that I’ve seen, Anderson. The horse was already moving in the direction you asked for… take off the heat. It’s that simple. Pressure and release. You create a kind of draw. Just like with dogs. Unless you consider Caesar Millan to be abusive… then I can see why you’d think “NH” was as well. But then in that case, you must only ever have happy-go-lucky horses and dogs. Try reading one of Caesar’s books some time. The basis is literally the exact same thing. Sure herds are supposedly based more on trust than packs, which are more dominance ruled, but you don’t see the sweetest, quietest mare leading the herd either. The lead mare has to keep everyone in line. She keeps the herd equilibrium.

Tell me, which is better? 

1. A horse placed under a mountain of restraining gear, spurs, pelham bit or the like, tongue presses, flashes, high head, ect…. But it’s so shiny and omg look at that tail, and that scope! This horse totally loves his job and is very relaxed an attentive.

Vs.

2. A horse with a calm, low set head (not taught, but something it did on it’s own), no bit and sometimes no headgear or even a strap at all, going around listening to the rider’s quiet seat. No kicking, spurs, crops/whips, ect…. But omg that horse is totally shut down, he’s so stressed, they’re so mean omg horrible.

Most people, at least on this site, I find will choose horse #1 as being the happier and healthier. Which to me doesn’t make any sense. I’ve actually had someone suggest using a Mikmar bit on my horse, because he was mouth and side dead (caused by the very same kind of people who would prefer Horse #1). That thing isn’t even a bit. It’s a torture device. I’ll stick to nuances of body language and a riding halter, thanks.

I myself do not follow one horseman or the other on a strict basis, but rather I’ve looked around, tested things, and found what works best for my horse and I. Tidbits here and there from Rick Gore (ThinkLikeAHorse) and Warwick Schiller (who is one of the people that doesn’t like using the term natural horsemanship), sprouting from the basis ingrained from childhood by an old school european grandfather. Quite the odd mix. But it works for us. However, just because it works for us, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’ll work for someone else and their horse. I think that’s what most people tend to forget. Pro-NH, Anti-NH, or otherwise. 

Falsterbo Horse Show, Grand Prix riders training.

Something is very very wrong with the sport when riders are happy to be seen heavily bracing and almost every horse in the ring is sucked back. And what’s more, it seems that the stewards did nothing, even though the original post states that not only were they heavily BTV, horses were also being hit and harshly spurred. Where have the principles of harmony and lightness gone?

Photographer : © Roxanne Legendre

07.06.2014

HARM OF RIDING STUDY By Maksida Vogt

Preface

The horse is not made to be ridden. The horse should not be ridden at the cost of his health. This is a daily practice preformed by people who even claim to love their horses. Love which causes damage and pain to another creature is a sick love.  Throughout the whole of human history, people have done horrible things to animals and to each other out of lack of education and lack of development.  Now, in a time of abundant knowledge and developmental growth, it is time to show that this damage and pain is still happening with horses… through the people who ride and use them for their own pleasure or profit.

I state that there is no one, single horse who likes to be ridden. We would like to believe they like it, but that does not make it true. It is time to rethink tradition and to face the facts. Horses usually suffer silently, but when one sees behaviors and actions such as these, the horse is suffering: - Horse jerks or flinches while being groomed - Horse dishes the back ventrally when touched - Horse refuses to give a hoof for cleaning - Particular body regions are very hot - Horse prefers one body position, such as: holding head only on one side or the other, tail only on one side or the other, only one hind leg is exonerated, not the other, etc. - Horse presses it’s head against solid objects - Grinding of teeth, wind sucking, cribbing, chewing on ropes - Horse does not want to move - Head shaking - Horse defends himself, raises (rears), bucks, kicks under or out behind, holds head extremely high - Horse is lame

If your horse is lame, then you should know that your horse suffers pain. There are many people who can see or feel what is going on in a horses body and many of these people have nothing to do with horses, meaning that they do not have them or do not desire anything from them.

This is a very interesting subject, as those people have no difficulties in understanding even the most complicated biomechanical mechanism just by feeling and common sense.

It seems that only people who want to use the horse in some way need proof of this causing of damage and pain.  I think bringing to light the ethical reasons one should not use another creature for one’s own aims and desires should be enough, but I am aware that there are people who have no such attitude.

Can you imagine being forced to run whilst you are bleeding internally?. Can you imagine being whipped as you feel like you are going to die? This happened to Admire Rakti today at the Melbourne Cup…and then he died. Another horse who ran the race today also died, his name was Araldo. He was put to sleep because of a broken cannon bone.

People in the industry go on about how much they love the horses, “oh, they live like Kings”. If that’s love, well I certainly don’t want those people to love me. Imagine riding a horse and knowing something was wrong with him and still whipping him to get him over the finish line. That is just obscene. It’s A grade cruelty right there in front of our eyes, yet we all still rush to be part of this stupid race every single year. Stand up people. Stop this crap.

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EDIT - NO I DIDNT WATCH THE STUPID RACE AND I AM NOT GOING TO, SO I AM GOING ON REPORTS THAT I AM READING. Some say he cantered across the line, some say he walked across the line, some say he was whipped, some say he was hugged and kissed whilst he got to the finish. Whichever way he got to the finish line determined his death. He should have been pulled up. He should never have been put into such a tough race. Race drunk people, not animals. That’s my point. Full stop. Cheers.

WTF? So… pictures of Tennessee Walking Horse competitions have been floating around some of the forums I lurk in. I won’t join because while I have the right to remain silent, I lack the capacity. Then, people get all butt hurty and MEAN. That shiznit bugs me. I can’t invite hate into my life. Anyhoots, these pictures. What the hell? Seriously. I would love to know who thought of this originally. “You know what I’ll do? I’ll just compete WHILE abusing my horse. Two birds, one stone, all that jazz. And since I suck at equitation, I will just make it the cool thing to slouch like a mofo.” Awesome. NOT.

Increased media coverage on investigations into soring and other barbaric practices have put the lime light on shows and called for a standard that is humane. There is still much debate over soring practices. HOLD THE PHONE! What’s to debate? Knock that shit off. Still, the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration organizers are still clueless, and ask, “What would it take to bring more people back?”

So many stunning and talented horses are completely emotionally, physically, and psychologically destroyed by the racing industry.

Now I’m currently having the experience of an ex-racer myself I can see the effects first hand.