09/22/2024
“My horse doesn’t look very lame when he gallops across the field, so I don’t see anything wrong with riding him”
Actually, the quote in a comment on my post was:
“Okay so they can canter their lame asses around the paddock with their mates but apparently you’re not allowed to have a plod on them SHUSH”
Aside from the fact that this person doesn’t believe in punctuation, she also clearly thinks it’s more than acceptable to ride a lame horse, because that prey species will gallop across the field if his friends do. Sadly, it’s something I hear regularly; “well, he certainly doesn’t look lame when he gallops across the field”.
I would hope that I don’t need to explain to the majority of horse owners that a lame horse will still gallop across a field. Just like if you had a broken leg and the building you were in was on fire, you’d run. Horses take that one step further in that they not only need to run, but they need to hide that fact they’re in pain, otherwise they’ll be the first to be eaten by the lion in the hedge (actually, in most cases, it’s a blackbird in the hedge, but you get where I’m coming from….).
I am trying to open up discussion about these SERIOUS animal welfare concerns at the very lowest levels of horse ownership. Many of the people trolling the internet about how nasty it is to use spurs, or a flash noseband, are the people riding lame horses. They may be riding lame horses through lack of knowledge, but that still doesn’t make it ok. Obviously the ones who think in the same way as the lady that posted the very long sentence as a comment, are a million times worse. But both types exist. There are thousands of lame horses being ridden on a daily basis. I see many trotting along roads when I’m out and about.
A horse with his leg snapped in two will gallop across a field to get to his herd mates.
A lame horse is in PAIN.
Let’s tackle lame horses being hacked out or jumped at home. Let’s tackle skinny thoroughbreds being ridden by too heavy a rider. Let’s tackle people who think it’s perfectly acceptable to trot and canter a lame horse, because he canters across the paddock.
Welfare starts in the stable.
Johnnie and I en route to a double clear at Houghton 4*, 2022.
Dr. Laura Brinton Thompson and Adobe Equine We are a full service equine veterinary practice. Dr. Laura Thompson makes appointments at your facility or ours.
