To think that equestrian events are ridiculous

LobotomisedIceSkatingFan

Abject nonsense. In the arena of animal cruelty, the frigging fence to die on is surely not how stubborn the horse was in the face of abuse, but that the abuse shouldn't be happening in the first place. Some of these comments are akin to bloody Mary Chipperfield insisting she was 'encouraging (a chimp) with a stick'
rather than, er, beating it. All this bollocks about 'reminding horses of their manners' as if there is parity between horse and rider rather than a massive imbalance of power; as if they have the mental acuity to be able to do any such thing, is frankly revolting.

I haven't misread the tone, and I'm not clinging to an argument. I'm making a valid one, and you know it: there's plenty on this thread who have made their points more forcefully and more frequently. The fact is - horses cannot consent to this treatment and you pursue these pastimes because you want to. It's entirely selfish and the only way it can be justified is by vainly attempting to convince the dissenters among us that you and your beasts are all in it together and they love every minute.

This. A thousand times. You want to defend it because you don’t want your enjoyment of that activity to be curtailed. It’s got nothing to do with what the horse wants or what is best for the horse but everything to do with your own selfish wants.

You can say that about any animal that has a connection with humans, horses, dogs, cats, guinea pigs....... Anything that's been somewhat domesticated.
We, collectively as humans, domesticated these animals, for many their natural habitat is vastly reduced or eliminated now by the progress of humans, any animal that is domesticated has been done so for human benefit from horses in the war efforts to a cat as a companion pet.
For many of them, wild herds or packs have and would cause problems for humans and for the animals themselves. It's not feasible to suddenly try and go back to a time where all animals roam free at will - it wouldn't work to the advantage of the animals and not to humans either.
We have interfered to the point where these animals are in some cases, reliant on humans for their survival.
The way forward is not to just quit and let them get on with it, it's to uphold the responsibility we have, learn how to deal and treat these animals we live alongside properly and in a way that they are having their needs met consistently and with respect.
And that's every single animal, not just an Olympic dressage horse or a scruffy cob tethered at the side of the road.

No point arguing with people who don’t understand horses.

[quote Hopeisallineed]@liveforsummer but you can’t possibly know that for a fact.[/quote]
That's why I said didn't necessarily- I do know that it wouldn't have done it to the best of its ability though that's fact and unhappy horse will not consistently perform well. Something you learn when you're around horses day in day out for decades. The ones who like their job are the ones that do the best. Majority of racehorses are retired from racing because it's not suited to them not because they aren't potentially fast enough or they are injured. There are plenty of horses that have the potential and ability to be top showjumpers or whatever but their temperament means they aren't.

@liveforsummer but you can’t possibly know that for a fact.

@Bryonyshcmyony didn’t you flounce our ages ago and say you weren’t coming back? I do keep saying it because these horses are being used and abused for our entertainment and it’s sick. Saying it’s fine tat a horse gets euthanised because it’s being injured is missing the point that it’s been injured because of us, for our entertainment. If it wasn’t made to do these things so we can watch the sport then it wouldn’t be shot. I don’t get why you are all wilfully ignoring that fact. Well I do, because you don’t really care and think it’s worth the entertainment.

To add the tack on that pentathlon horse was shocking and not the fault of the rider as it wasn't hers. I wonder if some of these horses are sourced from countries whose welfare and training standards and methods are different to the likes of the UK?! It's been a long time since I've seen a combination of a traditional gag with a flash noseband and tight martingale used in jumping here.

It doesn’t like being ridden but now lives a happy retired, ride-free life. My point is You can’t make sweeping generalisations about ‘a horse won’t do what it doesn’t want to’ because it’s just not true. Lots of animals do things out of fear or compliance or just for a quiet life.

[quote Hopeisallineed]@JulesRimetStillGleaming we rescued a horse that was treated extremely badly at the rescue centre I used to work at. It was still ridden and jumped but also beaten and whipped and half starved. It did what it was told most of the time do your argument that horses don’t ever do what they don’t want to is bollocks. Horses have different characters , like people, some are more defiant in nature than others. Some will put up with a lot of shit.[/quote]
That horse may have enjoyed being ridden and jumped though. Obviously it didn't like being beaten and whipped but I bet it would have willingly been ridden and jumped without the mistreatment too. The horse in the pentathlon was not going to go over those jumps regardless of how that rider treated it which bus what's made it even worse that the horse was whipped. They should have accepted that horse was not going to do that course. As you say, different personalities and likes and dislikes

@JulesRimetStillGleaming we rescued a horse that was treated extremely badly at the rescue centre I used to work at. It was still ridden and jumped but also beaten and whipped and half starved. It did what it was told most of the time do your argument that horses don’t ever do what they don’t want to is bollocks. Horses have different characters , like people, some are more defiant in nature than others. Some will put up with a lot of shit.

Fwiw if a horse is injured (which happens far more in fields than being ridden) or develops an illness and it affects their quality of life significantly then yes they may be pts. It's not a bad thing to not want an animal to live out it's life in pain

[quote Hopeisallineed]@liveforsummer but this is not the case for many places I’m afraid. You giving your personal example doesn’t mean that it’s not happening it clearly is and euthanising horses ( as some one said upthread) because they have outlived their usefulness/been injured through our desire for entertainment is pretty disgusting in my book.[/quote]
You keep saying this.

Yes it may have happened in racing, but happens much less now if at all

People do not euthanize healthy ex showjumpers dressage horses and eventers because they don't want to jump or do dressage competitively any more.

No vet would do it for a start!

Except my experience is vast and spans several countries and disciplines and levels. Does yours?

@liveforsummer but this is not the case for many places I’m afraid. You giving your personal example doesn’t mean that it’s not happening it clearly is and euthanising horses ( as some one said upthread) because they have outlived their usefulness/been injured through our desire for entertainment is pretty disgusting in my book.

It's a bit like dogs. They've been domesticated for centuries like horses. I think we'd all agree that having dogs being walked and exercised and cared for in private homes is better than letting them roam and breed and on the streets as they do in some parts of the world.

Except the horse didn't do it did they? It was appalling to watch and I'm glad the rider was eliminated and her coach ejected from the Olympics because that's not how to treat a horse at any level.

Hopefully even the lay people can tell the difference between that display and the barely noticeable way the top dressage riders, eventers and show jumpers ride.

I used to ride an ex race horse. She's now in her 30s and retired with my parents being looked after even though she's too old to be ridden now. It's possible that if we hadn't had her at 5 years old then she would've ended up slaughtered for not making it as a racer. I'm not a fan of horse racing and would happily see that die out but plenty of horses are given a happy life afterwards. She would've been bored to tears spending the rest of her life in a field.

Nobody is impressed and nobody cares what you may or may not do on them. What a load of nonsense the whole thing is

Your own opinion is only your own. It doesn't reflect the majority. Loads of people are impressed!

All sports are pointless if you're looking at or that way. You don't have to race just because you like running. You could just go for a jog or host an exercise group instead of flying round the world competing for medals. Dressage is no more pointless than running or rowing. The rowers found just use their boats to teach sailing instead

show-jumping and dressage pointless, in my view

Do you usually want things you don't understand banned?

I don’t think it’s necessary for horses to be transported around the world for events such as the Olympics. Horse racing is grim and show-jumping and dressage pointless, in my view. Individuals would still keep horses for riding lessons; or therapy horses for the disabled, etc. I’m not advocating eradicating horses altogether - just getting rid of stupid and totally unnecessary competitions. The Grand National should be banned for a start.

When all is said and done, the world simply doesn’t need any of this and would be a better place without it

I agree we can all live without the MP showjumping, but totally disagree the world would be a better place without horses in it, as that's what you are advocating.

If there was no equestrian sport there would be no horses. A few wild ponies maybe until they die out.

Just leave these horses alone. They don’t need to be prancing around and flown around the world for this or that event. When all is said and done, the world simply doesn’t need any of this and would be a better place without it.

If you want to compete as a human - that is your choice. Do what you want with your own body. Just leave horses out of it. Nobody is impressed and nobody cares what you may or may not do on them. What a load of nonsense the whole thing is.