To think using horses the way the royals do needs to be stopped.

[WildFlowerBees]

The way their horses are used in ceremonies really isn't good. I don't expect everyone to get it, lots of people who don't know about horses just see it and think oh look how lovely, lots of riders don't see the issue. I don't find it comfortable watching horses some just under their threshold and a few over it.

I've had horses for years mostly rescues, I don't subscribe to the BHS way of thinking so I'm already labelled as 'odd' I find this sort of treatment of animals sad.

@Blamethecat57

Completely agree.

Why can't they get in a car and stand behind people marching?

Have you ever tried to get a horse into a car?

Can I ask about the horses on stationary guard duty with the household cavalry? I keep seeing videos on tiktok, they stand for 2 hours with a rider on their back and often look bored, chewing on the bit and flinging their head about and sometimes going a bit bonkers and exploding out their archway and nearly trampling tourists. I’m assuming this isn’t very good for them either?

I certainly felt sorry for the one with the two big drums today!

YADNBU, this and Police Horses. Lots of unhappy and stressed horses today.

They’re fine, just a bit frustrated and twitchy. They are beautifully cared for.

I've just bought a bag of rotting vegetables, by that logic.

Well duh! One is a vegetable though and one is the flesh of an animal.

I swear I saw them weeping. Why don’t you go and start the obligatory thread about the cruelty of bearskins that always appears on state occasions?

It's a one hour shift for the mounted guards, two hours for the soldiers on foot. The horses would probably feel more comfortable if the public didn't crowd them so much and touch them constantly. Some tourists even take hold of the reins or the bridle.
If any of the horses gets very distressed the soldier riding it hits a panic button and if necessary the horse gets taken back to the stable.

So you eat rotted lettuce? Rotted mushrooms?

Perhaps physically they are, although I saw one definitely going short on a hindleg while being exercised the other day. Mental wefare is another matter and as important.

yanbu
some of the horses were clearly very stressed and ready to bolt.
so very dangerous as well.

And it is a times like this that I will again pipe up to "recommend" watching Earthlings - although since that was made, there have been other documentaries about the way that humans treat animals, although not to my knowledge, one that touches upon every abuse that they might suffer at our hands and whims.

This is one of my favourite quotes:
"For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours, they move finished and complete, gifted with the extension of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings: they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth.”

[Henry Beston, The Outermost House.]

Yanbu but you'll get people come along and say 'oh they're treated like kings and looked after so well'. No horse wants that life. They'd much rather be in a field living in a natural herd than stalls in the middle of London, put in stressful situations and with all that tack on them. Awful. They're living animals. I also think the same applies to police horses but that's a different conversation!

I'm not entirely sure of the point you're trying to make but sure I'll bite. Yes, vegetables that indeed start to deteriorate in quality as soon as they are picked I will eat. The bit that's vile about the other is that's its flesh, the rotting part is just an extra layer of grim. If you can't see the difference guessing the dissociation is strong for you.

Those horses wouldn’t even exist if they weren’t part of occasions like this. People don’t breed horses for them just to lie about in fields.

I don't know a load about horses but was saying this exact thing when I saw the parade, they looked stressed out poor things

@kkittensinthekitchen

Love this image!

It's not right. Those poor horses looked scared.

YANBU once I adopt an animal it is part of my family which is why I don't do it lightly.

Although to be fair the RF see everyone and everything else only in terms of what they can do for the RF so their treatment of horses is on brand

Oh, so animals don't eat other animals then, only humans do that? Well, you learn something new every day!!!!

Yes the royals are notorious for all this unnecessary pomp & the horses are overworked & definitely not needed. Whilst they're at it they should stop stag hunting too.

Charles is an environmentalist.

His carriage should be pulled by bunnies. Like Radagast.

That many. I've often wondered. That's dreadful, really.

You're being slightly dramatic but I do agree with you. Given the monarchy has such an atrocious history it does feel a bit off seeing it celebrated not to mention all those jewels etc which have been stolen from other countries. It should have just died with the late Queen

I can’t see how this is any worse than horse racing or jumping or dressage.

The horses are perfectly capable of doing their job, they weren’t it would have become obvious by now after decades of using them for ceremonies.

Out of all the things humans do to animals, this is nowhere near top of the list of the worst.