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.

Actually that's not true, cellular death can take a few days. But anyway what's the problem, do you prefer to eat your meat live or something? Aren't the plants you eat dead/dying too?

Animals in the wild have no choice though do they? There's no option, but we do have choices & we aren't driven by instinct or hunger in the same way as wild animals are.
It's different. We can source alternatives & choose not to eat meat. Hunting for food is something we literally do not have to do anymore.

Also, there's no other species on the planet that breed animals & mass cull especially to eat in the way that human beings do.

I suggest you get yourself down to the nearest slaughter house & you can witness for yourself the way that animals are treated in this environment.

I hope you all donate to SPANA or the Brooke charity to help donkeys and horses in the poorest parts of the world. They are truly tortured in some countries. ( Yes. I do donate to them)

Very interesting, I did not realise this. If that is true, then it shouldn't be accepted or allowed

This may not be the worst thing that we do to animals, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't question our use and treatment of them, and I agree that there are abuses in most equestrian sports. As for them not being bred, I don't think that that would be a welfare issue for the animal, just an issue for our gratification, and there is already an overbreeding problem causing welfare issues.

I agree OP.

All the 250 horses there today are shod. That's roughly £250k per year for their farrier bill.

I've just asked the opinion of my friend who is a rider and has her own horse. She disagrees with you. The horses are working horses. I disagree with you too.

I think horse racing is more cruel personally

Ha!

Don’t even get me started about rotting and fermenting dairy.
Or cabbage, for that matter.

How do you feel
about working dogs?!

I'm pretty dubious about almost everything we use horses for tbh.

Does this mean it's ok for them to feel discomfort to be pushed above their threshold because they are doing a 'job'

I agree with this.

You can't possibly know if they are being pushed above their threshold because you don't know the horses and you aren't physically there.

Your farrier charges you £1000 a year?!

They have adapted, and certain evolutionary traits have almost been bred out of them, and others almost bred in.
Half a ton of mainly muscle that can kill or ham a human in may different ways cannot usually be forced into anything - they do it through co-operation. But that doesn't make our use of them right, or humane in some cases.

For an event like this, they LOOK splendid, but that's about the extent of it.;
in the initial procession, it was mainly the horses I was watching and watching out for. Apparently a tricky mare called Javelin was right alongside the carriage.

Very good to see the manholes etc covered individually in sand, I don't remember that from the Funeral or Jubilee parades.

I love watching the horses during these ceremonies. It’s the best bit!!

I work with rescues, I have seen enough to know how badly horses and donkeys are treated in the world. I feel passionate about animal welfare.

This is not true, having studied horses and their behaviour for many years it's very easy to tell when a horse is nearing or above its threshold. Body language and facial expressions are easy to spot.

Does this apply to working dogs as well? Genuine question.

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 know 'two (or many) wrongs don't make a right', but surely this is a better life than many others horses have. Stories of pit ponies etc.

I thought they looked unhappy and as an animal lover I agree.

I haven't studied Canine behaviours so perhaps someone else can answer your question. I feel that if you are having to train any animal with reinforcement that is negative then it's not good. Dogs as far as I know aren't trained with lunge whips aren't made to behave in an unnatural manner in order to submit.

Of course there are those who train horses with something called positive reinforcement, clicker training etc but the bottom line for me is if it's causing the animal to be unhappy in any way then it's not good.

This is what we were saying too. So many of the horses looked uncomfortable today. I felt sorry for them too.

I feel like there are much worse things that need to stop first - like horse racing for example.

Especially the Grand National.