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.

No I didn't think they were calling in a farrier every few weeks. Do I sound like I know fuck all about horses. I'm well aware that it's a full time job to keep that many horses shod. That said, I didn't know it was an actual role within the military. I assumed they just employed farriers as members of staff but that's because I'm not familiar with the military rather than horses.

Oh well. Just off to Badminton horse trials to see all those poor horses being whipped around an enormous cross country course. (Tomorrow - to accommodate watching all the wonderful horses in parade). What a lot of dangerous people I'll be rubbing shoulders with. 🙄

Personally I think all horse riding is cruel, and should be banned. So to me you are also part of the problem

YANBU.

Anyone who thinks a horse stabled for a large portion of its time has a good life hasn’t read the science and doesn’t understand equine behaviour.

Anyone who thinks it’s acceptable for those horses to be carrying the weight they carry (especially for long periods of time) hasn’t read the science on rider weight.

And no matter how much training a horse has, a big event like this will be stressful.

The royals are big supporters or racing, hunting etc. so I don’t expect they have any genuine love or compassion for animals.

Switch over and watch Badminton Horse Trials..... cross country day today, much more entertaining

Well you see, some of them might actually be dangerous....
which might cancel out the🙄

As is well know, cross country courses and fences are pretty unforgiving, and there are more likely to be lasting injuries to horses and riders in the XC element rather than the others.

One top level dressage rider, trainer and judge I used to know would regularly thrash her very co-operative, good-mannered and valuable horses if they put a foot wrong. I would class HER as dangerous.

Apart from other aspects - re. the shoeing; these horse will do all or most of their work on hard surfaces, asking for early onset problems with feet, joints, bones etc etc p- and of course a shorter working life
(which may be a good thing if they get a nice place to retire to.... but.....)

You forgot the ignorant part. You do you, but I rehabilitate horses from people with your mentality.

Once a working dog is no longer 'useful' does the owner pass it on or euthanise? No.

Actually, quite often - yes. Guide dogs don’t work their whole lives and go from having a puppy foster owner (1), who does the early prep up to 12 months or so, stay with a trainer as a young dog (2), then an owner (3) who they either work with or fail their training and go to be a pet, and then potentially another owner (4) at the end of their working life if their service user owner can’t keep them as a pet as well as a new working dog.

If all horses lived wild and free, there’d be less of them. Same goes for cows, pigs, whatever. Humans use animals. We should do it respectfully and treat them well, of course. People see things differently- some will object to putting animals to any use at all (you sound like you might feel that way?), some will think if particular animals are trained or treated respectfully then it’s fine (that’s me).

I no longer ride for those reasons. So no I am not part of the problem.

I used to love eventing and worked at the yard of a relatively well known professional. There wasn’t obvious/ deliberate cruelty, but there was a lot of what I consider to be insidious and common cruelty in the industry, eg stabling for long periods, stressed horses, lack of social contact for the horses, poor fitting tack, some rough riding and sharp hands. The reality is that these horses are business commodities and they’re treated as such.

I’m not alone in thinking most 4 star events now are unfair on the horses, too technical.

My point is, they are sentient beings and should be treated with far better care and respect. Once a working dog is no longer 'useful' does the owner pass it on or euthanise? No.

Haven’t you ever heard of greyhounds?

The way they are treated and then discarded is awful. I’m fairly certain a royal horse will be treated with much greater care and respect than many many other animals used for human benefit are treated.

No, these horses spend a lot of time being ridden in an indoor school with a regular school surface, being hacked around Hyde Park and Battersea Park on tracks, with some road work to get there, and being ridden on grass in Windsor great park

They do some road work but it’s not ‘all or most of their work’

The absolute nonsense being guessed at or made up on this thread is baffling

Actually yes, true. I was thinking more of farm dogs. You're right.

As a non horsey person, I thought the horses looked crowded in, too many to close together.

Did horsey people think the horses were usually teach and tense?

Also the use of spurs doesn't sit well with me

Not unreasonably so for horses standing in one place, in an environment that would set their nerves on edge by instinct, in the pouring rain.

@tenbob Are they not out every day for morning exercise, on the streets of London? They certainly do more work on tarmac than your average horse.

And it is well known that Police horse will suffer from splints, Navicular due etc to the concussive effects of the hard surfaces they spend a lot of time on, and especially if more trotting.

The spurs aren’t used. They’re purely decoration.

On the streets of London on their way to Hyde park or Battersea park

Or in the school in Hyde park, and then turned away for their holidays

but the fact you didn’t know that begs the question why you wrote that post so confidently asserting that they do all their work on hard surfaces

@Blossomtoes I didn't know that so thank you , I absolutely hate them 🙈

OK, I stand corrected.
You're obviously more knowledgeable about this aspect of the equestrian world
Retire racehorses and hunters are more my thing - and even they can have shortened lives due to some of the problems that have come through breeding and enforced lifestyles - all caused by human interference.

@loislovesstewie I agree with you. There are far worse welfare problems to address. Most of us have to work for our living, and there are a lot of people who find their work stressful and challenging. That doesn't mean they're being abused though.
I'm more concerned about working horses in other countries.
I've DMed you @loislovesstewie

I love them. My bloke wore them as part of his mess kit. He was sex on a stick.

Yep. They’re fine. Have you never ridden OP? These horses have very light work compared to some.

I’ve had horses for 31 years and I know someone who used to train the Queen’s horses. My current two cost £10 a day to feed. I dread to think how much it costs to feed the horses who serve the Royal Family.