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 Keep those crap slapping tails away!
Posts: 8871
     
Location: Around here somewhere... | KRJ1791 - 2013-12-27 6:17 PM I have not read the entire thread. I am simply stating my opinion on riding a alame horse. The answer to this is not just black or white. It depends on the lameness issue(ie the cause) the degree, and the nature of the riding.
I bought a mare that when I bought her had a recently and incorrectly treated ruptured tendon. It was bad enough that at first her foot literally just slapped the ground with each step. I got her home & had my vet take a good look at her. She said she would never compete, but with the proper therapies and time she would be suited for lessons & trails.....maybe.
A full year later, miles of hand walking & eventual ponying, accuscope therapy, hosing, poultices and exercising slowly and she was tearing it up in the field. I had the vet re- evaluate her and he said...ride her. I asked about the ethics of it and she put it this way "Professional atheletes do not stop playing, they change the way they play. Yes some retire and quit altogether....they get fat, and it takes its toll. Adjust the way you use the animal and you will maintain a healthy athelete of a different level. Listen to her, she will let you know what she can & cannot handle" We ride my mare. She gives lessons to beginners, does some moderate trail riding and depending on the footing the occassional team penning. She tells us what she can handle & she is a much happier horse when she has a purpose & not just standing in the field.
That's how I view it, too. | |
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Keep those crap slapping tails away!
Posts: 8871
Location: Around here somewhere... | Swannranch - 2013-12-27 8:10 PM I don't think there is an answer that will satisify everyone. Years ago, we had a local girl who's 6 year old son ran a horse that was mildly lame. He was 26, and loved that little boy to death. He would hollar and stomp if they left with out him, he would follow the little boy in the pasture. He had an obivious limp when he ran, but personally, it was not a problem for me. They ran him 2 years, then he moved up to something faster, but the old man used to still trail ride and ride in the pasture.
They gave him bute or banamine, Or both for all I know...but in my opinion the horse was happy, the kid was happy, the spectators were happy.
Did not read the whole thread, so maybe this is not what your talking about, but too many different cases to know for sure.
I've seen cases like that, too, and have no issue with it when they KNOW the horse is lame & make the decision to give it meds & care... however, I've also seen little kids on lame horses who whip & spur the horse and the parents yanking on it (I suppose they think being mean to it will make it faster??? dummies) and they don't give the horse any sort of consideraton or medication or anything, and are oblivious to the fact that it's lame... IMO that is unethical. I've also seen full grown women beat a horse about the head as they yanked it by the reins to back into the arena, then turn and run the pattern once they got into the arena... and the horse was OBVIOUSLY limping & flinging it's head while trotting around in the warm up area.... that to me is unethical. If the same horse had been mildly limping, and the woman was gently working the horse to warm up, and the horse willingly entered the arena, I would not personally find it unethical- but the rough treatment to get it into the arena made me think that she was NOT taking the horse into consideration, and was either oblivious to the lameness or just didn't care. | |
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Keep those crap slapping tails away!
Posts: 8871
Location: Around here somewhere... | Here's another case- a girl around 10 yo rode a horse who was ancient and had an obvious limp at a walk. She would just lead or slowly walk him around before the race, then enter the race, then take good care of him at the trailer. I never saw the horse refuse the gate, or even act like he didn't want to do what the little girl wanted to do, I never saw her mistreat him at all, everything that I saw told me that they cared about each other and that the old horse had a good home for the end of his life- I did not find this unethical. The next year, the little girl was riding a different horse, and the old horse had died- after teaching the little girl to ride & to love a horse. I don't know if they gave the horse any medications, but to me that particular case was not at all unethical. | |
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