Is Horse Backriding Ethical?
One of the great things about modern times that we are able to question ancient modes of thought and also to reacquaint ourselves with ancient modes of thought. Our grandparents were taught that humans were the only creatures with souls and thus had a divine right to do with animals whatever they felt like. However, our ancient ancestors knew that they had to cooperate with animals in order to be able to survive. Which brings us to the modern dilemma - is horse back riding ethical?
It Can Be Ethical
Like most anything else in life, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about horse backriding. The wrong way to go horse backriding would be to begin riding a horse long before they were physically able to carry the weight of a rider and then beat the living daylights out of them whenever they got anything wrong. Wrong horse backriding would also include making the horse run everywhere and over dangerous ground, making him work without feeding him properly and not giving him any veterinary care.
Horse backriding can be a source of enjoyment and even a spiritual awakening if done right. For many people, that's an incredibly big if. The horse has to be healthy enough and calm enough to be able to carry a rider. The rider should realize that the horse will make mistakes, and so mistakes are no big deal. An ethical rider tries to never rush a horse, but lets him take his time figuring things out.
Is It Fun For The Horse?
Horses don't like to be bored and do like to be active. If they associate horse backriding with attention, stimulating activities and lots of praise, then they seem to find it just as fun as the riders do. When I say the horse is having fun, it is true that I cannot read a horse's thoughts. But I can read the horse's body language.
When a horse is scared, they tend to shiver, sweat and brace themselves for whatever is going to leap out at them next. They grind their teeth, often get diarrhea and loose a lot of weight. But when a horse is feeling good, their coat shines, they look around with interest at everything, they do not startle too easily and their facial muscles are relaxed.
I have seen horses run towards the barn from their pastures when they clearly know that they are going to be ridden. I have also seen horses run away for precisely the same reason. The key to a horse who enjoys horse backriding is to make it fun and rewarding for the horse.
