Do you think horses like to be ridden?

1. 83

   Melissa A Smithposted 11 years ago

   Do you think horses like to be ridden?
   
   Many people consider pet-keeping or zoos to be comparable to keeping slaves, but I rarely hear this said when it comes to horses that are kept in stalls and ridden or used for transportation. The process involves weight on their back and being told where to go and how long to stand. Does anyone think horses like to be ridden and if yes or no, why?
   
   

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2. 65

   TNT Huskyposted 11 years ago

   I don't know much about horses, but Animals will much rather obey people they trust. I believe the same can be noticed about horses. Your cat won't lay on your lap if it doesn't trust you, i wouldn't be surprised if a horse tried to buck me off of it's back because it didn't trust me.
   
   Then there's the exception of some creatures trusting humans in general, similarly to the way you can find pigeons that wander sidewalks right next to people. Animals are just like us in the way that they will obey and allow for others they trust.

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   1. 83

      Melissa A Smithposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I don't know much about horses either TNT husky. I don't understand if they are companions of humans or are in a 'submissive' state.

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   2. 65

      TNT Huskyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      It's hard to say, but mostly because that same "submissive" state can even be seen as complete trust. I guess it really depends on the people and animals involved.

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3. 95

   Theophanesposted 11 years ago

   Horses are just like any other animal - they'll have different personalities and I am sure some do like to be ridden. Good horse owners do not keep their animals in stalls all day long just waiting to be ridden. That's cruel and will make such an active social creature go mental as they only sleep 4 hours a day. Instead stalls are used to keep them safe at night when their owners are sleeping. In the morning they can be turned out into the pasture. However very few pastures are big enough to encompass the territory a wild horse may wander. So being ridden will expose the horse to the exercise it might be needing, bonding time with its owner, perhaps even time with other horses if there are several horses being ridden, and it'll be a different environment to explore - all good and enjoyable things for an active brain.
   
   You cannot compare a horse being ridden to slavery anymore than you can claim that working dogs are also slaves when they tend sheep, sniff out bombs and drugs, assist cops and airport personnel, complete agility courses, or pull sleds, etc. There are bad horse owners for sure, and has been for a very long time. It's in our language, "beating a dead horse" refers to bad owners driving their horses past the point of exhaustion and whipping them until they collapsed dead. If you want to cast a judging eye on these people then by all means do so - otherwise it's probably best not to critique owners who see their horses as beloved pets.

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      Melissa A Smithposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yes Theophanes, there are always good and bad owners!

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4. 61

   horsemanofrayleposted 11 years ago

   I have found working with horses that this question too has come into my mind on many occasions. I believe that answer has to be no. Horses are prey animals they have the instinct to flee from predators and any thing that leaps upon their backs is trying to kill them in a horse's mind he is at his most vulnerable. Man is a prey animal our eyes face forward that is why all good horsemen know never to look directly into a horses face or you will trigger the fight or flee instinct. It may be nothing more than a head snatch or it could be as serious as a rear. Putting a saddle on a horse,tightening a girth to him is the same as a mountain lion leaping upon his back and closing his claws around him. That is why young horses buck under saddle for the first time, instinct. Why do they let us? Thousands of years of breeding to suppress that instinct. The horses we have today are not like the first that man broke. We have made them to fit our needs. Today when you saddle a horse most of his ancient flight or fear instincts have been quelled. However deep down in the dark recesses there is a little left. So no horses don't like to be ridden they simply accept it because we have made them that way. So love them and be good to them it's our responsibility.

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5. 71

   Ciel Clarkposted 11 years ago

   I've ridden horses without saddle bit or bridle, and those are happy horses.  You do need to be friends with them first, and then it is magic.  I haven't ridden in years, but last time I did I made sure to get to know the horse first.   I think horses don't especially like saddles and as for bits, no.  With a good horse (or good connection), you should be able to communicate with legs and posture.  (And of course listening to the horse).

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6. 60

   naecrixposted 9 years ago

   I think that they don't like it but usually they don't have a say in the matter obviously. Even if they resist while getting trained for that, eventually they give up resisting and just accept that.
   
   The same thing is with dogs for example. They get used to a leash but they don't like it and the very moment you release a dog from a leash he runs, jumps and plays around and it's very happy.
   
   So i believe no animal likes to be ridden, on leash or for transporting heavy stuff and so on.

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