{"id":282,"date":"2020-09-30T10:13:08","date_gmt":"2020-09-30T10:13:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/horseycounsel.com\/?p=282"},"modified":"2021-09-17T17:53:42","modified_gmt":"2021-09-17T17:53:42","slug":"do-horses-like-being-ridden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/horseycounsel.com\/do-horses-like-being-ridden\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Horses Like Being Ridden? (A Neutral Point of View)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We’re so used to seeing horses being ridden that most of us take it for granted. In movies<\/a>, at least, horses are being ridden all the time, whether we’re talking about races, war, or pulling carriages. The reality is that horses don’t need a rider to go about their lives in the wild. Actually, they only form bonds with other horses if left to their own devices.<\/p>\n We definitely need horses more than they need us. We put them to work, ride them, and enjoy caring for them. But do horses actually like being ridden? Or does the extra weight on their back cause them pain?<\/p>\n I think it’s quite clear by now that horses are incredibly sturdy and powerful animals. They can carry a human on their back without hurting or without suffering any medical issues. They can even pull tremendous weights, and some breeds such as draft horses actually enjoy being put to work as opposed to sitting around all day.<\/p>\n Since our means of communicating with horses is rather limited, we can’t know for sure if they enjoy being ridden or if they don’t even care too much about it. But if we were to take on a neutral point of view from nature’s perspective, being ridden is an unnatural thing for a horse. It might not disturb it or it might not cause too much physical discomfort, but it’s definitely not a natural state, and I think most horses could do without being ridden their entire lives.<\/p>\n Horses might not care too much if they’re being ridden or not, but they definitely care about the rider. If a horse has a strong bond with its owner, and that owner decides to ride the horse, then the horse will be content that it’s making the owner happy.<\/p>\n Horses enjoy spending time with us if we treat them right. They form bonds with us, and they listen to our commands. In this case, a horse will enjoy being ridden simply because it gets to spend some time with its favorite human. It’s not about the act of riding itself but more about spending time together.<\/p>\n So what about horses that live at equine centers, or ponies that get to be ridden by people they don’t know all the time? Most of the time, those horses were trained specifically for carrying people around. Of course, a horse will much rather be ridden by someone it knows, and preferably by someone who knows how to ride a horse properly.<\/p>\n They will put up with strangers most of the time, just as long as they’re treated with kindness and respect. Of course, horses do have their limits, and we’ve all seen videos of overweight people trying to ride a horse only to be bucked off. I’m not trying to shame anyone, but horseback riding is not for everyone.<\/p>\n I’ve previously written an article about understanding horse sounds<\/a> and improving communication. While it’s definitely important to listen to your horse whenever you put it to work or try to ride it, there are other things that you can pay attention to in order to get a clearer picture of what’s going on.<\/p>\n A horse that doesn’t the situation that it’s being put in will show clear signs of distress, including stomping its feet, raising its rear foot, raising its head, or pinching its lips. A discontent horse might also clamp down its tail, pin its ears back, and the whites of its eyes might be showing. Generally speaking, if you’re paying close attention, the horse will clearly look uncomfortable.<\/p>\n It’s very important to know your horse well. This means you need to know what things bring joy and what things bring unhappiness. By paying attention to your horse’s feelings while out of the saddle, you’ll be able to manage your horseback riding sessions with greater ease and more efficiency.<\/p>\nThe bond between the rider and the horse.<\/h3>\n
How to tell if a horse doesn’t like being ridden?<\/h3>\n