[DemolitionRed]

Originally Posted by Kazanne

IF they are born to 'race' as some claim ,then why do they have too be 'BROKEN in' horses throw people from their backs until they are 'broken' in, it's not natural for them to have someone on their backs pushing their knees into them and being whipped, I get they love to run,but only at the pace they choose I would bet. There are too many horses and the fences aren't needed, about time these so called animal lovers got a grip and did something about it.

Horses have been successfully ridden for over 5 thousand years. As a keen horse rider and long time owner of horses and having backed gently (not broken) horses myself, I can tell you that most horses don't try and buck a rider off. There are kind ways to back a fully grown horse as a three or even four year old and its done through time, trust and patience. People often use a method called 'natural horsemanship' where they speak the language of the horse and don't ever use a whip to frighten the animal and certainly never dig their knees into it.

Wild horses tend to be used for the meat market. Many Dartmoor ponies are rounded up once a year for the abattoir. If horses weren't ever kept as pets and ridden, they would just become another part of the meat chain. My first pony lived to the ripe old age of 30 and was a much loved member of our family.