Regarding ‘Riding Rescues’ ~
I’m going to touch on something that isn’t terribly popular with many in the ‘rescue’ world here. ‘Omg, you guys RIDE rescued horses’?!?!
The short answer is ‘yes’ BUT…..Here is a bit more about that.
You see, many horses ENJOY ‘being ridden’. WAIT, before you gasp and say ‘But look at racehorses, and bucking stock, they can’t enjoy that!’…..Hear me out. Just like people, there are horses who truly ENJOY ‘ a job’. A rider. Performing, jumping, running, DOING. The catch and key is :Never FORCE this. Again, like people there are horses who are natural athletes, and those who for a myriad of reasons are unable to be ridden or have ‘a job’. With us, those horses are given ‘sanctuary’ and never asked for a thing . But the horses who DO show a desire are given that as well.
Now, while most will say ”overbreeding” is the ‘main’ cause of horses going to slaughter…. I will say it is indeed a contributing factor but it is not at ALL the ‘only problem’. In the years I’ve been doing this what I see as one of the MAIN issues is ‘non ridable horses’. Now don’t throw a fit just yet…..just listen.
Daily we receive calls to the tune of ‘I have this horse and they told me he/ she was trained to ride…..they are NOT’. ‘ I don’t trust this horse around my children, they aren’t trained ‘. ‘ I don’t know how to get a horse started and am afraid of one that isn’t. ‘ VERY valid reasons , and not everyone CAN do that.
And so. . . Yes, I take great pride in being able to offer horses that ARE trained and safe for anyone. If they aren’t? We say so, and take more time to ensure that they are. Nothing is ever forced, that only breeds more problems see what I did there?) and makes for VERY unhappy customers , hence perpetuating the cycle of unwanted horses.
Added to the above, our number ONE request is for ‘Child safe, adult safe, well trained, kind RIDING HORSES. Think back to being a child, seeing a horse either in a move, or in person. Did you not LONG to sit upon his back to be THE person that a horse would trust, and ALLOW you to sit astride him? To pet him, love him and YES…Ride him. This is not ‘cruelty'( again, when done right) ….it is respect, and many people’s dream. It is also many a HORSES dream.
I’ve grown QUITE weary of hearing ‘ You should not ever ride a rescued horse’. If that is your opinion of course you are quite entitled to it. However….I would HIGHLY recommend you spend time volunteering or just observing a barn where horses horses are well cared for, loved, respected and ridden. Watch. Let those horses tell, and SHOW you what they think, how they feel.
( As always, disclaimer: This does not mean that everyone who rides a horse should be doing so. But in my thirty years experience with horses………SO many truly love their people, companionship, and yes….Being ‘ridden’. WHEN DONE RIGHT and with respect.)
Riding Rescues
