# BAD situation



## WesternPleasure1029 (Feb 2, 2009)

These people run a horse rescue where they rescue horses and then find them loving homes. I applaud that but is this the way to ride a horse? This is an ex- race horse thoroughbred that is up for adoption...(many other videos like this)








They should NOT be doing that on a road especially at a canter! :shock: It is very hard on the horse's joints. Also, the horse is wearing shoes which makes it very easy to slip and fall. The rider is bareback and wearing no helmet so if he falls, there will be serious injury. This is just a bad situation all around. I love that they are trying so save ex- race horses but this is not the way to do it


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## charlene1985 (Aug 4, 2009)

I agree A LOT of riding on paved roads is bad but its only a 51 sec video they arent riding long, and at least the horse has shoes on, id rather see a horse with shoes cantering for a second on a paved road than a barefoot horse doing it. Also I ride bareback with no helmet all the time. yes there is some risk but a lot of ppl who just trail ride dont use a helmet. Im not saying there is nothing wrong in the pic but its not that bad of a situation IMO


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## Jillyann (Mar 31, 2009)

Honestly, I dont see anything wrong with this? As mentioned above, it is only a 51 second video, and they are only walking and trotting. Loping for about 5 seconds. That is NOT going to hurt a horse at all.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

I don't see much wrong with it, but the shoes and pavement scare the bejeebers out of me. I don't understand why on earth you'd rather a horse have shoes then barefoot?? Barefeet have a natural rough grind to them that's going to be ten times more effective at handling pavement - metal shoes are just asking for serious trouble. I've seen so many more horses wipe out on a cement aisle with shoes as opposed to barefoot, it's not even funny.

I get what the OP is saying though, for being a rescue, you'd think they'd demonstrate at least the basics of horsemanship. When I see vids like this, it always makes me curious what ELSE they find "ok".


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> I don't see much wrong with it, but the shoes and pavement scare the bejeebers out of me. I don't understand why on earth you'd rather a horse have shoes then barefoot?? Barefeet have a natural rough grind to them that's going to be ten times more effective at handling pavement - metal shoes are just asking for serious trouble. I've seen so many more horses wipe out on a cement aisle with shoes as opposed to barefoot, it's not even funny.
> 
> I get what the OP is saying though, for being a rescue, you'd think they'd demonstrate at least the basics of horsemanship. When I see vids like this, it always makes me curious what ELSE they find "ok".


I agree with MacabreMikolaj and just wanted to add, if memory serves me correctly, that metal shoes on pavement actually magnify the effects on the horses legs ect... Believe I learnt this at a seminar held by 4 prominent farriers, but sometimes my memory is like swiss cheese. :wink:


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## ChingazMyBoy (Apr 16, 2009)

I've heard about walking and trotting a horse on roads is good for them, but I'm not sure about anything else.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

WP -- there is nothing wrong with walking, trotting and cantering a horse on pavement, though I don't know that I would canter very much especially with shoes on because it can be slippery. 

What's wrong with bareback? He may not be the best rider in the world, but it's an ok clip, IMO.

No helmet? Ya, ok - for a rescue they should encourage safety at all times for public relations and liability reasons. Many people ride without a helmet. Myself included.


Walka -- I'm sure I've heard the same thing about shoes on pavement and it makes sense. The hoof will give somewhat, whereas the steel will not. No movement in the hoof = all the impact goes to the leg.


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## EveningShadows (May 18, 2009)

Maybe they were trying to demonstrate that he was sound? Riding on soft ground can mask a lameness because of the give it has...hard road like that and the horse absorbs all the impact. The shoes on pavement is just dumb, even if they have the little rubber grippies it's slippery. I imagine they used as little tack as possibly to show he wasn't too hard to handle, even without his tack...helmet I'm not going to touch on.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Bareback and helmetless? Okay, I do it every day. However, I am not willing to take my horse faster than a walk in pavement when they have shoes. Not so much for the soundness issue but because it is so slick. I have seen many horses slip around and several fall while only walking on concrete. I imagine it is about like trying to walk on ice with leather soled boots. Though I don't see it as being a terrible video, I would have preferred to see them trotting and loping some circles in the nice pasture land that they are surrounded by. Plus, when trying to sell a horse, poor riding reflects on the way the horse travels and could make them look lame, rough, or otherwise undesirable. IMHO, a person who is really trying to sell the horse should have a portion of the video showing that yes, he is rideable in a halter and bareback but he is also very nice in a bridle and under saddle. They need to show that he can collect and maintain a controlled gait for more than 5 or 6 strides. But that is just my honest opinion.


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

Many fox hunt and event riders will do some conditioning on roads to toughen the tendons. Many XC courses can be on very hard footing and this conditioning is very important. 

However, cantering on pavement should only be done if the shoes have borium on them or are drilled for road caulks, IMHO.


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## ChevyPrincess (Aug 27, 2009)

I think they are smart, and probably doing that to show how safe the horse is. They all seem like nice people, and are just trying to get their point across.


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