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| taken a few years ago at our local fair |
So this is a topic that has been percolating in my head for a long time. Today I heard a news story that caused me to put my thoughts into words. You can read the story here: Time to pull in the reins on horse-and-buggy trade, says advocate. This town is about 20 minutes from me. Ed and I go there all the time. Lunenburg is a Unesco World Heritage site with a rich history of fishing. Many of the homes are over 100 years old.
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| you should totally visit if you haven't been. |
This is not a new topic. I've been following stories on this for New York and Montreal carriage horses. (on a side note, are these same people agitating to stop the Amish from driving carriages?).
I honestly believe that people are well meaning.
I also believe that they are misinformed and probably naive.
The truth is that I have zero issues with horses (or dogs) working. The idea that these animals are abused because they are working animals is poor logic. In this case it was triggered because of an accident that happened with the horses. It's the third time in 20 years. There are far more car accidents in Lunenburg (honestly, parking and driving there is a bit tricky in the summer. I think they'd be better off banning vehicles).
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| horse logging is a still a thing in my area. It is a very environmental practice |
To mean the lack of choice means that it's up to us to make sure that the animals are well cared for and not subjected to unfair work conditions.
Of course that's the rub, isn't it? To me, seeing a horse pull a carriage through a town seems like a wonderful way to see things and to remember the history. Others may see the horses standing in the sun and believe that they are suffering.
It's a slippery slope. I am sure that the activists believe that the horses could be gamboling joyufully in fields. The truth is that some of them might be. Most will not. They will end up in situations where they are working elsewhere or to slaughter. Lots of lovely horses end up in slaughter, it's a reality.
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| frolicking horses |
I also know that a horse that is not being exercised can age a lot more quickly then those in some work. Where are we in society that 'working' seems to be a bad thing? It's seems a very 'first world problem.'
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| in Cuba the people and the horses work very hard |
I have seen work horses up close my whole life. They seem to be like horses everywhere: some are happy, some are grumpy, most are quiet. None of them seem to be miserable.
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| horses pulling a sleigh on a heritage farm |
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| this guy seemed happy with his job and his owner was very good |
Is this work?
Or this?
How about this:
Maybe this?
I think that our thoughts of horses running free and wild is a lovely, romantic and impractical ideal. Wild horses (like most wild animals) do not die kind, easy deaths. They starve, are injured or brought down by predators.
It is our responsibility to take care of them. And I am being 100% honest when I say that I believe very few people would or could keep horses are pets. Yes it happens and I think that in many cases those horses are very very lucky. Irish is basically retired and will be with me for the rest of his life, even when no one can ride him. And when the time comes I will do my best to make his death as painless and stress-free as possible.
It is a slippery slope and we need to be careful. I wish that the people agitating to stop horse carriages would put their energies into stopping true abuse: like soring of Tennessee Walking horses.
So that's my 2 cents (and probably worth less than that). What do you think of horses 'working'?
Complicated issue.
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with horses working. What I have a problem with is people who make their living off of working horses, putting dollar bills in front of the welfare of the horses.
I've seen first hand a facility where horses working in NYC parks lived. Reprehensible. Super narrow standing stalls not sheltered from the elements, absolutely buried in calcified manure, and crawling with flies.
For several summers I worked at a local trail riding barn. Decisions were routinely made where the health and well being of the horses was not prioritized, resulting in suffering, and sometimes worse.
It seems that when animals are a means to an end, neglect and cruelty can be justified...
I agree with you that some put the mission in front of the animal. It happens in all horse sports. I think that working is fine as long as the horse (or dog or donkey) is well taken care of.
Deletefor reference here's where the horses in Lunenburg live when not working: http://www.trotintime.ca/our-farm/
DeleteLove this post and agree totally with you. I'm pretty sure I read city council voted to ban the carriage horses in Victoria recently as well. They always looked happy and well cared for to me. With costs the way they are around here, I can't see them all having a long, happy, non working life after. I agree some physical activity/work is not a bad thing (for all of us, people too)
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteI agree with you completely. Anyone who mistreats a horse should be punished to the full extent of the law, but riding/working in and of itself is not mistreatment! There are diehards out there who think that any kind of riding is cruel to a horse.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments. I agree with you!
DeleteI was in Lunenburg three years ago and saw horses in very good condition, who seemed relaxed, and happily munching from a trough of hay in between tours.
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with horses who have a job - whether it be carriage, plow,, or riding horses. What I have an issue with are owners/rider/trainers/drivers who put the almighty dollar before the care and treatment of the horse. It is not limited to "working" horses - I'm sure that it is probably much more prevalent in riding horses, just based on the amount of riding versus working horses.
I have far more concern for the show horses who live in a stall 24/7, are shod with funky things on their feet, have their tails nerved or set, and forced to go in a frame and pace that is not at all natural, than one who walks a few miles a day.
I agree with you completely. I think horses enjoy having a job, most anyway. And most dogs do too. Why do you think so many dogs need multiple long walks a day? Because they're not stimulated enough! They want something to do! (Except pugs. They prefer to do nothing.)
ReplyDeleteMy brother has a buddy with logging horses, and he hires them to clear trees regularly on his property. He even did a horse logging clinic a few months ago! The horse they were using is very happy, and really does understand and seems to enjoy the job.
A well written and thought out post! I agreed that working animals are probably just as happy as any other animals, as long as they aren't mistreated.
ReplyDeleteI drove draft horses in downtown Seattle (one of which was banned from Victoria!). The horses had great care and pasture every evening. I just slowly began to realize that downtown Seattle is not safe for carriage driving. When my best horse spooked, I realized I could not guarantee the safety of my passengers and felt conflicted about it. The banned horse would rear up at red lights. It's a very helpless feeling to have cars whizzing by and you're sitting in a carriage. (But I only hit one car!) NY seems to have a much better method - keep the horses in Central Park, mostly out of traffic.
ReplyDeleteOn the radio last week there was a segment on log pulling horses in Germany, and the big competition coming up. They interviewed a driver and he explained the training (voice commands) and desensitizing they do to foals. I thought it was interesting that the harness came from America; the driver said the Amish make the best draft horse harness in the world. Hm!
I said to my dressage trainer years ago, "I'm not sure if Baasha enjoys dressage." She said, "Of course they'd all rather be in their field under the apple tree, but they have jobs to do."
This is a great topic. There’s gray area everywhere and obviously some situations are less great than others. But I tend to think that horses ultimately have pretty basic needs that can be met in all manner of different circumstances (just look at even the difference between how horses are kept on the east and West Coast is the US!). So many horses desperately need homes, I tend to think it’s generally a good thing when they can be useful, in whatever capacity is required of the home they have.
ReplyDeleteIn Baltimore’s inner city we have this small sub culture called “arabbers” who have pony-drawn fruit carts that go around selling produce all over town, including some of the more under served neighborhoods.
Emma, can you explain what you mean by the differences between horsekeeping West vs. East? Curious!
DeleteDefinitely! Obviously I only really know what I’ve seen, but I grew up in Maryland where we have untold acres of rolling green pastures. A major component of standard horse care here on the east coast involves lots of turnout (usually in groups but not always) in all those giant grassy pastures. This is similar across many eastern, central, and midwestern states.
DeleteSkip across the continental divide tho, to somewhere like southern California (with a totally different climate and vegetation) and “grassy pastures” aren’t really a thing, at least not in the same way. And even then, only for maybe a few weeks of the year during the rainy winter. In addition to the enormous cost of land, this means that the whole approach to “turnout” shifts. Instead of big grassy pastures, you see more pipe corrals and individual runs.
Again you can probably find examples of both styles of barns on each coast, but generally just by nature of the climate differences across the US, standard barn designs and turnout practices can vary wildly from coast to coast, region to region. And yet horses do seem to do just fine in each scenario!
This kind of logic (that you bring to your post) is in the same vein of what I try to tell people about me loving animals but not being a vegan - domesticated animals have a use for us and if they did not have use, they would not exist as we know them. Would wild cows, pigs, and chickens exist? Sure but in smaller numbers, not in the variety of breeds we have (though maybe we don't need so many haha) yes we need to figure out how to farm them better but if we ceased to eat them, they would no longer exist. Horses are an invasive species to North America, wild horses and burros are pests that destroy habitat in the mid-west for native creatures. What really needs to happen by way of horses in urban environments is people need to learn to DRIVE BETTER. Humans overall are the most self centered, laziest creatures and should honestly learn to human better.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about humans (and about the domesticated animals).
Delete100% agreed!!! Especially about it being a slippery slope. If you start banning working animals, it's not long before all animal-related sports follow. Where's the line? Like you, I believe it's in the humane treatment of the animals in question!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI don't have a problem with horses working. What I do have a problem with is if they're treated inhumanely. I've seen some bad situations that never should be allowed but unfortunately there really aren't good laws in place to protect these animals. And if someone is actually brought up on charges they get off with a slap on the wrist so they can continue to mistreat animals.
ReplyDeleteYeah, this is very true. And very frustrating.
DeleteI've had this conversation/argument so many times with people. I don't mind animals working for a living to begin with, but it's such dangerous. I've already had conversations with people who think horses suffer by being ridden. It's only going to grow.
ReplyDeleteYeah. And don't even get me started on PETA
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