Is horse riding vegan? Here’s why vegans are against horse riding and racing

If you treat a horse with respect and care, is it okay for vegans to ride horses? We take a look at the realities of riding and racing horses to answer the debate on whether horse riding is vegan or not. 

They say there are two sides to every argument, and that’s definitely true with most vegan debates, but when it comes to the question of ‘is horse riding vegan?’ the answer is clear.

No, horse riding isn’t vegan – it’s a form of animal exploitation. To use any animal for our own entertainment is exploitation, and therefore not vegan.

Exploitation does not necessarily mean abuse, it means using someone else for your own benefit.

Are vegans against horse racing?

Phil Davis, who runs a cruelty-free farmstead in Cornwall, is passionate about ending the exploitation of horses for entertainment.

As Phil explains, the only people who find horse riding ‘entertaining’ in humans, as in reality the practice is harmful to horse’s health.

“Horse-based entertainment is not fun for horses. The whips hurt, even if they’re foam-padded and their use is restricted; race horses die of exhaustion; dressage horses are forced into unnatural movements; showjumpers are pushed beyond their limits. Horses don’t ask for this,” he explains.

“I suspect I’m preaching to the converted about horse-based entertainment, but there is a wider question about recreational horse riding and equine management in general, from pony club gymkhanas to riding schools and private stables.

“Is the way horses are traditionally owned and looked after fair and in the horses’ best interests?”

Stables are cosy homes, right?

Contrary to the common belief that stabling horses is the right thing to do, Phil argues that keeping them singly in stables can lead to several behavioral and physical issues, such as colic and exhaustion.

“Horses are movement animals, travelling large distances in herds up to 20 miles a day. Keeping them singly in stables, which is what we’ve all grown up to believe is the right thing, is actually bad for their physical and mental health.

“Horses rely on movement to keep their circulatory systems working, including their digestion. Studies have shown that horses who are confined and can’t socialise with others suffer behavioural problems, such as agitatedly moving the head from side to side; plus physical problems, such as colic; or exhaustion from lack of sleep.

“A lot of problems can be avoided by keeping horses outside, on a track system that promotes continuous movement, with just a field shelter to keep off heavy wind and rain, and with at least one horse companion.

“Feeding them rye-free meadow hay at different points on their track helps to keep them moving, mimicking the foraging behaviour you would see in wild herds.”

Do horseshoes hurt horses?

While many horse owners argue that shoeing horses prevents wear and tear and is more comfortable for them, Phil explains that in reality they can actually cause more harm.

“Horses are born without shoes. They made it through the last 55 million years without metal nailed to their feet, and on more challenging terrain than in domestic care – have you ever seen a wild horse or zebra with their feet worn off?

“Owners have funny ways of justifying shoes. Some say they want to prevent wear and tear; others say their horse needs shoes to be comfortable; others do it because, well, that’s how it’s always been done.

“Shoeing a horse is completely unnecessary. It impairs blood circulation from the hooves and legs back to the heart, so the heart has to work much harder. Shoes prevent the proper development of a young horse’s foot and continue to affect efficient hoof mechanics as the horse ages.

“In addition, nails are often hammered into feet that are already painful from conditions such as laminitis, a deadly illness caused by poor diet and management. That’s just heartbreaking.

“Domesticated horses need their hooves trimmed because they won’t wear down on soft surfaces, so it makes sense to trim them as they would wear in the wild – not to nail metal bars to them.”

A different tack

When it comes to riding horses, many owners argue that their horses enjoy being ridden. However, as Phils explains, riding them is harmful to both their physical and mental health.

“If horses actually liked being ridden, humans wouldn’t need kicks, whips, and spurs to persuade them to participate in equine sports.

“It’s also not just the obviously cruel tack that inflicts injuries. Saddles cause tissue and bone damage, as well as chafing the skin. But saddle pain is just one problem.

“Bits cause pain and damage to a horse’s complex cranial nerves as well as their teeth, tongue and palate. Facial nerves are close to the skin and extremely sensitive. There is no way to use a bit without the horse feeling pain, even if handled gently, and you will often see horses roughly controlled by the reins.

“As regards whips, it’s considered completely acceptable to whip a horse, to the point that they’re made appealing to children with bright colours and glitter. One argument in favour of their use is that a horse’s hide is tough, but where a whip usually strikes the skin is no more than 2mm deep.

“Horses are so sensitive they can feel a single fly landing on them, triggering a visible muscle shake, so it’s downright weird to believe that being whipped doesn’t cause them pain. Science backs the argument for not riding.”

“Many horses are ridden from the age of three, but the last plates don’t fuse in the vertebral column until the horse is at least five and a half, with taller horses and males taking longer. Riding before these ages damages a horse’s back and can displace the vertebral growth plates, causing pain and lasting injury.

“Another way is possible There is, of course, another way to persuade equines to engage with and co-operate with humans.

“There is a growing movement away from riding as owners pay attention to the signals their horses are giving them. The Nonridden Equine group on Facebook, for instance, has around 30,000 members.

“We’ve trained our ponies Grace and May, and our donkeys Woody, Zippy, and Coco, using positive reinforcement (R+), which is the same as the clicker training you might use with your dog. Skilled R+ horse owners do agility training with their horses,” Phil explains.

“We’re not that good, but we’ve used these techniques to build our relationships with them and make them comfortable with vet visits and hoof trims. Horses don’t need to be locked up in solitary confinement, have iron nailed to their feet and yanked in their mouths, or flogged. They just need our friendship.”

Tales from a former rider

When former horse rider Jemma Crosby went vegan, she was forced to consider whether she could continue to ride. After being involved in dressage for several years as a junior rider, she decided to give up the sport as it no longer aligned with her vegan values.

She says: “When I became vegan, I stopped riding horses – in the same way I stopped eating animals and wearing wool and leather. When you become vegan, you stop exploiting animals, and that may involve giving up things you have previously enjoyed doing.

“I believe animals are not ours to use. For me to go to a riding school, and pay for the ‘use’ of the horses for a ride meant the horse was being commodified, and someone was profiting from that horse. I don’t think the riding school owners should make money from using that horse, in the same way I don’t think factory farming, for example, should make money from selling meat.”

Horses have rights too

Jemma continues, “For me, veganism is about animal rights, and the steps some riders will take to reduce harm to the horse i.e. not using a metal bit, or a whip, are animal welfare steps. It is better than treating the animal badly, but it does not actually adhere to the vegan ideology.

“I accept that many riders do love horses, and do treat them well. I also believe if someone rescues an abandoned or abused horse, it is good to give the animal a good, safe home. I’m not blinkered, and realise as long as we live in a world where people do use animals, there will always be a need to provide sanctuary.

“But I don’t believe vegans should buy into, or promote that market by ‘buying’ or ‘owning’ horses. Ultimately, using a horse for riding, you are exercising control and ownership over an autonomous, independent animal, and that goes against everything veganism is about.”

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Featured image: Jacobs Stock Photography Ltd via Getty Image