Is Riding Saddleseat Cruel to the Horse?
Have you ever seen an elegant horse, moving so gracefully while performing? If you have, you have probably been watching a Saddleseat event. For those of you who have not heard of this event, it is an English style of horseback riding which is designed to show off certain traits of the horse such as the walk, trot, and canter. The horses in the event seem very dignified while performing, but how do these horses look so elegant while also looking in so much pain. There are many different opinions on this topic such as, “This event is not hurting the horse at all, their movement is normal.” while others state, “This movement is not normal for horses, they are strained to be in this position while in shows.” While hearing both sides, let’s take a closer look at
…show more content…
The National Show Horse Registry explains, “This event was created when planters needed a smooth riding horse with high steps to get around their field. When riding into town to sell their crops, they wanted to look fancy so they were noticed. To do this, they bought expensive tack, and even trained their horses to walk higher.” This then formed into an event where planters showed off their most graceful, high-stepping horses to see which one was the fanciest. We still use the name “Park horse” for these show events. TNSR continues with their explanation by stating, “During an event, a rider will trot our on their chosen horse, these include American Saddlebred, Tennessee Walking horse, Dutch Harness horses, or any horse with an upright head, animated gaits or high action, and trot around the arena. As a rider, you sit back far in the saddle and hold your hands high. This shows off your elegance and your control of the horse.” Now that you have learned a bit about the sport, we can now hear the opinions on if this activity is cruel or