Heath Ryan, 2008 Australian Olympian, suspended

[Alterration]

@OverandOnward

All that said – Part of the training conundrum that pressures some riders into backwards thinking is knowing that there really isn’t a place for horses that aren’t rideable, useable – whatever the reason for it. That don’t fit in to the landscape of amateur interest, use and care. That’s what Heath is describing (if hopefully over-dramatically).

Where does a horse with a ‘bad attitude’, even a chronic unfixable soreness, a hore that is no longer useful to humans due to behavioral or physical issues, go to live out its life? How many pastures need ornaments?

This part is very true. And the troublesome thing is that unless the behavior is eradicated for good, it will rear it’s head again, and the horse’s well-being will be jeopardized again. We do not have enough trainers and riders who can do this “the right way” yet.

Sadly, in this day and age, most big quirks are a death sentence. If not immediate, then after being passed from hand to hand with people who all believe they can fix the problem until they end up at the sale barn.

The world is not nice to horses who don’t get with the program. That’s a very unfortunate reality.

Not saying Heath should be beating horses, but I do understand this part of his statement.

[OverandOnward]

@Alterration

The world is not nice to horses who don’t get with the program. That’s a very unfortunate reality.

This is the truest thing.

Maybe for horses more than almost any other domestic animal. Maybe because they are so large, so expensive, consume so many resources just to maintain their life.

I wish every owner understood this. Understood that untaught or impatient handling, or leaving a horse to stand un-worked in a pasture for extended periods while the horse forgets what it knows, or never starting it properly to begin with, is a life sentence for the horse, of poor keeping and possibly harsh training and/or a bad end.

[FrittSkritt]

Boyd has always been an ardent supporter of HR and always credits him for helping him get his career started. I’m sure his PR team has advised him to keep out of this, will be interesting if he actually does.