The Amish breed some really nice Haflingers.
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I have an unproven personal theory that riding horses on artificial surfaces all the time is not good for them in the longer term. Well, actually, there is research that indicates training horses on different surfaces is beneficial but riders seem increasingly worried by old-fashioned grass. Grass and rock and mud and bog and clay etc etc is what horses evolved to run around on but synthetic surfaces are always going to be consistent which is a different pressure. That must affect the animals.
ETA improve clarity
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Anecdote of 1, but I get shin splints running on a treadmill, but not when I trail run or run on the sidewalk.
Variation in footing is what I attribute that to.
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Chuck in the stall-keeping to your personal unproven theory. I agree with you in that a consistent surface isnāt very beneficial for good limb loading and conditioning. I think stalling is also a big component. 50 years ago most of those horses used for heavy work werenāt kept in a stall after the day was over, they were turned loose on a field to eat their weight in grass before the next morningās work.
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Isnāt some of that because they have worse hooves today than they did in the past? A foot sore horse wouldnāt live long enough to breed back then.
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Straight stalls were used much more often back then.
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Our farm horse lived in a āroomā attached/part of the farm house, on one side, that was a good 20ā x 30ā, the back 20ā x 20ā very deeply bedded with fluffy straw, the front the double holed seater humans used.
We hand grazed him and he was fed in his stable, was taken out to drink from the communal trough outside regularly.
Those with larger herds of farm horses or mules tended to keep them in large pens with a long shed, as in the mountains few places were fenced, not practical.
We did have a small alfalfa field fenced for grazing, only fenced spot around.
It was a treat to graze there, not for regular use.
I expect those in the flatter lands had more grazing arrangements for their stock.
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Isnāt that the study that compared young TBs in training to those kept stall bound? Seems like a big flaw in the study, if that is the same one.
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There have been several good studies since then, some T A+M ones on horses started at different ages, followed thru performance years, that also were showing an advantage to starting āadequatelyā early.
Think of a basketball player starting as a little kid and then becoming pro eventually, after college, compared with someone taking up basketball in college sports.
Doubt many of the late starters would then become pro after college.
That early start fine tunes your body to a skill as it grows into it, compared with remodeling to fit that body later to a new skill.
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Me too! āHorses - Their Selection, Care, and Handlingā by Margaret Cabell Self. I must have checked that book out of the library 100 times when I was a kid. When I saw a copy at a used book store, I snatched it up!
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So, Iāve not read the thread in full but re. the OPās picture one thing that occurred to me too - so, first, full disclosure, Iām far from expert, late 20s, started riding at age 10 circa 2003, BUT Iām a little bit of equestrian history buff.
One thing - way back when you used to see more TBs bred for sport as well as racing, I believe (I might be wrong here). Ksar DāEsprit, for a more famous example, was bred not as a racer, but as a hunter/jumper horse. A more recent example would probably be Gem Twist. Bonne Nuit lines, generally, were popular for sporthorse disciplines (well, back then it mainly wouldāve been jumping, I imagine).
What Iām wondering is, if those heavier looking TBs back when werenāt ones bred specifically as jumpers and the like.
EDIT: If anyone wants to see some interesting old-school conformation shots and has pictures of similar caliber horses to compare today, Iād say go find an old-school copy of LāAnnee Hippique (Iāve got a 1959 edition) - those should (mine does anyway) have a full photo spread of conformation shots of the top horses of the era. Could be interesting for someone to compare. A lot of the warmblood breeds in the late '50s still looked heavier IIRC (been a bit since Iāve looked at mine), my bet would be because they hadnāt yet been outcrossed to TBs as much.
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@Willesdon (quote not working at the moment) I think your unproven personal theory has been proven by many horsemen. Though I donāt think itās the artificial surface as much as it is uniform terrain. Like @beowulf and @endlessclimb indicate, there is little to no variation so you are just working the same muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments over and over in the same manner. Then the overuse injuries rear their ugly heads.
Trying not to go on too many tangents or get too soap boxy, but I think the specialization of horses combined with working them in confined spaces with uniform footing causes many of our injuries.
Like, racehorses: get broke on the farm, walking the shedrow and working on the farmās training track. Go to the racetrack where they do the same thing, working in the same manner day in day out. And we wonder why we canāt prevent injuries even with excellent veterinary intervention.
Or a well-bred, carefully managed dressage horse, working round and round on carefully manicured rubberized footing at home, yet has never even been on a hack more than up and down the flat driveway. Dressage day in, day out.
Or a western pleasure show horse, going around and around and around the arena in an artificially slow gait, never doing anything else.
I am not trying to over-generalize and say everyone does this. I am also not calling out these disciplines: my point is most disciplines are guilty of only focusing their horses on their own discipline anymore. Horses in the past werenāt this specialized. Your western pleasure mount might also be how you got to school every day, then used to fix fencelines and work cows. Your dressage horse and racehorse might fox hunt in the off-season. While few competitors use their horses for multiple jobs anymore, good horsemen recognize the benefit of cross training and variety and try to replicate it in their practices.
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Personally, Iād attribute it to an unnatural stride on the treadmill, which is pretty common. Youāre being forced to maintain a pace continuously, which is not how we run outside. Also, a lot of people find the close distance to the front to be a problem, and let themselves slide backwards on the treadmill to avoid it, but then may overstride so they donāt fall off the back. You probably run more correctly when you naturally choose your pace, without a barrier in front.
But - I do agree that varying terrain is really important for feet and leg strength. For horses and for people.
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Any problems on a treadmill could also be from the angle, how steep how often someone sets it.
Another sample of one only, but I have been walking on one for decades (because of allergies outside) and never had any shin splints or any other problems from its use.
I keep mine mostly flat, which is a couple inches higher in front, have rarely used the incline setting.
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The āthis horse is too valuable to ride outside an arenaā thing makes me a little nuts, especially if I know the owner really likes to trail ride. Iāve seen that a few times, also so many dressage people who will not even ride in an outdoor arena at their home barn. And then wonder why their horse loses it at shows.
My mare used to be a dressage horse. Iāve trail ridden her from the beginning, and while it isnāt her favorite thing, it helps her keep track of where her hooves are. Sheās a little clumsy. Sheās not 100% sound, but the vets keep telling me that walking trail rides are the best thing I can do for her.
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Oh Light Horsekeeping! I remember reading that book as a kid in the 70ās.
Loved the vibe.
I think as I recall seeing a photo of Medina Spirit and thought āhow did that set of legs get past the starting gateā!
I think for me the devolving of the Arabian says it all. From the gorgeous substantial horses of the early years to the jokes they are now, itās tragic how they have been ruined. I guess the same can be said for halter QH with post legs.
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Surteesā John Jorrocks said in about 1831 āit aināt 'unting as 'urts 'orses, itās the 'ammer, 'ammer, 'ammer on the 'ard 'igh road.ā
Unrelated but amusing, Surtees also wrote āNo man rides harder than my Lord Scamperdale - always goes as if he had a spare neck in his pocket.ā
Robert Smith Surtees (1860). āMr. Spongeās Sporting Tourā, p.197
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Love Surtees!
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I had that book. 
I was googling ranch horses of the 1900s and came across an Albert Harris, who had a famous Arabian breeding operation in CA from the late 20s to the early 50s. I like Arabs but donāt know much about their history here in the States and can barely believe this photo is of an Arab - caption says it was taken in 1933.
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