VMD 511: Animal Welfare, Ethics and Jurisprudence (2+0)

AVOID HARD GROUND

Try to avoid riding your horse on hard ground. If the ring is rock hard, stick to a walk or ride out in the fields. Riding on hard ground causes concussion in your horse’s legs as he bangs on the ground with his hooves. This concussion can injure or weaken the tendons and bones in his legs and can cause arthritis or navicular when he gets older.

If you board at a barn, it’s the owner’s responsibility to make sure the ring surface is kind on your horse’s legs. The ring should be raked or dragged regularly. If the ring is always hard, move your horse to a barn where the owner cares about horses’ legs.