Blog
The importance of asking why
There are a lot of things we do with horses, just because that is how it has always been done
A lot of traditions are harmless
If you have ridden in a manège with other liveries or warming up for a competition you will have no doubt had “left to left” barked at you. We do it because of tradition but I am pretty sure our horses don’t really give a stuff if we pass to left hand to left hand. So why do we do it?
Let's rewind to the Roman Empire. Roads were being built and a lot of people had swords. To prevent crashing and so your sword was ready in case the oncoming rider was you sworn enemy, it became custom to pass right hand to right hand (as we drive in the UK). This custom ticked along quite nicely for about 1500 years.
And then along came some French guy in the 1800's - Napoleon. He was left handed. So of course, he did the only obvious thing - and declared that the rest of the French army must now ride on the right, passing left hand to left hand. Most of Europe was invaded by Napoleon and were ordered to do the same. Britain was never invaded and so kept the Roman right hand to right hand.
The art of Dressage originated in France and the left to left rule when riding horses came with it.
It is a tradition that does no harm, is now standard practice and (hopefully) prevents crashes in a warm up. But we do only do it because a French guy who died over 200 years ago was left handed.
Some traditions are only mildly harmful
Only getting on your horse from the left. It's tradition, we're all taught it and there's every chance your brain cannot fathom how to get on from the right.
The reason “why” is all down to swords again - they were carried on the left and don’t bend very well - so far easier to swing your right leg over.
If you’re using a mounting block you are limiting the negative effects on the horse but even so it does mean that horses backs are always pulled one way and it means we end up very one sided.
We really ought to mix it up and get on from each side regularly, our horses will thank us and it would benefit us to be less one-sided.
And some traditions do harm
Stabling 24/7 - great if you have a horse that’s done a 10 hour day pulling hackney carriages round London and you need it clean for the next day and to eat sufficient calories in a short amount of time. Or if you horse is on short term box rest for an injury. Less great when the horse doesn’t get social interaction, or manages 40 minutes on a horse walker or 20 minutes on the lunge October - May every year.
Feeding - It was common practise to swap out forage for cereals. With a horse in hard work being fed 50% cereals to 50% forage. Which we now recognise to be a gastric ulcers waiting to happen.
We should always understand why we are doing what we are doing
Could you explain to somebody why you are doing it?
Can the professional give you a satisfactory answer?
Is there any modern science to support the approach or method?