In fact most non-equesterian people search for riding (for themselves, for their children). Only a few come to stables because they want see and feel horses, most want to look beautifully on a horse and the stream of clients is fast. I find this is a problem that has been cultivated by cultural features (horses = riding goes through our history) and by riding schools themselves, that offer nothing but riding.
I would add to this list - developing riders from bareback and on a lunge line where an independent seat can be cultivated. The horse’s back can often be spared ill fitting saddles and it does not have a bit in its mouth - both practices alleviating some of the pain inducing tack issues (obviously horses have to be trained). So so many of the riding school horses are working with kids who are braced in their stirrups and hands on the reins - four points of balance involving their limbs - instead of developing their seat and core balance.
A lot also depends on the model used by the place giving lessons. As a USian, I have *never* experienced the European model of riding school lessons, most particularly riding in a line or other formation as I observed in the Netherlands when watching lessons. At least in the places where I have lessoned as an adult on the US West Coast, the model has involved doing my own grooming, tacking and untacking, and other horsemanship tasks (including sweeping alleyways).
Part of that is because I've done private lessons, but another has been that the group lesson situations have been part of community college Horsemanship classes that are a mix of skill levels and experience. Some instructors are mindful and good about managing horses, others are not. The quality of life for lesson horses in the US, at least, is heavily dependent on the mindfulness and sensitivity of the instructor toward the horse's needs. I've had good ones and bad ones, and the price of the lessons has not been a factor. One barn used retired show horses almost exclusively for lessons, frequently providing a home for horses that might otherwise land in even worse situations.
However, at least here in the US, I think the horses that have it the absolute worst are trail ride horses. While at least in lessons there's an instructor with authority to moderate student excesses and group activities by rider skill level, the trail ride horse must endure skill levels from those who have absolutely no experience and no interest in learning how to ride properly to those who do know what they are doing. Those horses are rarely handled by the rider, and often end up at auctions at the end of the trail ride season.
The best off? Oh, no debate about it. Rodeo broncs. They might work for eight seconds a week, are highly prized and valuable, and spend their time away from rodeos on vast stretches of open land in herds. The modern rodeo bronc is usually a draft cross of some sort, comes from bucking bloodlines for several generations, and if the horse doesn't buck, usually finds a home as a pickup rider's mount (there is a famous pair of horse brothers, one that bucks, one that is a pickup horse). They're handled carefully in the chute to keep both horse and rider safe (one concern is to keep the horse from hitting its head on the chute framework which many will do if the handler doesn't push their head away as the gate opens). Like many horses, they know the difference between working tack for bucking purposes and non-working tack, and some can be ridden in regular tack. And yes, they're trained about the chute, the flank strap (which does NOT contact genitals despite some claims), and the release of the rider at the eight second buzzer.
In fact most non-equesterian people search for riding (for themselves, for their children). Only a few come to stables because they want see and feel horses, most want to look beautifully on a horse and the stream of clients is fast. I find this is a problem that has been cultivated by cultural features (horses = riding goes through our history) and by riding schools themselves, that offer nothing but riding.
Another wonderful thought provoking post
Full appreciation for the detail, data and re-visioning presented here. Thank you.
I would add to this list - developing riders from bareback and on a lunge line where an independent seat can be cultivated. The horse’s back can often be spared ill fitting saddles and it does not have a bit in its mouth - both practices alleviating some of the pain inducing tack issues (obviously horses have to be trained). So so many of the riding school horses are working with kids who are braced in their stirrups and hands on the reins - four points of balance involving their limbs - instead of developing their seat and core balance.
A lot also depends on the model used by the place giving lessons. As a USian, I have *never* experienced the European model of riding school lessons, most particularly riding in a line or other formation as I observed in the Netherlands when watching lessons. At least in the places where I have lessoned as an adult on the US West Coast, the model has involved doing my own grooming, tacking and untacking, and other horsemanship tasks (including sweeping alleyways).
Part of that is because I've done private lessons, but another has been that the group lesson situations have been part of community college Horsemanship classes that are a mix of skill levels and experience. Some instructors are mindful and good about managing horses, others are not. The quality of life for lesson horses in the US, at least, is heavily dependent on the mindfulness and sensitivity of the instructor toward the horse's needs. I've had good ones and bad ones, and the price of the lessons has not been a factor. One barn used retired show horses almost exclusively for lessons, frequently providing a home for horses that might otherwise land in even worse situations.
However, at least here in the US, I think the horses that have it the absolute worst are trail ride horses. While at least in lessons there's an instructor with authority to moderate student excesses and group activities by rider skill level, the trail ride horse must endure skill levels from those who have absolutely no experience and no interest in learning how to ride properly to those who do know what they are doing. Those horses are rarely handled by the rider, and often end up at auctions at the end of the trail ride season.
The best off? Oh, no debate about it. Rodeo broncs. They might work for eight seconds a week, are highly prized and valuable, and spend their time away from rodeos on vast stretches of open land in herds. The modern rodeo bronc is usually a draft cross of some sort, comes from bucking bloodlines for several generations, and if the horse doesn't buck, usually finds a home as a pickup rider's mount (there is a famous pair of horse brothers, one that bucks, one that is a pickup horse). They're handled carefully in the chute to keep both horse and rider safe (one concern is to keep the horse from hitting its head on the chute framework which many will do if the handler doesn't push their head away as the gate opens). Like many horses, they know the difference between working tack for bucking purposes and non-working tack, and some can be ridden in regular tack. And yes, they're trained about the chute, the flank strap (which does NOT contact genitals despite some claims), and the release of the rider at the eight second buzzer.