Down the street from where I work are two horse stables: one for a horse-drawn carriage company and the other for the local police department’s mounted patrol. Just about everyday, I see one of the carriage company carriages go by. Some are drawn by one horse, some two. Usually the horse are fairly peppy in the morning and when they return in the afternoon, they look like I feel after a long day: totally worn out. The police horses seem to be in a good mood (the high stepping and tail flicking give the impression they’re in a good mood, anyway).
I can’t help but wonder how these horses feel about working.
I know several Dopers have horses and perhaps they can give some insight.
Well, it’s like people: Depends on the work. And…depends on the horse.
Carriage horses, eh. Can’t speak for them much as I’m unfamiliar with their care. But police horses have excellent care, and horses do like getting out and about (they are range animals, after all).
It is far better for the horse to be getting out, getting some exercise, and having some stimulus, than being boxed up in an indoor stall all day long, too many days a week, without being let out to stretch his/her legs and enjoy some fresh air. Being couped up is highly unnatural to a horse, and sometimes horses develop neurotic habits as a result. I can’t say that’s worse than overworked, but underworked is certainly every bit as bad.
I’ve learned a lot about horses just in the past 24 hours…they are much smarter than I’ve given them credit for. (Granted, they won’t be doing any higher math soon…)
I agee with Ruffian, horses do like to get out and about rather than be stuck in a stall all day. It’s much healthier for them to have something to do.
But, again, it really depends on the care they’re getting. Some places have laws about how carriage horses must be cared for, how many hours they can work, in what sort of weather, etc. If you’re concerned about horses in your area, you can probably call a local municipal or animal control agency for more information.
Horses that people train for riding or competition are usually pretty well-cared for, and some really enjoy training because it’s a chance to exercise, to be mentally challenged, and to bond with their trainers/owners. But like people, some horses are just lazy and would rather eat all day. And some horses on some days would really rather just stay in bed.
In Chicago there are carriage horses downtown. There are some pretty strict and thorough regulations about their working hours, rest breaks, access to water, and so forth which are enforced. The horses also work for three weeks, then are rotated out to a pasture outside the city for a week or two in which to simply rest and “be a horse” as the owner of one carriage shop put it. It’s not like the 19th Century when horses were worked to death.
Being somewhat horsey (I rode regularly for about 9 years) I’d say the carriage horses in Chicago are pretty healthy - good weight and muscle tone, healthy looking hides, solid hooves, etc. They are also very calm animals, unperturbed by traffic noises and people, which is also the sign of an animal that’s treated well (abused horses are skittish). Well, OK, one young and new carriage horse did bolt a couple years ago, but it’s the exception. And if I recall correctly one did receive minor injuries about 10 years ago when a car hit the horse and carriage, but made a full recovery and was retired from street service.
The mounted police like to take their horses out to Grant Park every so often and let them trot and canter a bit. Given the amount of time police horses stand around on street corners I’d say boredom might be more of an issue than overwork - and horses can and do become bored.
I’d say a working animal - such as mounties horse or a carriage animal - is likely to be healthier both physically and mentally than a bored, ignored animal locked in a stall most of the time. Which is one reason I don’t own a horse - I don’t have the proper amount of space for one, and don’t have the time to give it the attention it needs. Wish I did, because I do like the animals.
