Not sure how horse lovers choose to ignore this fact. I never want to understand their reasons for going ahead, and ignoring the damage that is usually done. Just because they can manage weight upon their backs, it does not mean they should or are ready...especially if you come in over 15 stone. Its cringe worthy and worrying when you see the heavier riders especially, who have no clue how to even sit balanced and light as can be, plonk sitting on top of a young horse, or even one that has reached their full strength, for that matter. Below are a few key quotes from the article (but I encourage you to take the time to read the entire paper). “Believe it or not many vets are totally unaware, as many members of the general public are also unaware, that horses have more than one “growth plate”, that there are multiple ossification centers pertaining to every bone of the body outside of the skull, and that the schedule of growth-plate closure (which begins around the time of birth and extends until the sixth year, and is coordinated with the eruption schedule of the teeth) has been well known to veterinarians, paleontologists, zooarchaeologists, and mammalogists since the early 19th century.” “There is no such thing [as a] slow-maturing breed. The Quarter Horse is not an ‘early maturing’ breed – and neither is the Arabian a ‘slow maturing’ breed. As far as their skeletons go, they are the same. This information comes, I know, as a shock to many people who think starting their colt or filly under saddle at age two is what they ought to be doing. “
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 01:47:18 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015