What is ethical horsemanship?
The word 'ethical' is at the heart of Inca Equestrian.
But what does that actually mean, how does it relate to the equipment we use with our horses and how does it affect our identity as an equestrian?
By doing something ethically, it means we relate our actions and attitudes to our moral principles. In plain English, that means that we act with our horses’ welfare at the forefront of our minds at all times, and that their wellbeing comes before any human interests, conveniences or competitive goals.
Pretty simple right? Contrary to popular belief, ethical equestrians can span any discipline, experience level and age group. They do not have to be into 'natural horsemanship', nor do they have to be a non-competitive amateur rider.
If you choose to rest and treat your horse when they show signs of pain, rather than ‘riding through it’, that is ethical horsemanship.
If you provide your horse with a healthy, fulfilled life outside of the time you spend in the saddle, that is ethical horsemanship.
And if you carefully train and prepare your horse rather than overfacing them with a new challenge, that is ethical horsemanship.
Ethical tack choices
So how does this relate to the bitless bridles and other equipment in the Inca Equestrian shop?
Firstly (and fundamentally), ethics are a personal choice – we can make our arguments for or against, present our evidence and share our own experiences, but at the end of the day it comes down to what you as a person are comfortable with.
For me, that line is using equipment that inherently works by causing pain or discomfort to the horse. When looking at bridles, this includes avoiding anything inside or through the mouth, anything wrapping around the lower nose, and anything that may lead to a significant pressure point.
Which is why you won't find any long shanked hackamores, cross-under sidepulls or 'control' headcollars in the shop. This is not a home to all bitless bridles, but rather ones that aren't inherently harmful to the horse. I only stock products that I would use myself, in the appropriate situation.
And that last note is very important: 'in the appropriate situation'. Because there's one huge variable that I can't take into account – your horse. What's comfortable for one individual might not be for another, and that's why I started this free Knowledge Hub. By educating, supporting and empowering you to make informed choices, you can better judge for yourself what equipment is appropriate for your horse.
But your horse isn't the only one to consider here – you factor into this equation as well. How we use equipment can greatly impact how our horse experiences it, and therefore how ethical it is to use.
Ethical horse riding
If we want to ride ethically, we need to consider all aspects of the bridles that we use, and ensure that: first, they do not inherently cause pain or discomfort by the way they work; and second, that the way in which we are using them is not causing pain or discomfort. Riding ethically in unethical tack, and riding unethically in ethical tack are both harmful to the horse’s wellbeing. We need to take a holistic approach.
Riding in an ethical way might sound hippy-ish, but it does not mean 'improper' or 'amateur' riding. It does not exclude partnerships from upper-level sport, participating in competitive events or otherwise being successful in whatever way they choose. It is not the same as being part of the ‘natural horsemanship’ subculture or other such activities which are often (incorrectly) seen as not being serious ways to work with horses, such as horse agility, trekking or liberty work. Plenty of people within those disciplines do not work in an ethical way.
Ethical riding encompasses all disciplines, experience levels and types of horse and rider. It is an attitude towards how we work with horses, rather than a strict set of guidelines. By setting up a partnership free of pain and coercion, and one where the rider is always aware of the horse's feedback, that gives the pair a fantastic foundation for their training and other activities.
