Several of my friends have also opted to raise their own and had similar positive experiences. They too say they'll always raise their own horses now. Since it's clearly better for the horse's well-being too, how can we initiate change in the community?
My horses don't have vices or fears like most horses. They don't spook, or get nervous in new environments. They love learning new things, and they learn FAST. I'm safer on my 3.5 year old than most seasoned pro horses.
These are mine, and nobody has a say in what I do but me. I thought all that would happen was I'd feel the relief and ease of experiencing my own hypothesis to fruition. I never fathomed just how much they would show me is wrong in what we do to horses as a whole.
Raiding and training my own horses has taught me so much I wasnt expecting. I had started dozens of horses for other people in my career, but there was always a boss; someone dictating how I should do things, even if it was just a little bit.
They bounce from "home" to "home" many times in their life without much consideration to assimilate, and are expected to perform as normal within days, if that! Instead, we shove them full of meds, treat them like their inability to quickly cope is a problem.
Taking a horse from a baby to your riding partner is an experience most equestrians never forego. We are taught it's too difficult, risky, important, and burdening for most to attempt. The consequence is that we then have a population of horses that are more like traumatized shelter dogs.
