Is anyone else getting sick of seeing horse riding in the Olympics?

I understand your frustration. I work in a sports bar, and every shift I see people whooping and yelling at the TV screen after betting on horse and greyhound races and it infuriates me to see these businesses booming so.

I can't watch the equestrian. I agree with you. I was talking to my housemate about it and we agree that it should be the horse that gets the medal. What do they get out of it? They are pushed to perform at such an elite level, it's not natural or fair on them. If they're injured, what are the chances that they'll be treated and not euthanaised? I've noticed the riders pull really hard on the reins too. I can't believe they're using whips. I know the riders work hard, but the horses really do most of the work. Horses shouldn't be exploited in racing or equestrian or in any other way.

Some of the jumps are ridiculously high. How some of the horses manage to jump it is just astounding. I've also seen a lot of rolkur in the equestrian, that's just not acceptable.

I never have come across the term rollkur before but I just looked it up. I wouldn't like to be a horse

The Equestrian is shown on channel 9 becouse it is extremely popular and the horse community is huge, channel 9 also would be wanting to get the views and rateings and equestrian is more popular then majority of the other events currently on.

Growing up in the equestrian world and still having a large part of it in my life I can tell you that horses like to be challanged and enjoy  competing - of course not all of them but they wouldn't of made It to that level mentally and Physically if they couldn't Handel it. I don't agree with the horses been whipped and having there mouths jabbed to get them on the bit in dressage.

Have any of you rode a horse in a competition befor? It is incredably difficult to sit to the horses strides, to have that higher level of trust with the horse and to be able to read each others body language.

In regards to the comment about if the hOrse was injured it would probs be destroyed, it takes years and years of work and trust to get the horse just into a simple local competition let Alone the Olympics, each one of those horses would be over $100,000 each, unlike racers they are difficult to find and are well looked after. They would have the best equine vets money could buy to help the horse

Yeah, I was not so enthusiastic about people whipping horses to win. HOWEVER, not everyone used whips, and I saw the ones who spared the whip petting and praising their horses.

At least these jumps can collapse, unlike jumps racing, pick and choose your battles, jumps racing is my priority.

Jumps racing is already banned in my state.

Well you should be happy as tonight is the final event for the equestrian

Ive watched every single event in the Equestrian from start to finish and i havent seen any rollkur, if it was used they would have a disqualification or Max. penelty points as the horse is over flexed. The riders wouldnt risk that at such a high level. Some horses have a natural carrage of the head and neck wich may look like Rollkur, wich may be what you saw Maggie. Sometimes it can be hard to tell the diffrence in the way the horse carrys itself if you dont have experiance in that feild.

The Jumps fall with the slightest touch, unlike jumps racing where they are a hedages and can make a horse loose its balence. The Jump poles are super light and are designed to fall with the slightest touch - if you watch the HD slow motion after the jump round you would notice that sometimes the poles fell simply becouse the tip of the hoove touched the pole wich caused it to fall - One horses tail caused the pole to fall

In jumps racing a horse can compete when it is mearly 1.5 years old - the horses musculoskeletal system is still growing and cant stand the pressures of racing, hence why there are so many injuries and deaths but in showjumping a horse cant compete in a competition until they are 6 years old, they can only jump 30cm ( wich is lower then E grade ) The horse also cant compete in cross country until it is 8 when the horse is fully grown and its musculoskeletal system is finished growing and is matured.

Honestly i agree with Emma you need to pick and choose your battles