Horses have to accompany parades and processions time and again. There is always a debate about whether this is justified. After all, they are exposed to a lot of stress.
Again and again there are accidents with horses during parades or pageants. Nevertheless, the animals are traditionally part of many events. The animal protection organisation Peta sees this as critical. According to them, the horses are forced to take part in such parades. One would realise that the horses, being animals of flight, simply want to escape from the situation.
Others claim that the animals have been well prepared for such parades. Years of training would ensure that the horses experience less stress. Despite this, there are new regulations in one part of Germany. The regulations apply to all events where horses are present. Regardless of the size of the festival. Some innovations are:
- There must always be a veterinarian on site
- Riders are not allowed to drink alcohol
- Weight limit for riders
- Animals must be given a break every 4 hours
Stress level
According to a study, “desensitising” the horses to loud noises and scary things is very important so that the horses are more relaxed later on during the parade. The stress level at such an event is similar to that at a show jumping or dressage competition. Nevertheless, the values are acceptable. It is reasonable for the animals to participate in such an event.
But only with appropriate preparation. The horses have to pass a composure test before they can take part in a traditional parade. They are first led and then ridden. If they pass this test, they are allowed to take part in the processions. Tasks are, for example, the rising of balloons, spray bottles, rattling cirques and umbrellas.
Peta is critical of this, too. They say that such a test of composure only makes the horses docile. According to them, an animal should not be subjected to such a thing.
Source: Tagesschau
