Horses did not evolve to be suited for riding. No matter how much we want to believe that this is exactly what horses are for (riding), they aren't.

Don't want to inject your horse's joints? Fine, but the only way you will be able to keep your horse truly sound is by doing this:

Nevzorov Haute Ecole Journal # 3

Any time spent on the horse's back is answered by simple physiology.

1-15 min: particular sensations are absent

15-30 min: growing (until a certain limit) discomfort

After 30min, characterized by simple physiological analysis as "strong pain"

Anymore- Trauma

So this means that the rider should not be on the horses back more than 15minutes 3 times a week, and that is of correct riding.

Those sport horses that you see, the majority of them are lame. Sadly, very few people see it because the horses are evenly sound and/or the people have not been exposed to truly sound horses and therefore don't know what to look for.

Remember: Thoroughbreds get hot, warmbloods get lazy. This just means that hotter breeds run away from the pain while the colder breeds stop due to the pain. This is the reason why race horses (Thoroughbreds, Arabians, and Quarter Horses) can't really walk. They prance all the time, and take off quite often.

More to come: About Injections, Popular Myths, and Personal Cases

    I ALWAYS ride with my helmet, no matter what horse I ride. Last Saturday I was once again proven that anybody on any horse should always wear a helmet. Last Saturday I took the most quite horse out on a ride. We didn't go to any new places, and the weather was really nice and quite. All of the sudden a dog on a different side of the fence came toward us barking. The usually VERY quite Dart spooked. All four of his feet came off the ground. I went from the saddle into the air, on his neck, he was still jumping, up in the air again, and down on the ground. I hit a nerve in my arm and I couldn't use it for an hour, also I had a hard and very painfull time turning my head to the left for two days. After throwing me off my loyal friend Dart stayed with me and then he put his nose into my chest. This was a freak accident, it was nobodys fault. The dog was being a dog and being a prey animal Dart spooked. I am glad I was wearing a helmet, because begening my track season with a trip to ER because of a horseback riding accident, would not have been good. So no matter the horse or the talent of the rider, a riding helmet should be worn at all times when riding.