“Would You Rather?” Equestrian Edition- First Installment

I like reading “This or That” and “Would You Rather” questions with an equestrian theme. I came across this previously posted “Would You Rather” edition on Horse Nation at https://www.horsenation.com/2015/05/05/equestrian-would-you-rather-spring-edition/.

The Horse Nation post consists of ten questions. For my purposes on The Backyard Horse Blog, I am dividing the ten questions into two posts.

I give my own answers to the first five questions here and then will tackle the final five questions next week.

If you would like to play along, I’d love to read your own answers to these questions. I think it would be fun to see readers’ different perspectives on the answers. Viva la différence!

Question #1- Would you rather show a world-class animal in your discipline of choice or take the world’s greatest trail horse out on the trails?

The Backyard Horse Blog Answer- Oh, shoot. Right off the bat they start with a tough question. I can’t decide. Can I do both, please! I guess with my back to the wall, I’d pick the “greatest trail horse out on the trail” because combining horses and nature is about as good as it gets in my book. But still, I would LOVE that world-class horse opportunity too!

Question #2- Would you rather never see a case of thrush or never see rain rot ever again?

The Backyard Horse Blog Answer- Hmmm, I pick never see thrush again. My thinking is that thrush can potentially lead to lameness. Lameness for a thousand pound animal who spends most of his time on his or feet is a real problem. So I am sticking with “never ever thrush”.

Question #3- Would you rather never run out of fly spray or never lose another horse shoe in the mud?

The Backyard Horse Blog Answer- Never lose another horse shoe. None of my horses are currently shod, but both have been shod at various times in the past for different reasons. Like thrush, losing a shoe could lead to lameness. And I’m still with the whole “lameness for a thousand pound animal who spends most of his time on his feet is a real problem” spiel.

Question #4- Would you rather forget to turn OFF the electric fence when you were supposed to or forget to turn ON the electric fence when you were supposed to?

The Backyard Horse Blog Answer- Well, I really hate to touch electric fencing when I have forgotten to turn it off. Ouch! But, when I am using electric fence strips, it is to keep a horse secured for their own safety so I would have to pick “would rather forget to turn OFF the electric fence”.

Question #5- Would you rather have lush, fertile pastures that you have to walk twenty minutes on foot to access or a so-so paddock close to the barn?

The Backyard Horse Blog Answer- Definitely a so-so paddock close to the barn. I have one horse, Bear, with PPID & EMS who has experienced bouts of laminitis due in part to the lush grass on my property. The other horse, Shiloh, is an easy keeper who, no doubt, is at risk of developing weight-related health problems. So while I wouldn’t mind walking horses out to a far pasture, a lush and fertile pasture isn’t the greatest thing for my particular horses.

Stayed tuned for my answers to the next five questions in a future post. Feel free to share your own answers in the comments section below!