Leisure and Entertainment - HORSE RIDING INSTRUCTOR 

Should nosebands be loosened on dressage horses at the Olympics? An ethical dilemna!

 Secondary

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Ethical Understanding

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking 

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy
Australian Curriculum General Capability: Personal and social capability
Philosophy

Cooperative Learning Activity

1. Professor Paul McGreevy, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Science at University of Sydney (he is a veterinarian and a qualified riding instructor) states in The Conversation, 10 May 2016

Most riders care greatly for, and about, their horses. But at the elite level, some find themselves under pressure to value their horse’s performance over its welfare. And the challenges we impose on horses often go unrecognised because horses rapidly habituate to stressors and generally complain less than other species, often to their own disservice.

But what is this all about? Nosebands!

Nosebands is the practice of clamping together the jaws of horses [as you can see from this picture above].

What does this do? Here are the photos in this article...

2. You are to read the full article by Professor McGreevy.

3. With a partner discuss your response to:

a. Nosebands in general

b. The damage to the horse's mouth

c. The Australian invention - the taper gauge and it's use

4. As a class, discuss the ethics of nosebands in competition and answer the question: Should nosebands be loosened on dressage horses at the Olympics? Take on the different perspectives:

 a. You are a competitor

b. You are a judge

c. You are an animal rights activist

d. You are a horse lover