How many of us have or ride horses?

[arielmoon]

I have a 12 year old Arabian gelding that I ride dressage. His name is Iceberg and he is awesome.

I became a vegan for health reasons over a year ago and joined a live journal community where I discovered that it was not vegan from an animal rights perspective to ride a horse. During this time I discovered cycling and my horse is enjoying more free time. I will admit that it is something I struggle with. Even though I am extreme about my eating habits (healthy vegan here) I try to be well rounded in my outlook on the world. The reason I say that is because if riding is cruel then even owning a pet could be considered a form of abuse if taken to the extreme. I dont know where the line is but I believe the fact that I do not eat animals and no animals suffer for me that I am making a small difference that may or may not offset the riding of my horse.