Is horseback riding vegan?

The simple answer: no, it isn't. No leeway, ifs or buts. Unlike some, I really do not believe that it is a gray area.

To use any animal for our amusement is exploitation, and hence, not vegan. Others would likely argue that horses do, in fact, gain pleasure from the activity. However, do you see horses queuing up to be rode, yelling "Pick me! Pick me!"? No, of course not.

Would you enjoy carrying personnel on your back at various speeds whenever said personnel felt like it? Would you like to be periodically locked up? Would you like to be "broken in" during the early stages? I'm guessing no. Moreover, as to any "bond" that exists between the human and the horse - an apparent bond also exists between dogs and dog fighters.

And, to the welfarist line, whether the horse is treated fairly/kindly/companionably ("happy horse riding!") whilst being ridden is utterly irrelevant as he or she is still used. Period. That is, the defining characteristic of veganism is that we do not believe that animals should be considered property, and therefore we respect their needs and wants that demand that we do not exploit them.