Living Out 24|7
This article has been written and kindly been sent in by one of our members, Judith Edwards.
I am lucky enough to have had six wonderful horses find me and choose to live with me. I keep my horses as naturally as is possible in this modern age. They live out 24/7 with shelters that they have the choice whether to use or not . It has been proved that the herding instinct is very strong in the horse and it is very important to their health and happiness.
The main problem with stabling is the way the horse is fed, if you see a horse that lives out they eat off ground level all the time so it makes sense that the horses body is made in such a way that the front is the part stronger sand more able to take the weight of the horse. When the horse is fed from a manger or hay net the stance of the horse has to change therefore the back end is taking the strain and results in back injuries etc. Having a horse stand looking over the stable door for long periods also causes the same problems Having a horse on bedding also causes a lot of problems with the presence of ammonia in the urine, which harms the horn of the foot causes breathing problems and if laid on for some time can cause skin irritations.
The whole idea of shutting a horse in a confined space goes so much against the natural instincts of the horse and I believe is he main cause of a lot of behaviour problems. The main instinct of the horse is the flight instinct, if shut in a stable they have no where to go and the stress this puts them under is unimaginable.
Another problem with stabling is movement. In the wild horses travel 10-15 miles a day, a stabled horse may be in the box for 23 hours per day brought out and in most cases is expected to do 10-15 miles if not more in a short time at fast speeds when naturally it would take all day to cover this amount of ground with regular stops for food or water, then they are put back in the stable not able to move properly again for another amount of hours, no athlete would use their bodies like that. The amount of movement is important as the foot functions like an auxiliary heart and the action of the foot moving pumps blood back up the legs to the body. Also the act of chewing also acts as pump for the blood so to stand hours without food, like overnight when all the hay is gone, is harmful for the horse.
But the main reason I love to see my horses free is the sheer joy they show being able to play and run with their herd members as they wish, I cant imagine what they would do now if they were cut off from each other.
In the winter they have their shelters and there is also a lot of natural shelter, trees, hedges, etc and unlimited hay, we use the big round bales and they are never without.
I dont use bits or shoes. If you have a partnership with your horse and take the time it takes to show the horse what you want, you do not need a piece of metal in its mouth for control.
Added on: 18/05/07.
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