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A stimulating
environment is key to equine well being
 Ideally,
we need 100 acres for our horses to roam
on. This is rarely possible in the real
world, but even a small property can
offer your equine companion a natural
environment. First and foremost, a natural
living area should provide your horse
with enough room to be in almost continuous
motion except during rest and sleep.
Horses are built to move, and in the
wild will cover a total of ten to fifteen
miles a day. When not able to exercise,
body circulation is hindered, causing
problems in the legs and feet. When a
horse moves, blood from the lower legs
is pumped back through the body to the
heart by the hooves, tendons and muscles.
In order to have strong, healthy feet
and legs, therefore, a horse needs constant
freedom of movement. This activity also
stretches and strengthens the muscles
and joints and promotes healthy gut function,
helping to cut down on the risk of impaction
colic.
Unfortunately, many
horses are confined to small pens or,
even worse, box stalls. Not only does
this hinder the horse physically, but
it also affects his mental well being.
Horses are very perceptive and curious,
so standing in a stall day and night
becomes boring and unsettling. Having
nothing else to do, a confined horse
turns to “vices” such as
cribbing, pawing and pacing to relieve
his boredom, and eventually these behaviors
become habitual. Once the horse is liberated
from his jail, however, many of these
vices disappear.
Give your horse
as much room as possible and don’t
be afraid to include uneven ground – hills,
rocks, fallen logs, shrubs and trees.
It is human nature to assume that what
we find comfortable is also good for
the horse. We therefore think we should
level the ground and remove rocks and
other “dangers”. This means
the horse has nothing left to do but
mindlessly wander between his feed and
water areas. How can this be physically
or mentally stimulating?
A more challenging
environment is easily created. Obstacles
can often be obtained for free in the
form of large rocks, or branches from
trees and shrubs. You can acquire logs
from specialized lumberyards, often for
free from their scrap pile – just
don’t use wood that splinters or
has been treated with chemicals. Native
plants, many of which have excellent
beneficial properties, can also be added,
while trees and shrubs of various heights
and sizes are ideal for horses to scratch
against.
 If
you find it difficult to add these elements
to your property, toys can be used to
stimulate your horse’s mind. There
are numerous horse toys on the market,
though homemade alternatives work just
as well: balls, orange traffic cones,
plastic garbage cans or barrels will
stimulate most horses.
By creating a natural
and challenging environment, and giving
your horse a chance to run and play,
he learns how to use his body. This learning
is paramount both for his sake and his
rider’s, since finding his balance
and knowing how to move his feet independently
around obstacles is not necessarily inborn.
Only by practice and trial and error
does a horse learn to be handy with his
body. And in order to learn, there must
be a challenge.
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Published in the
May/June 2007 issue of Equine Wellness
Magazine |
