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Hey everyone, I’m Jack from Slowfeednets. Today, I’m continuing my blog series on natural horse-keeping methods and today I’m going to talk about where to keep your horse and
Place
Let’s talk about some options for where to keep them.
- Be out in the wild
Naturally, horses are out in the wild. They’re free to roam wherever they go and they are constantly moving throughout the day. Even if you sit and watch a horse race, you’ll notice that they’re never really standing still for too long and they’re always moving. And so naturally a horse needs to be out and able to move. This is why it’s important that they have a turnout.
For me personally, I like my horses to be out in the field 24/7, just so they can move as they need to. They can graze the whole day and eat hay and all that stuff. If your horse is out 24/7, it’s important that they have adequate shelter from the elements just like a running shed. Or you can even bring them into a stall, if there’s going to be really bad weather.
- Be in a stall
The next option is that you can keep your horse in a stall. Stalls can provide your horse with good shelter out of the elements on days when there’s a bad weather. It can also just be a way that they can stand inside and get a fan blowing them or something like that.
When it comes to deciding whether or not to keep your horse in the stall, it’s important to remember that a horse’s natural habitat is out in the wild where they can roam, so keeping them in a stall is kind of the opposite of what they’re used to. This is just important to remember, because some horses can get stocked up legs, if they’re standing for too long in a stall or it can cause their joints to lock up. So this is just a very important thing to be aware of and to know when it comes to deciding where you want to keep your horse. You can always consult a vet and get guidance from them about this as well.
If your horse does live in a stall, it’s important that they get turnout at least once a day. It’s important that that horse does get exercise and get movement to maintain their health. If your horse is in a stall because they’re injured, you can hand walk your horse so just lead them around so they can exercise and move. Another thing to note is that if you’re keeping your horse in a stall, it’s important that the stall gets cleaned out at least once a day. The reason for this is that if your horse is standing in their own waist for too long, that can cause some serious health problems with their feet.
Exercise
The next thing we’re going to talk about is making sure your horse is getting exercise. If your horse has turnout, that’s a great way for them to get just natural exercise by moving throughout their day, but there are other ways you can make sure your horse is staying healthy and getting the exercise they need.
The most obvious way is riding them. Riding is great exercise for your horse.
Another thing you can do is lunge them, and this is a great way to work them without having to ride. If the weather is bad and you can’t ride, this is a great option to make it work.
Some things to remember is that if your horse isn’t getting good exercise, their joints tend to get stiff or their legs tend to stock up. So you need to make sure your horse does have good exercise.
Now I’d like to hear from you.
Do you think this blog is helpful to you?
Are there any questions relating to feeding a horse?
Let me know by leaving a comment below right now.