Natural Horse Care and Boarding: Difficult But Not Impossible
After 12 years of being absent from the
horse world, I bought a horse and put her into the first of several
stables at which we would end up boarding. While I was not new to
horses, there was still a lot of information that I did not know and
had never learned from my high school and college days of playing
with horses.
I had no idea about the many challenges and learning experiences that would come with boarding a horse.
What follows below are some points to keep in mind about boarding, assembled from someone who learned by trial and error and had a few "daycare nightmares" along the way. It isn't rocket science, but there are some basic principles to keep in mind and try to follow as best you can.
Be The Best Leader That You Can Be
It really is critical to strive for a living environment that is as close to natural as possible and to balance that with your own personal circumstances as best you can.
I am a boarder myself - have always been a boarder - so I understand. I would love to have my horse on pasture in my backyard, but right now that is not possible.
There may be many horses that grow up in a stable/stall environment, do well, and have adapted to that and have a loving herd leader in their human. So if you have to put your horse in a stall, don't fret excessively about it even though it may not be the best thing.
Instead, focus your efforts where you can have other positive impacts.
If you feel guilty and get down in the dumps about your horse's situation after reading a bunch of information about how horses should live naturally, it won't do you or your horse any good if in fact you are unable at this time to provide that for your horse.
Use it to make some changes if you can and should, but every person and horse is an individual, and you need to find what works for both you and your horse.
Ultimately, strive for being the best friend and leader your horse has and see him/her frequently.
That said, here are my suggestions:
-
It has been my experience that driving further or paying more for horse boarding (though not in themselves a guarantee) are well worth it if you avoid some expensive vet calls, have peace of mind about your horse's well-being, and have a happy, healthy horse.
-
If you choose to keep horses, you owe it to them to learn as much as possible about how to keep them healthy and happy. A very large part of that is where they live and where they spend most of their time; that can impact every single aspect of their health and welfare.
-
Living in a stall is just not natural for a horse; thus, the term "natural boarding" is an oxymoron. However, you will have a happier and healthier horse if you try to get something as close as possible to what your horse would consider natural (minus the predators of course...). Stress impedes healing as well as leaving the body susceptible to disease. Your horse may not ever see a wolf or a cougar in its stall, but perhaps it feels just as unsafe simply from being closed in with no escape from the four walls and bars especially if it cannot touch or see another horse.
-
Horses were meant to walk for miles every day foraging for food and eating small amounts all day long; their digestive system is not set up for two big meals with nothing in between. Aside from boredom, there are physical consequences to not feeding a horse the way it was designed to eat. They secrete acid continually, so the acid will sit there and potentially create ulcers or you will set up a situation ripe for colic or other illnesses.
-
-
-
Freedom to graze and run seven days a week for a few hours is not too much to ask for if you are a horse - especially if your facility has only box stalls without attached paddocks (which do not by themselves offer enough room to exercise) - but this, unfortunately, may be hard to find. If turnout is for fewer then seven days a week, then try to get out to see your horse especially on the off days when they would be standing in their stalls.
-
Feeding at least three times a day should be the minimum and is best for the horse's mental and physical well-being, but it will be hard to find; the unfortunate usual is two times per day. Ideally, a horse will be in some kind of pasture turnout with a chance to graze in between the AM and PM feedings.
-
Be wary of high turnover and frequent advertising
A couple of other points bear mentioning. It has been my experience that the barns that advertise frequently are doing so because they have high turnover, so please do your due diligence and be wary. High turnover happens for a reason.
You Are The Needle Of The Compass
Finally, remember that you are the needle of the compass; you determine the kind of care that your horse gets which includes coordinating the expertise of veterinarians, farriers, trainers, and stable management where you board. It is up to you to voice your concerns and pay heed to your instincts. Never feel bad about trying to do the best for your horse. You are your horse's leader, and they are literally at your mercy. So don't be afraid to speak your mind.
If you need to move for the betterment of your horse's situation, move.
August 2009 ADDENDUM:
This was not an easy process for me; it took me 8 long years to find a home for my horse that was a balance of stalls, horse companionship, between-meal grazing, exercise, and quality feed with clean water. See my August blog post on striking gold for my Palomino, Note that this new place is not a public barn but instead is someone's private property; perhaps that has a lot to do with the differences (although I would not go as far as guaranteeing that private will be better than public).
Links for more resource articles on stress and your horse:
study results point to two major factors in raising cortisol
Link Between Equine Diet and Behavior The Horse April 2009