We are well into the time of year when my Facebook feed starts to flood with memes and stories of people talking about how "fresh" their horses are.
"Fire breathing dragon season!"
"I can't hack him out in winter, he's wild"
"You have to lunge before you get on!"
"He's so spooky in winter"
Often always coupled with
"He's only out during the day/for a few hours/an hour at the moment "
Or even worse
"I can't turn him out now, the grounds too wet/he'll injure himself /the yard doesn't allow it"
So we expect an animal that's supposed to live in a herd, move 20 miles a day, be constantly foraging and communicating with others, to cope normally when they are shut in solitary confinement with high grain feeds that come in bucket form and a food source that runs out?
These horses are so frustrated and stressed and high energy (due to grain) that of course they are likely to explode, spook and be fresh when allowed out of their confinement. Remember how we all felt in the COVID lockdown?
Sure, the change in weather can be enough to make horses a bit "fresh" and I know our herds get a bit excited when it rains and often have a hoon about. I'm not talking about that.
It's about time we start addressing our horses living conditions and make the changes they deserve.
If you can't turn your horse out at all in winter this is a massive welfare concern and you should move yards.
If you have limited turn out and your horse had to come in, make the stable a place that is more interesting. Enable them to touch the horse next door. Switch to slow feeders to promote a more natural feeding rate and spread them around the box and make sure your horse doesn't run out of hay. Research into enrichment ideas. Turn them out as much as possible. At least 8 hours a day.
Sure, it's not as good as turnout 24/7 but I know the majority of yards in the UK do not offer this so we have to realistic.
If your horse has arthritis or joints that swell and seize, move to a yard with 24/7 turnout. Sacrifice those facilities for you and pick facilities for your horse. Motion is lotion and horses need to move.
If you stable you horse because they are prone to weight gain or laminitis, look into track systems. 24/7 turnout doesn't mean a grass paddock.
There is always a better way, and in order to avoid the "fire breathing dragon" season, start thinking about why it's happening, and make the change.
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