11/12/2024
With darker days and colder nights, many owners will be bringing their horses into their stable more and more often with increasingly longer hours between turnout.
For some, stabling is used as a way to control grass intake, to stop fields from getting churned up in wet weather or simply to make life easier for the owner. There is also the worldwide issue of livery yards or boarding facilities not having the land or facilities available to provide much more than just a stable during this season of the year.
I want to briefly touch on why I strongly dislike stabling. However, before we dive in, Iโd like to add that Iโm referring to a horse being stabled with the door shut, and their choice taken away.
Why do I dislike stabling, you may ask? If we go back to the basics, we know stabling interferes with a multitude of essential needs and requirements our horses possess. This includes their ability to freely move, interact and socialise with other horses and forage when and as needed.
The paddock paradise model is based on the research conducted by Jaime Jackson on the wild and free-roaming horses of the US Great Basin. We look to these horses, their lifestyle and environment, to gain an understanding on how their species functions without human interference, from movement to herd dynamics and foraging behaviours. As always with these types of posts, there will be some of you who disagree with this method of learning, commonly followed by the statement that to ride, keep and pet a domesticated horse equates to a completely different set of needs and wants.
This itself is a whole different topic, but my thinking behind this is - if you were to accidently spill a little bit of water, should you then shrug your shoulders and purposefully spill the whole cup? If we as owners are perhaps doing something โunnaturalโ like riding or grooming, does that mean we should stop caring about meeting their fundamental needs in a species appropriate way? โI ride so who cares how I keep my horseโ. I digress.
Going back to what we know, movement for our horses is just as important to their functioning body and mind as the air they breathe. Wild horses will travel over 20 miles per day to fulfil their various needs, whilst many domesticated horses move very little and are instead turned out into small paddocks or stables with no motivation, encouragement or freedom to move. Contrary to popular believe, riding our horses doesnโt fulfil their need fully either, with this movement only happening for short periods of the day, maybe several times a week. Our horses rely on their daily movement to keep their circulatory systems working properly, which includes both blood and lymphatic fluid circulation, their minds stimulated, their feet growing, their muscles and joints strong, their weight maintained and their digestion functioning properly. When we take away their ability to move around freely, we compromise several of these all-important functions and instead contribute to stiff joints, weight gain or loss, muscle loss, poor hoof health, boredom, anxiety and stress as well as increased risk of ulcers and colic.
Something that is often glazed over is the emotional and mental wellbeing of our horses. Again, when we look at the lifestyle of wild horses, we know that they are social animals and instinctively travel in large herds. Our domesticated horses also possess these same instincts and needs such as finding safety in numbers, forming strong bonds with other herd members or horses and remaining alert for potential predators. When we isolate them by stabling them, we are restricting one of their most natural, crucial requirements, which can often be reflected by increased anxiety and associated behaviours. If living through Covid and lockdown taught us anything, itโs how detrimental being isolated can be to oneโs mental health and therefore, we shouldnโt expect our horses to cope any better or react any differently. No amount of human contact, radio tunes, enrichment toys or pretty views from the stable door will replace their unwavering, perpetual need for other horses. We then see the argument that some horses are only stabled for short periods of time. Whilst yes, this is better than prolonged periods, I donโt think Iโd want to stand in the human equivalent of a stable regularly, particularly when it causes low grade pain, discomfort or stress, regardless of whether its for 24 hours, 12 hours or 6 hours.
If you are someone who stables your horse through Winter, or in general for that matter, please stop to think about your reasoning behind doing so. I love to ask myself the why behind every decision, feeling and thought because I believe self-reflection is the only way we can hold ourselves accountable and to a standard that our horses deserve. We as owners may find comfort in freshly laid stables or may sleep better knowing theyโre less likely to be injured in a stable, but by pushing our own beliefs and feelings onto our horses, we are in fact contributing to their poor mental and physical health. Itโs about time the equine world starts treating horses as the horses they are.
This isnโt to say I donโt believe the majority of owners donโt try to do the best for our horses. However, I do think we as a community have high standards in the wrong places, sometimes unknowingly so. I also donโt think stables are inherently harmful if theyโre used in a way that provides choice. Leave your stable doors open and allow your horse to decide what they need and want.
Illustration inspired by the wonderful Horse Conversations
-
If you'd like to diver deeper and explore the topic of box rest and stabling, grab Issue 2 to read how injury, post-surgery and various illnesses are treated very differently in humans and the shift away from prescribed bed rest, by trainer and author, Josepha Guillaume of Dressage in Hand by Josepha Guillaume, with nurse Samana Rikers.
