Stabling - Make It Restful Not ResentfulStabling presents artificial and unnatural living conditions for a gregarious herd animal and even the most placid horses will become frustrated at being cooped up inside with no room to run. Therefore, no horse should be confined for 24 hours a day unless they are on box rest prescribed by a veterinary surgeon. If, for whatever reason, you are not able to exercise your horse by riding him, give him as much field turnout as is physically possible for you. This will reduce your horse's boredom significantly and make the time he spends indoors restful rather than resentful. We will now look at two key factors that will dramatically improve your horse's experience - benefits that will be felt not just today but each and every day your horse spends indoors. What's The View Like?You may think that's a bit of a pointless question. However, your horse will respond much better if he has plenty of activity to observe.
Being confined in a relatively small space with absolutely nothing to look at drives the boredom meter through the roof. If possible give your horse a decent view. Does your horse look out on the yard where there are lots of comings and goings? Can he see his yard companions easily? Horses are sociable creatures and love the company of other equines (at least to be able to see them, even if perhaps they aren't so keen on some of their neighbours up close!) If you are aware that your horse has a strong dislike of another horse avoid housing them side by side. He will spend the entire time being miserable and may even copy any bad habits or vices displayed by the other horse. If you horse frets in the stable and is unable to see other horses, consider putting a stainless steel "mirror" on the wall so he can see his reflection. This has a surprisingly calming effect on even the most restless horses. Can your horse see over the stable door? We often see small ponies that are stabled in isolation away from friends and are not able to even see out over the door. If you have a child's pony it is worth chopping a couple of inches off the top of the door to immediately improve their quality of life - even if it means you have to replace the door later on. Such a simple change will ensure they are much less prone to developing stable vices (bad habits) such as box-walking, weaving (repetitive side to side movement over the door) or kicking the door in frustration.
Natural Light For The Feel-Good FactorMost modern loose boxes or barns are built with an understanding of the importance of natural light to enhance wellbeing.
Horses kept in gloomy, artifically lit environments often seem lacklustre, even depressed in their disposition, and seem to long for the wide open spaces where they can stretch their legs. If you have windows, make sure that they are covered by a protective wire mesh which is screwed to the wall securely so that the horse can see out but is unable to break the glass. Perspex windows are another alternative since this does not shatter like glass if kicked but it can get cloudy over time and obscure the view. Read our top tips for an effective Stable Management routine. Click on this link if you would like to find out more about
Sizes and Types of Stables
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Animals, like humans, thrive on sunlight and there is no substitute for light, bright and airy surroundings. Even if you have to keep your horse in during winter, the benefits of natural light pouring in cannot be underestimated.
