The natural needs of the horse
It is important to meet our horse’s natural needs as much as possible to keep our horse happy and healthy.
Horses are: prey animals, flight animals, herd animals, step animals, animals of habit, movement animals, social animals, etc.
In nature, a horse lives in the herd and roams around all day long. They eat and drink at a pond all day long, they play with each other and groom each other, rest and roll in the sand, so they are busy all day long.
Many problems that we know do not occur in nature, for example many hoof problems. Problems can arise due to the way many horses are kept, e.g. being kept in a stable for 23 hours.
It is very important for the horse that its natural needs are met as much as possible. This way many problems can be prevented.
Inhoud
The natural needs of the horse include:
- Contact with conspecifics (herd behavior, grooming, playing, etc.)
- Sufficient roughage (in nature a horse eats 15 to 17 hours a day)
- Lots of exercise (in nature a horse can walk 30 to 50 km per day)
This allows you to avoid many problems such as:
- Stress
- Boredom
- Frustration
- Colic
- Hoof problems
- Leg defects
- Stable vices