Stabling and Vices

The first thing I'm concerned about is the stable itself. It's a very unnatural place to put a horse and no wonder they get vices. They are basically boxes betwen 12' x 10' (3.7m x 3.1m) for a horse under 16hh and 14' x 12' (4.2m x 3.7m) for over 16hh. Go and mark out these measurements and just see how small it is. I don't care how pretty it is, how smartly made or how much it is, in my view small stables are without a doubt a cage.





The American Barn system has rows of loose boxes facing each other across an 8' - 12'
passage. No outside world to view, no watching of the seasons or day and night.




And then there are stalls. These are individually partitioned stables in which the horse is permanently tied up, facing a blank wall. Now I may be over sensitive but just go and try this yourself. With most horses not getting out very often they may be looking at this wall, or stuck in this cage for up to 24 hours. If a person was in a prison cell with these proportional dimensions, I'm pretty sure we'd go demented quite quickly.

I know that some folks put their horses into stables or stalls for only short periods, tie them up to clean them etc but what I'm talking about is the use of these facilities are permanent solutions to house horses in. I just don't like them.



Another thing that a lot of folks do is 'cross-tie' their horses. This I understand, although don't really approve of, if you're grooming, washing or doing something that doesn't take long. But it really should not be something the horse should have to endure for long periods of time as he cannot move his head down or left/right. Not fair at all.

I guess it's the place most people are used to seeing horses and take it as normal. IT IS NOT NORMAL! A horse should be running free with others of it's kind. A horse should be in as natural an environment as possible and this rules out the stable. The nicest way for horses to be out of really harsh weather is to have an open barn for them to go in/out of or for a field to have plenty of natural shelter such as trees and hedges. Yes I know it's difficult, your horse gets dirty, it takes longer to get him ready to go out hacking etc but that's just about convenient for us, the human. Let's think about what our horses would really like

We have to stop putting human concerns onto our horses. We don't like getting wet, horses on the other hand seem to have no problem with it and if kept outside all the time and not over-groomed, their coats are very well waterproofed and after a good rain the dust and other things which we try to groom off them seems to disapear. The only thing horses hate and is bad for them is to be thoroughly soaked and then to freeze, this should be avoided at all costs. We also don't care much for wind and cold although I know most horses get friskier when it is windy and very sluggish in the Summer. We mostly like to sunbathe, horses like to be cool. So, grass kept horses outside 12 months of the year keep themselves warm and dry if given the opportunity. They grow enormously thick coats with waterproofing. They're very good at finding natural shelter, we just need to make it available. We also need to feed them good roughage throughout the Winter. In the wild a horse will travel many miles to get forage and water and only the fit survive. We want to help our horses as much as we can without making them human. I've never seen a farmer worrying over his cows or sheep getting wet and unless the horse is very fragile then we should stop over worrying about our horses. Don't pamper them, just treat them like horses and let them be as natural as possible.




Now, onto the subject of 'vices'. Most vices are the result of human interference. Think about it! Horses weave, because we put them in cages called stables and they want to be out with their friends. Horses crib-bite because we restrict their feed intake, they're stabled alone and they get bored and stressed. Horses kick stables usually because of the horse in the next stall and through bordom or even through hatred of the cage they are in. Horses, like us, have favourite friends and also others they care not to be next to. Horses are very sensitive and once again most are well behaved and natural when left in fields with their friends and handled carefully and kindly. The horse that is labeled a problem has usually had a problem with a human handling them badly, the fault I'm afraid is usually the human.



I've seen horses that windsuck and crib bite put into an anti-crib biting strap, which is half metal and half leather. It is strapped tightly up into the gullet of the troat and prevents the horse arching his neck and so prevents him from doing the so called vice. Most horses that start these vices do so from the stable. They're bored witless and being an intelligent animal they do these things to escape boredom. Wind sucking releases endorphins which help with pain caused by boredom. I have seen horses do these things in fields but usually it starts in the stable and becomes addictive to them. To then put on a device around the horses neck to STOP it compensating for being bored to death is doubley cruel and heartless. The vices are relieving him of the pain he is suffering, to take away that relief is like giving someone a severe headache and then not letting them have an asprin.

Recent studies have shown that one of the reasons for cribbing is acid in the stomach. Because horses are built to be trickle feeders, eating little and often, up to 20 hours a day, when we stable them or put them on bare paddocks and either starve them or feed them mostly concentrates the acid builds up to where ulcers start. As well as causing gastric acid to build up, our feeding regimes diminish the chances of the acid being neutralised. There is a specially made antacid for horses made by Feedmark called Settelex which has been known to help but remember an antacid is not a full remedy, the only way to help acid is to help your horse have a more natural lifestyle with plenty of forage. I know we don't like these vices, they cause us guilt and we try to overcome it by not allowing it, but think of the horse, he's in pain and would be better outside running in the wind with his friends, playing and having fun, eating when he wants, what he wants, lying down in the mud and generally being a horse and you not only stop him doing that by putting him in a cage, you then force him stop his annoying habit because you don't like to see him doing it, and your remedy actually makes your horse and his vice much worse. Having a vice and not being able relieve the stress by weaving or crib biting is double the agony. A human in the same situation would do similar things, pace the floor, start talking to himself and having general obsessive behaviour patterns. Given a gun he may shoot himself.

No matter what the vice there is a solution. Most horses just want to be natural. Put yourself in your horse's place and ask yourself, "am I happy in my present circumstances?" Lets face it horses were never really intended to have humans on their backs, they have given their all to us humans, helped us win wars, sow and harvest crops, pulled heavy laden carts and more throughout the centuries. Now we have the car, they're disposable! Unfortunately, work and school take up week days and the horse remains a weekend pursuit. This places greater demands on a horse that has been alone all week and is expected to perform well in simple riding as well as competitions and shows.

Grazing

If you have an all year grass kept horse, well done. After all the grooming, the winters of keeping an eye out for mud fever, keeping the grass good all year and then to top it all to keep the horse fit and not overweight with no sign of laminitis, I bet your horse looks happy and contented. Ten out of ten for perseverance.

Those who pay for grazing have to rely on others for grass management. Most of us don't realise that the UK is covered with re-sown grass fields which are very different from the old type meadows. The fields nowadays have grass that makes cows and sheep grow fat and quickly so that farmers can get their stock to market for the best price. Rough grazing is very hard to come by but it is infinitely richer in nutrients than the rich green short grass we're used to.


 

In a meadow there are a multitude of different grasses that can grow up to three foot or more in height such as perennial rye grass, meadow grass, creeping red fescue, soft rushes, sheep's fescue, tall fescue, timothy, cocksfoot, early rye grass etc etc. Then there are the natural clovers, herbs such as yarrow, dandelion, chicory ,comfrey, burnet etc. In addition to these, thistles and nettles, which we are often told to remove, should be kept in check but in my opinion should never be completely removed. Meadows containing wild flowers and all the aforementioned grasses, herbs etc, were abundant in the UK only a few decades ago, these should be reinstated.

Let us think for a minute on some of the horse-related diseases which come from grazing. Laminitis, perhaps the most common disease where the thick green grass does damage to the sensitive hoof. Grass sickness, the cause of which has not been established, kills hundreds of horses every year. Maybe the thick, lush green grass, and/or the tons of non-organic fertilizers which are used every year and have been for decades has something to do with it.

 

We've changed the very nature of the soil itself!
By bringing our fields back to meadows we can help the wild environment as much as our horses stomachs. I remember when there were hedgerows full of wild flora, before farmers got rid of them to make bigger, more productive fields. I think we have to look to the past and the way things were done in a smaller more natural way.

The grass our horses are eating at the moment may be the very thing which is making them ill, overly fat and at worst, killing them. Most horses will be naturally drawn to an unkempt hedgerow or verge, look at the types of wild flowers and grasses there, your horse is really telling you something.

Here are some things that maybe you could seed into your pasture which are great for your horse, or you could grow your own hedgerow. A lot of these plants are natural sources full of vitamins and minerals which your horse can feed itself on as and when it wants/needs them.


 

Rosehips, Hawthorn (make lovely hedges too), Brambles, Mint, Wild Garlic, Chammomile, Meadowsweet, Comfrey, Cow Parsley, Thistles, Burnet, Yarrow, Rosebay Willow Herb, Cleavers (must be kept in check), Nettles, Dandelions (one of the most nutrient-rich plants in the world! Containing more Vitamin A than carrots and vitamins B,C and D. Also provides potassium, sodium, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium and iron. Feeding the whole plant of roots, leaves and flower is a liver and kidney tonic, blood purifier and diuretic. They also like Birch, Hazel and Willow branches.

Instead of feeding your horse 'human' food for treats try giving them Chicory, Marrow or Corn on the cob for a change from the usual apples and carrots, always feed raw. Things like Parsnips, Cauliflour or Cauliflour leaves, Broccoli, Sprouts, Peas and Beans can be given in small amounts, see which ones your horse likes.

Then there's fruit which some horses adore but should really be fed as treats only, there's Cherries, Melon, Papaya, Mango and Pumpkin which are full of vitamins and also Dates, Prunes, Apricots and Grapes which should again only be fed as treats and can be given fresh or dried but make sure dried ones don't have added sugar. Lots of horses like bananas too but never feed to much of anything other than forage or the hindgut gets disrupted and can cause illness.


 

To encourage a meadow environment consider a few old time meadow flowers and herbs such as, Meadow crane's-bill and Hedgerow crane's-bill, Herb Robert, Bird's foot trefoil, Lucerne, Wild Raspberries, Lady's Mantle, Corn Flowers, Cowslips, Eyebright, Wild Thyme, Wild Marjoram, Wild Basil, Selfheal, Wood sage, Bellflowers, Colt's-foot, Daisy, Feverfew, Knapweed, Parsley, Wormwood, Evening Primrose to name but a few. With these, the full hedgerows and the long wild grasses mentioned earlier, your fields could resemble the wonderful meadows of old that will be full of nutrients, herbs and variety that your horses will love.


 

We must also not forget to manage our pastures and make sure all toxic plants are pulled so that they don't take over the field. Ragwort should always be pulled, with gloves on, and burned. It is a very toxic plant and very invasive of pasture.

Hooves and Shoes

The more natural the hooves are kept the happier the horse. In today's world sometimes it can be difficult to achieve this but I think it is definitely worthy of attention.

There are basically two different types of lives we map out for our horses;

1) The amateur/professional sporthorse
2) The family hack, with local shows

Number 1 has the horse in tip top condition all year, plenty of exercise and probably high quantities of concentrated feed. He will be ridden probably every day, will be clipped in Winter and rugged up so that he can be ridden without too much fuss. This horse may have to be shod although there are professional sport horses going barefoot now and you will find that their owners use horse boots of some kind or another to protect their hooves in place of shoes.

Number 2 is a horse in good condition, goes out on regular hacks throughout the year but probably lives out all year, probably without a rug. This horse doesn't really need shoes.



 

The average horse who is hacked out during the week with maybe a few shows during the year could get away with no shoes. If left to their own devices the hooves harden up very well on most horses. There will be the initial soreness after the shoes have been taken off but after that if the horse is walked out on hard surfaces (he may be short-stepped for a while) and has all kinds of natural terrain to walk on then the sole calluses into a hard surface. It's a bit like if you walked barefoot yourself now, most people have been in shoes for most of their lives and it would be painful to step over stones etc. But, after a couple of weeks, your heels, sole and bottoms of your toes would be very tough, all except the instep where there is no ground contact. This is callusing and because of this you'd soon be walking without pain. It's exactly the same with horses hooves. There are also a vast array of hoof boots to choose from nowadays that can help either transition your horse to barefoot or to be used if doing a sport or excessive amounts of riding out.

 
The way to be barefoot and natural is not just about de-shoeing your horse though. The whole keeping of the horse has to be as natural as possible for the barefoot horse to work.

They must be out in good sized fields, with other horses. They need to have lots of different terrain to walk on including; rocks, grass and mud, water with sandy or stony bottoms, woodland with it's soft ground etc. The more choice they have to walk on things other than grassy fields the better. Some people can change their fields to accommodate these conditions putting rocks in fields and making water features. Most of us don't have the luxury of choice but we could probably think of certain rides we could do regularly which involve rocky countryside or pathways.

The other things that need to be done is a more natural type of grazing (I've got a separate grazing section) and all the other things that go with it.

The main thing to think about here is whether or not we really need to shoe our horse. Maybe we could let the horse be barefoot during the Winter when it's not doing so much. Farrier books even advises shoes off during winter to give the hooves a rest and to regrow length away from the shoeing holes during winter.


 

There have been studies that say that the concussion caused by riding on tarmac roads with shoes is far greater than the horse being barefoot. Consider the way the hoof works. When the weight goes down onto the hoof, the hoof spreads out to reduce concussion and the frog passively contacts the ground surface. The contact of the frog is like a second heart and causes blood to pump back up the legs and to the rest of the body. Without this working (ie when you have shoes on) the frog doesn't do it's job efficiently. It's no wonder there are so many diseases of the hoof? It also makes you think of the concussion caused by the shoes themselves when the hoof hasn't got the ability to naturally spread out, it must in itself cause lots of problems with tendons and bones. Just think about it. The book 'Horse Owners Guide to Nature Hoof Care' by Jaime Jackson opened my eyes to a whole host of problems caused by shoeing and now my horses go barefoot. I keep a regular eye on their hooves and sometimes I even exercise them by walking out with them and not riding all the time which keeps my weight off their feet. It's these sorts of ideas that make a difference between a happy or unhappy horse.

Looking Back: When buying a horse feels good and right.

I've posted a few times about the struggles we've had over the winter but I would like to go back and tell the story of how we found Quizz and the incredibly positive experience we had buying her.
 
Last summer we went to Elizabeth's first recognized event. She was doing the Starter Division but still, it was a step up. While she was out walking the XC course with her trainer, I stayed in the barn to finish braiding her pony. A lovely young woman stabled across from us asked me if I knew of anyone interested in buying a horse. She seemed less determined to sell a horse and more confused about the right course for her future as an eventer.

I said I might be interested in a horse and invited her to tell me about her lovely mare. At the end of our conversation I told her I thought that sounded like the kind of horse you keep, not the kind you sell, and reminded her how difficult it is to find a horse that can stay sound and take good care of you. I think these were difficult conversations for her. She had owned the horse for nearly 6 years and had known her since she was a baby. Quizz had helped her overcome some fears and they had moved up the levels together. I could tell she really didn't want to sell her but she was also aware that it wasn't fair to ask Quizz to do more. They had gone as far as they could together and it was, sadly, time to part.


We went out and competed, went home and moved on with our lives but I kept thinking about Quizz. I mentioned it to my trainer and she thought I was a little crazy. We really weren't looking yet. We hardly met the horse and I had one conversation with the owner. It was strange how seriously I wanted to track them down.


A month or so passed and I was unable to contact them. The prior owner is not on Facebook by her full name and I didn't know who her trainer was. I found their records online but not them.


The first week of August I was at Apple Knoll in Millis, Massachusetts where our Pony Club is fortunate to have camp for one week each summer. I was in charge of camp so was there around the clock. The first day of camp a trailer pulled in and I recognized the driver as a woman who had been stabled with us at the show over the summer. I was pretty sure she would know where to find Quizz. And yes, I was still obsessing about finding her!


This is the craziest part of the story. I approached the woman and asked if she remembered the horse and rider pair from the show earlier in the summer. Her answer is too much to believe. The passenger in her trailer was none other than Quizz. She was at Apple Knoll to be sold. As luck would have it, we were able to spend time with Quizz that entire week. My daughter rode her a few times in her pony club lessons. We were able to see her lovely personality and be very sure of who this horse is. Our trainer came to ride her thinking we were nuts but by the end of the morning, she was a little in love as well. Quizz has that effect on people.


Later we found out that as we were trying to track down Quizz's owner, she was looking for us. She wanted Quizz to go to a young rider who would keep her forever and give her a really good home. The best part of buying Quizz has been expanding our family to include her prior owner. When someone owns a horse like Quizz for as long as she did, they want to know that their horse is being cared for properly. From our end it felt wonderful to buy a well loved horse from a responsible owner. Quizz had a heart condition which the owners immediately informed us about. They opened their vet records. They gave us the report from Tufts regarding her heart issue. They did everything so well that I think I'm a bit spoiled as I go through this again looking for my own horse.

I did freak out right after we bought her. We do intend to keep Quizz forever and I think as that reality washed over me I panicked. But her prior owner could not have been more wonderful. We are in constant contact. I am excited for her as she starts her adventure with a new young horse and she loves getting updates on Quizz's adventures.


A couple of weeks ago, after Elizabeth's first XC run of the season at a schooling show, she sat in the

back seat texting with Quizz's old owner all about how much fun she had. I think it's pretty awesome for all of us. Quizz is amazing. It would be selfish to keep her all to ourselves.


This weekend the announcer at King Oak called out the name Quizz D'Orange once again but this time with a younger rider and at a lower level. Quizz had her issues over the winter but honestly that is to be expected in an 11 year old who had been going Preliminary last summer. Her issues were confusing for the humans and we never really identifies what was bothering her but whatever it was, we addressed it and she feels great now! She's very confident and proud of herself, especially as she runs XC. And she is again building confidence in her rider. Rather than fearing speed, my daughter received time faults for going too fast! Looks like it will be time to move up sooner than we thought but we couldn't have done any of it without Quizz.

Darien Second-Grader Applied for Horse Adoption by Herself, Got Life-Changing Trip Instead

2nd-grader Lucie Bohnsack has wanted a horse for years. She took matters into her own hands and tried her luck at applying to adopt a horse.

    Read Lucie’s full adoption letter and application below

    Darien 2nd-grader Lucie Bohnsack, 8, has wanted a horse for three years, so she took matters into her own hands and tried her luck by filling out a horse adoption application by herself.

    Lucie was searching online on how to adopt a horse for free when she came across the Doris Day Horse Rescue and Adoption Center in Murchison, TX, which is operated by The Humane Society of the United States.

    “Dear Sir or Madam, I know you do not usually get applications from a second grader,” Lucie wrote as the start of her cover letter. “... I decided to take matters into my own hands and complete your adoption application.”

    She continued, “I Know my chances aren’t very high, but I am still going to take the risk. Please do not think my application is a joke. Please read it all the way. Even if I don’t get a horse, could you please give me some feedback on my application. I feel in my heart that, even if not this year, then one year, I will provide a loving home for a horse!”

    She filled out the application, stating that she was in second grade as her current occupation, she has a cat and small dog as pets already, and already has been riding horses for a year.

    Lucie got references from her babysitter and teachers, gathered the vast majority of her savings for the $50 application fee and asked her mom for a stamp.

    Lucie was turned down for the adoption, but instead got the chance to take an amazing visit to center, which is part of the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch.

    Lucie and her mom Kara Bohnsack took a plane to the Texas ranch in early May,

    “It was an inspiring and somewhat life-changing experience for both of us,” Kara Bohnsack said.

    Lucie got carrots and apples from Connecticut and brought them to the sanctuary to feed the animals. The two got to take a ride in a pickup truck to see much of America’s largest and most diverse animal sanctuary.

    “The folks at the ranch are really inspiring and were so generous with their time for Lucie,” Bonsack said.

    Lucie and her mom also got to meet Milagro (miracle in Spanish), a two-week-old donkey foal whose mother was rescued from slaughter.

    Bonsack asked Lucie what her big takeaway from the experience was.

    “Animals have voices too but you just can’t hear them,” Lucie said.

    She also said all of the animals changed her.

    Lucie is crazy about horses, but loves all animals. She became a vegetarian by herself in November and once even pleaded with her mom to let a deer tick go free outside instead of killing it.

    She participated in a summer program at a non-profit horse barn in New Canaan where participants learn how to ride and perform the full set of barn chores.

    Even though she is only 8-years-old Lucie has already begun advocating for animals.

    “It’s great when you see as a mom your kid passionately want to work on something,” she said.

    Image courtesy of Brandon Wade/AP Images for The Humane Society of the United States.

 

 

Hoss Talk: One-horse stable owner nurtures special bond, winning style

Horse owner Randy Hudson is all smiles as he bonds with Cowie Creek, the star of his small stable who has a personality unlike any other racehorse. Cowie Creek also is a recent winner at Hastings Racecourse.

Randy Hudson owns a one-horse racing stable at Hastings Racecourse. The star is Cowie Creek, a four-year-old who has won four races during a brief career, including a victory in his season debut three weeks ago.

The horse was purchased by Hudson privately after being overlooked at a local yearling sale. Since then they have created a story that speaks volumes about a bond people can sometimes have with their animals.

Wherever one goes, the other is not far away. In this case, the word inseparable fits.

When they arrive at a racetrack, aside from looking for a stall for his horse, Hudson is always looking for a tack room nearby to live in so he can keep a watchful eye on his horse.

“Since purchasing Cowie Creek, I’ve hardly been away from him,” says Hudson. “A few years ago I went to visit family in Peace River for three weeks. Other than that, the last time I was away was when I took two days last year to go up-country.”

Hudson’s horse has one of the most likable personalities and temperaments you can find — and he can run.

Hudson says if he doesn’t keep an eye on his horse, strange things often happen.

“One time in Kamloops,” Hudson recalls, “I was in a tack room nearby and heard noises coming from that area. This kind of startled me, so I get out of bed to take a look and there was a total stranger in his stall sleeping underneath Cowie Creek.

“Another time we’re at a racetrack up-country and while having dinner, he went for a walk and was attacked by dogs. Then he also got loose once and we didn’t find him until the next night.”

This season at Hastings, as in the past, Hudson’s living quarters are a tack room a few stalls away.

When it quiets down after morning workouts, Hudson takes Cowie Creek for walks to the parking lot where he lets him enjoy grazing on some grass.

“One morning,” says Hudson, “after deciding not to take him on his regular trip, he uncoupled his stall door and began walking on his own. He was on his way to that parking lot to begin grazing on the grass again. With him there’s never a dull moment.”

NOT EASY: Horse racing needs a Triple Crown winner to keep the attention of the media and public. Will it happen June 6 when Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner American Pharoah runs in the Belmont Stakes with hopes of becoming the first horse to accomplish this feat in 37 years?

With those odds, a betting person would say highly unlikely. As with others before him, American Pharoah now faces several challenges from horses who bypassed the Preakness for some rest before competing in the gruelling distance of the Belmont.

Here’s hoping American Pharoah does make sports history, because as all of us well know, a true champion is made the old-fashioned way, by going out and earning it.

That’s reason enough to cheer for him.

RIDERS’ RIVALRY: Veteran jockeys Richard Hamel and Pedro Alvarado have created a new rivalry at Hastings Racecourse early into the season. With four wins last weekend, Hamel has taken the lead in the jockey standings with 11 visits to the winner’s circle. Alvarado is right behind him with 10. Racing resumes at Hastings Saturday and Sunday at 1:50 p.m.