Living at least part of the day in a large turnout area is a natural state for horses, one that helps maintain behavioral calm, especially when pastured with other horses.
Yet some horse owners find themselves faced with a dilemma. Despite knowing that turnout is the best thing for mental and physical health for their horses, there is often accompanying anxiety that the horse will get hurt. This leads to a horse being cooped up in prolonged confinement with all its associated problems.
How can you achieve the best lifestyle for your horse while keeping him safe and alleviating your fears about turning him out to pasture? Let’s look at the pros and cons.
Here are just a few of the reasons why turnout is so good for the well-being of a horse.
Yet, there are legitimate reasons cited by owners as to why turnout scares them:
Some interesting information has come from various studies. Over a 24-hour period, pastured horses travel twice the distance of those allowed only paddock turnout at night, averaging about 7 miles of travel, whereas those in stalls and paddocks wander approximately 3 miles.
Not only is time outside stimulating to a horse’s mental state, but also what a horse is able to do when turned out is equally as important. Just putting a horse in a small paddock is not the same as turning him out into a large acreage with or without grass.
Venting off steam related to confinement, training or competition makes for safer and more manageable behaviors. A calm and satisfied horse is more able to perform to his potential.
Some practical strategies can help quell horse owner anxiety about turnout. Many of these rely on good common sense:
For a horse that has been confined most of the time, there may be a transition period where newfound freedom causes him to act crazy. Monitor the situation and have a little patience. Within days, the horse should settle down and become more relaxed with his new environment.
With regular turnout, your horse will flourish with improvements to overall health and well-being, and you will likely have a more easygoing and better-performing horse to ride.
This article originally appeared in the April 2019 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!
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