BASIC NEEDS OF A HORSE

A horse is a highly social prey animal, adjusted living in an open space. He needs to eat a little at a time but often, and when living in nature (or just grazing in our paddock) he is constantly moving.

That’s why it is said that a horse needs first “The three F: s” to be fulfilled: Friends, Freedom and Forage.

Friends:

The herd gives safety, certainty and social bonds. It means that a horse feels that he can safely eat enough, sleep enough, socialize with his friends by playing and investigating the surroundings, grooming, rolling and forming daily routines, and generally live as a horse is meant to live.   

Freedom:         

A horse is a prey animal, and his first reaction to an unknown is to flee. He needs his freedom and an open space to do that. That is why horses don’t like small spaces – narrow, shut, low, labyrinthic and so on. Also, that is why they don’t like uneven, soft ground, or sudden changes in goings. Or, that they don’t like they feet to be handled without teaching it to them. A horse needs his feet to keep his life, is what they feel.      

Forage:

Horse’s digestive system is accustomed to eat little and often. (We talk more about that in the feeding part.) Here it is important to remember that the constant eating is one basic needs for a horse in psychological terms also. The chewing gives him something to do and has a calming effect to a horse. 

2016 – 1 – LV01-KA202 – 022652

This project is funded

by the European Union