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In addition to stalling being a health risk to your horse, I also believe it to be a moraly incorrect arrangement.
Many of us love our horses to pieces, yet, we don't realize how much our horses being kept in 12x12 box stalls is
comparable to a human inmate in an 8x8 prison cell. The horse stands in the stall day-in and day-out with
no real reason to live. It usually cannot socialize through the stall walls and is unable to have
enough movement to maintain optimal health, both physically and mentally.
The bedding also plays a large role in the horse's overall health. When a horse is traditionally bedded on
wood shavings, those shavings wick away moisture from the horse's feet, drying them out. Both shavings and
straw retain ammonia from the horse's urine, which futher break down and destroy the hoof structure. Not to
mention the decreased air-flow in a stalled environment causing many types of respiratory problems in horses.
Also, in the wild, a horse who sleeps on soft footing does not survive because it is too difficult to stand and
run quick enough when a predator approaches. This fear is not only present in wild horses, but just as much in
our domesticated horses too. They become mentally and physically imbalanced when kept in stalls.
Bad habits and behaviors may also develop due to boredom, lack of herd environment, and lack of exercise.
Horses that are stall-kept are often found chewing wood, cribbing, pacing, pawing, weaving, head shaking,
etc. How often do you see wild horses or free-roaming horses exhibiting these behaviors? Walk into a conventional
boarding facility and a very large percentage of the horses will have some degree of these behaviors.
The answer? Try finding an arrangement as close to 24-7 grass pasture and freedom of movement with a shelter
or barn that you possibly can. Allow the horse access to free-choice salt and mineral blocks that are designed for horses.
When you allow the horse to make it's own choices, whether it wants to stand outside or inside
at any given moment, you will find that most horses will even stand outside in the rain and snow when given the choice.
Your horse's system will begin to work as it is intended by nature, and he will live healthier, happier and longer
because of it. Unless stall rest is prescribed by a qualified veterinarian, allow your horse the freedom of movement he needs and deserves for optimal health.
However, if you live in an area that is known to have free roaming predators, be sure to take the proper
measures to keep them out of your horse's pasture. A strong, tall wire-mesh style of fencing will keep most predators
and animals out of your pastures.
Natural Herdlife.
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Horses have a very complex social structure and crave the company of other horses. Without the structure and
pecking order of a group or herd, the horse will suffer psychologically. We know from our own human experiences
how much a psychological imbalance affects our existance and overall health. It is the same for horses. Horses
rely on the group or herd for their own safety. When a horse in the wild becomes separated from their herd, they
are destined to be eaten by a predator. This instinct lives just as strong in our domesticated horses today.
In most conventional boarding facilities, horses are kept in stalls and out of the view from other horses, or
on individual turnout without direct contact with other horses. I do not believe that it is right to take our
horses, of which are highly social herd anmials, and put them into an environment where they cannot interact
with other horses all day and all night. Horses need this social interaction not only at certain times of the
day...but ALL day long.
If a horse is kept in solitary confinement because it does not get along with another horse, try turnout in a larger area (large enough for the horses that are lower on the pecking order to remain at a comfortable distance away from the aggressor), or try turnout with other horses that may get along.
Picture: Anna, Cowgirl and Smokey © Carol Lewins
Free-choice Grass Hay, Fed at Ground Level.
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The horse's stomach and intestines require the processing of roughage nearly all day and all night. The horse's
stomach continually produces digestive acids which are present even when there is no food in it to digest. When
the horse goes for prolonged periods (horses that are fed only 2-3 meals per day), the stomach lining becomes
damaged and may result in the bacterial imbalance in the intestines which causes colic, poisoning, ulcers, and laminitis.
In addition, wild horses rarely eat grain, and grain tends to "lump" when mixed with the horse's saliva resulting
in further stomach and intestinal problems. The only grain found to be well-digested by the horse is steamed rolled oats. I recommend
feeding horses free-choice grass hay and/or enough rotational pasture grazing to allow the horse to digest roughage almost continually.
To help your horse's feeding situation even further, all hay and feed should be fed at ground-level. The wild
horse's food is almost always found on the ground. The horse's conformation allows for ground-level feeding to
be the healthiest for it. In conventional boarding facilities, you will most often see grain being fed to horses
at shoulder level and hay fed in nets and racks secured high on walls. When the horse eats with a raised head,
respiratory problems can result. Not to mention, increased risk of inhaling bacteria, viruses and germs in addition
to the excess stress on the horse's entire body due to the un-natural stance.
Plenty of Movement, Every Day.
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The natural movement of the wild horse is approximately 20 miles per day. Wild horses in their natural
environment need to move almost constantly between feeding areas and watering holes to ensure that they
receive the proper nutrition. This movement helps to condition and support the horse's circulatory system
by the continual pumping done by the horse's heart, muscles and hooves. Horses need this amount of activity
daily in order to ensure maximum health and longevity.
To meet the recommended 20 miles per day exercise, you can do a number of things. The first and most important
is to allow your horse a 24-7 pasture arrangement with a shelter. One simple suggestion is to place the horse's watering
area and hay/grazing area further apart so the horse needs to walk back and forth between the two areas throughout
the day. Another suggestion is to keep horses in groups so they will run, jump and play with each other to encourage
movement. If neither of the above 2 options is feasible, hand-walking and riding will help. However, it is better for
the horse to have less movement over a longer period of time (half a mile of walking per hour), than to have one
hard ride each day just to get the recommended miles in. Having less movement over a longer period of time allows the
horse's circulatory system to exercise all day similar to the wild horse, instead of, say, 1 or 2 hours per day.
I highly recommend the book "Paddock Paradise", written by Jaime Jackson. This book contains plenty of economical ways to alter your paddocks and pastures to encourage optimal movement over appropriate footing. The book is available for purchase at www.TheHorsesHoof.com.
Daily Exposure of the Hooves to Water.
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Wild horses drink from streams, creeks, lakes, etc. The horses will stand in the water while they drink.
The benefits of standing in water 5-10 minutes daily are great. Over millions of years of evolution, the
horse's hooves have become dependent on water to maintain elasticity and suppleness. The water is absorbed
by the hooves, which helps to keep them from drying out, and also allows them to mold and conform better to
whatever terrain they are travelling on.
If the weather has been dry in your area and your horse does not have access to a pond, creek or lake, here are some suggestions: hose your horse's
hooves for 5-10 minutes daily. Or, try using soaking boots. I have seen many horse owners build "hoof spas"
by using a tarp and four 8-10 ft. logs to form a square which will hold water in, placed in the pasture or
shelter to allow the horse to stand in it whenever it pleases. If these options do not work for you, carry a
sprayer bottle of water with you and spray your horse's coronet band with water throughout the day. It is especially
important to wet your horse's hooves if he has been on any bedding or footing that wicks moisture away from the
foot (for example: shavings, sand, dry ground, etc.)
However, if there has been a lot of rain in your area and your horse doesn't seem to be able to escape the moisture and mud, it is not recommended to soak your horse's hooves because he'll be getting more than enough moisture from the ground. Preventing the hooves from becoming water-logged is just as important. Balance is the key! Visit our Hoof Moisturizers page for more information on maintaining the proper balance of moisture for your horse's hooves.
Picture: Moon & Zippie © Sherry Froemming
Wholistic Barefoot Trimming. No Horseshoes.
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The barefoot hoof is a very complex organ which is especially important to the horse's health. On weightbearing,
the hoof expands, allowing blood to flow into it. As the horse lifts the foot, it contracts, which pumps and squeezes
the blood back up to the horse's heart. In the presence of shoes nailed onto the horse's hoof, the hoof is unable
to expand and contract, reducing blood flow. This reduction in blood flow damages the internal structures of the
hoof.
In addition to this, studies have shown that this expanding and contracting motion makes up for 70-80% of the
horse's shock absorption. When a shoe is applied to the hoof, the horse will lack 70-80% of it's natural shock absorption.
This damages the internals of the hoof.
Here are a few more problems that horseshoes cause our horses:
- When a shoe is applied, the horse can no longer feel the ground it walks on, increasing the possibility of stumbling and injury.
- The horseshoe vibrates at 800Hz on hard ground, which damages the living tissue not only in the horse's hoof, but all the way up the leg also.
- The horseshoe provides an anaestetic affect on the hoof, which hides underlying problems. Underlying problems should not be "numbed" with shoes, but rather, the shoes should be removed and the underlying problem allowed to heal through correct, natural barefoot trimming.
- Structural deviations of the lamellae are found in nearly all shod horses.
- A horse without shoes trotting on pavement is exposed to 3 times LESS the impact forces of a shod horse walking on pavement!
- Repetitive shoeing causes the hoof to become squeezed together, deforming bones and creating irritation and pain.
- Nail holes invite ammonia, bacteria, rust and other harmful substances into the internals of the hoof, causing infection and other problems.
- Horses and humans have an increased risk of injury or death when around horses wearing horseshoes.
- Shoeing contracts the hoof, pinching the internal structures and causing the horse pain, irritation and discomfort.
- Did you know that Founder and Navicular are completely man-made problems? Attempts at corrective shoeing have produced extremely low success rates in treating these problems over the years. However, I have seen an extremely high success rate (over 95%) in rehabilitating lame horses using a physiologically correct barefoot trim and natural environment.
- Many More...there are so many negative sides to using horseshoes, I cannot list them all here. However, the problems listed above should give you a general idea of how harmful the horseshoe is to the horse's overall health and longevity.
What about orthopedic or corrective shoeing? Horseshoes have such a horrible affect on the horse that healing
can not take place properly, due to a decrease in circulation caused by the shoes. The shoes need to be taken off
and the horse will need a proper physiologically correct barefoot trim, performed by a
natural or holistic hoof care provider. In addition,
Most farriers have not learned to perform a physiologically correct barefoot trim.
Related articles you might be interested in:
Veterinarian Research, Studies and Opinions
Top Equine Professionals Prefer to go Bare
List of Natural or Holistic Barefoot Trimmers
How to Find an Excellent Holistic Trimmer
Use Caution With Clothing and Equipment.
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In a natural setting, wild horses do not wear blankets, leg wraps or other clothing materials. Horses have
amazing temperature regulating systems. The horse's skin has insulating properties in addition to each
hair shaft being connected to muscle tissue, which allows the hair to raise or lower, changing the thickness
of the haircoat, in order to cool or warm the body. When a blanket is applied to a horse, it does not allow
for the horse's natural temperature regulation to warm the body.
Leg wraps are another article of clothing that should be used only with strict caution. When a leg wrap is applied to a horse,
the blood vessels are restricted under the wrap which decreases circulation to the lower leg and hoof. Leg
wraps have no benefit that is worth cutting-off circulation to the horse's lower extremities. Although many traditional sources say that leg wraps offer "support", there is no evidence that they offer anything other than
a little protection from a contact blow. They can actually have the opposite effect by reducing circulation and weakening the tissues of the lower leg.
There are exceptions. Blankets, leg wraps and other clothing materials should be kept on hand for
emergency purposes. For example, a horse who is moving from hot Florida weather to cold Northern winters
may need help adjusting to the temperature differences and should be blanketed or brought into a warmer area
until the horse has grown sufficient coat to stop shivering. Another example is when a horse becomes ill
or has health issues that doesn't allow it to properly regulate its own body temperature. Healthy horses, however,
should be given every chance to develop strong muscle tissue in the skin to raise and lower the hair shafts
during temperature changes in the weather.
Another exception is a horse whose genetic conformation causes it to forge, interfere or injure it's own legs through movement. In this case, protective legwear should be used (splint, galloping, or bell boots), but never applied in a way that reduces circulation to the lower limbs.
Closing Notes.
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As we can now see, most conventional boarding situations are more damaging to our horse's health and
longevity than we could ever imagine. When we took the liberty to domesticate horses and utilize them
for our own personal reasons, we have taken them from their natural environment and have caused many
problems for them while doing so. Horses have evolved over millions of years to not only be able to
tolerate their natural environment, but to require it in order to live a long, healthy life. Let's do
away with these harmful "conveniences" and bring our horses back to an environment in which they can
enjoy a long, healthy and natural lifestyle.
Recommended Books
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(Click on a book to view)
The Welfare of Horses (Amazon.com)
Paddock Paradise, Natural Horse Boarding (TheHorsesHoof.com)
A Lifetime of Soundness (TheHorsesHoof.com)
The information on this site is not meant to diagnose or prescribe for you. This information is not intended to be used as medical advice and is for informational purposes only. Cheryl McNamee-Sutor is a certified mentor hoof groom, wholistic bare hoof specialist, horse trainer, reiki practitioner, and an educator and distributor of therapeutic-grade essential oils; NOT a licensed doctor or veterinarian. If you are sick, injured or otherwise unhealthy, please consult with a licensed doctor.
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