Climate change and the future of horse

[The Irish Draft 2022]

Do you think climate channel will affect people being able to have there own a horse.??

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

For sure. Already the rising cost of land and wetter weather in UK is leading to overstocking and no winter turnout, and many people supplementing with hay all year round. Within the next 10 years, with more and more land lost to development, I think either there literally won't be enough hay to sustain this, and/or maybe hay will become prohibitively expensive.

 

[ycbm]

Already is.

There has been a 6٪ annual increase in rain on the 30 years we have lived here. The amount of land that will support 24/7 turnout is shrinking and taking horse ownership away from those who can't afford to stable overnight for most of the year.

 

[Sossigpoker]

I agree with the above.
Loss of land due ro the seemingly ever increasing rain will drive liveries and rents up a well as will increase feed costs. So many will be priced out.
Lack of grass turn out in the winter is getting more and more common over here , it's changed so much even in the last 10 years.

 

[windand rain]

Without a doubt mind you the horse could be part of the solution too, My guess would be that the horses welfare will continue to suffer for the horse owners to keep their hobby and it will be the norm for them to to be stuck without their natural rights of freedom of movement freedom to demonstrate natural behaviours freedom to eat naturally etc is it right well that is debatable but some will justify it to themselves to pursue their hobby. I suppose horses could come back into the working world if their is the will and the knowledge to do so

 

[meleeka]

I think it already has had an effect. Round here there are a lot fewer horses than there used to be. I think it’s mainly down to our wet winters as most places were just smallish DIY fields. There seem to be a lot more horses in the local big livery yard and I think keeping horses in fields has just become unpopular because of the weather.

The last few years we’ve needed to feed hay later in the spring. The heat last year made hay scarce this year which has pushed the prices up.

Mine have always lived out but even I’m considering stabling them overnight this year, just because of the rain. I’m certainly wondering if i’ll even still have horses in a few years time.

 

[coblets]

Hotter summers will mean less riding, as the horses here aren’t used to it.

And if the gulf stream goes, there’ll have to be a major shift in maintenance of horses in the winter. I dread to think of what would happen to the feral ponies in Wales.

 

[cauda equina]

If the climate doesn't do for horse ownership in the uk then increasing population density might, due to pressure on land and the busyness of the roads
I can imagine a situation where few people other than professionals have their own horses, and hacking is something you do at trekking centres