Do you think horse people are getting softer?

[Marydoll]

I agree that horses are very often tougher than we give them credit for, but what I don't get is this often 'holier than thou' desparate need to leave them stuck out in windswept, mud drenched sodden fields becasue it is their natural habitat. Actually, being in a field is NOT really that natural, horses are designed to roam and graze and find shelter and better land as they so require and desire. I live in Wales, our fields are very wet and so everyone comes in at night. Not because I am soft, but common sense dictates that is won't do horses a huge amount of good to be fetlock deep in mud all winter, particularly youngstock. The 3 babies come into a barn all together and have a deep straw bed which is mucked out every day. They also get 10 hours of turnout with 30 acres to roam over. Every night without fail within an hour of coming in all 3 will be lying down in the straw, they get chance to dry off thoroughly and fill their bellies with good quality haylage and then back out they go. This to me isn't 'soft', it's good horse management

Hits the like button

 

[Ranyhyn]

Those of you moaning about the tone of the thread (which I personally don't see a problem with FWIW) or telling me you know your horse best and should be left to your own devices, could perhaps spare a thought for me, the op, who's thread you've hijacked with your winging.

This made me lol!

 

[Fantasy_World]

Me too Marydoll

 

[Puzzles]

Ditto marydoll. Surely the aim is not to be hard or soft but to have a healthy and happy horse? Eg. if the horse genuinely is cold, whether or not theoretically he apparently should or shouldn't be by definition of 'horse', then it would be important to rug the horse up. If only it were as simple and black and white as 'if he is a native then he can live out with no rug/24/7 and if he is a TB then he needs to be heavily rugged/come in at least at night' etc. If it was then there would be no dilemma in the 1st place. Management just has to be taliored to the individual horse's needs. The TBx that I share hates being outside in the rain, even if it's only spitting - if she's un the field then she refuses to be caught and if she's being ridden then she'll turn her back to the wind and refuse to move.Two of the other horses genuinely seem to enjoy being stabled at night and will canter willingly into their stables when due to be brought in. Do I think they should buck up and start behaving like 'real' horses apparently should? Yes! But it doesn't always work that way. Believe me, I'm all for natural - but natural isn't always best. In reality, horses can be under-rugged and over-rugged; over-pampered and under-pampered. The ultimate goal is for horse management to be governed by finding the right balance to satisfy our horses' needs, not necessarily by how we think things 'ought' to be.