Is it ok to keep horse this way?

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Horsesgalore

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I've just started riding at a farm where the farmer takes people out for hacks on his horses. I'm just a bit unsure about how his horses are kept and wondered if anyone could tell me is this okay, or common practice?

It's been summer since I started and the horses' routine is, they're out at night, then come in in the morning. They stand in stalls with no bedding, the concrete slopes so the urine drains away. They are tethered by a rope round their necks (a gadget stops the rope getting too tight). The other end of the rope goes through something attached to the wall, and is weighted, so they can move a little but the rope doesn't go slack.

They never have water in the stalls but I think they'e only in for a few hours before it's time to ride. Their bottoms face the barn door so they can't see out, but they're in a row so can see each other. They get a handful of hay from time to time.

All the horses seem very fit and healthy, they all seem to love the farmer and are gentle and content. I just hadn't seen horses kept like this before!

It hasn't bothered me much until I found out today that in a month or so they'll be in all the time. They'll be ridden once most days and apparently do get to walk about outside a bit to stretch their legs when possible. But most of the time, they'll live in those stalls. I haven't liked to ask if they get bedding and water then!
 
Thankyou for your replies which are very reassuring.

Like I say, I'd never seen this before. I like riding there but I'd started worrying about the way they're kept, especially when I was told they will be in those stalls most of the day and all night soon. :(

But yes, they do seem content and well. So I'll stop worrying. :)
 
Very common method at one time but must admit they usually wore a headcollar rather than a rope around the neck.

The weight keeps some tension on the rope so the horse is not able to get its legs over the rope or it's head under the rope and so get trapped.

I'm guessing there is probebly a water trough in the yard for the horses to drink from - this was a common practise - the grooms brought the horses out to drink several times a day.

I expect in winter the horses will have bedding to lie down on and hopefully water buckets in the stall.

Often when the horse is got ready to be worked it would be turned around and cross tied.

So long as the horses are healthy, carry sufficient weight and appear to enjoy thier work they will be fine.
 
The Household Cavalry horses are kept in stalls similar to this, I don't know for how long at a time and whether they have access to hay and water.
 
Its ok-ish but I'd prefer to see hay and water available. Just one thing would concern me though and that is does the farmer have the required council licence and insurance to be doing this? Legally I would have to have a riding school if I just gave someone lessons on my horse and they paid me for it.
 
No, this is an entirely unacceptable way to keep a horse. Just because it has been a popular method (not anymore thank goodness.) in the past doesn't make it right. Horses are kept like this for human convenience as it makes good use of a small space and there is minimal mucking out.
Horses should have access to clean fresh water at all times, and no horse should go for extended periods without forage. Tethering by the neck is abhorrant and extremely dangerous.

The farmer must by law have a riding school's license. I doubt very much he has one as his yard would have been inspected by a vet appointed by the local authority. He would have been denied a license for the fact there is no water freely available alone.

I strongly suggest you make some background checks and find out if this establishment is licensed and insured.
 
Not great but I'm sure alot of horses would swap for it bearing in mind some of the neglect that goes on. When i see something like this I always say to myself 'think about the horses in morocco' and it puts things into perspective. If they are fed and happy and loved I'd leave well alone tbh.
 
OP, you say that you haven't been there long so has the farmer specifically said that the horses will stay there over winter? Or is that just an assumption?

My old riding school (going back about 20 years) used a similar system for their ponies. The ponies were all stalled, clipped onto a weighted leadrope but they had a big stone trough that ran through each stall so you could fill it up from the end stall and they'd all get water.

At night they were turned out into a field, or, in winter, they would go into an indoor menage with plenty of hay. Tbh they weren't in the stalls for long, especially not at weekends when they all had lessons to do.

I've never seen any problems with the system although I would think that anyone still using this system would probably use rubber matting in the bottom of the stalls.
 
I think this is going to cause a debate :D

I personally don't like them but can understand them in the use of a riding school treking centre. If they are only standing in between lessons and get water and hay I can't see the issue. They take up less room in stalls then stables.

I don't like them being used as over night stabling.

The strap round the neck is controvesial (spelling!!!)
 
I run an equestrian centre. Our horses are stalled during the day in the summer and out at night. They are in headcollars if in during the day. They have access to hay and water at all times.
Last winter, when the weather was bad, they all came in and stayed in the stalls at night. They were loose in the stalls and had deep straw, hay and water. The stalls have slip rails across. They were all fine and happy.
They will come in again this winter.
When they are in at night, depending on the weather, they were all ridden every day , turned out or let loose in the indoor school.
This routine meant they were sane, warm and well fed. It also meant that the fields were good for the spring.
If anyone thinks its saves time mucking out it really is no different from mucking a stable. They still do the same amount of pooh and wee, I can assure you of that!
 
scrunchie said:
OP, you say that you haven't been there long so has the farmer specifically said that the horses will stay there over winter? Or is that just an assumption?
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He said they'll be coming in in a month or so, and I asked do they get stables and he said no, they stay in their stalls. I didn't ask if they get bedding etc. They will have to be tethered as there doesn't seem any other way of keeping them in the stalls, that I can see.

Someone who's been going there longer told me the horses usually get to wander about the farmyard a bit each day, but not go out into the fields during the winter.

During the summer they do spend most of their time in a big field. The farmer says he brings them into the stalls each day for a while to avoid them getting too fat, or getting sunburnt on their faces.
 
That takes me back to when I was a kid and loose boxes were unusual for working horses. I expect your farmer is pretty old-fashioned!

They really should have hay and water with them. I have no issue with stalling them though
 
To say that he would not be granted a licence because he does not have water freely available, sadly is not true.

A local stables never has water freely available when the horses are up, and they are ABRS approved
 
I can see no problem with the way they are kept (apart from the lack of ad lib water). Im sure the farmer will provide bedding when they are stalled throughout the winter and from what op says, he seems to know what he is doing. Better stalled than out in the mud and rain imo!
 
Sounds old fashioned but hey mine is out all day and the paddock he is in has no shelter at all(hedge all round) BUt perhaps I am cruel to do this. Blazing sunshine with water.

Sounds fine to me. They are probably dozing in the day time.

The horses I rode on as a child sounds just like this they were stalled in the day and yes the pee drained down. The horses knew which stall to go into if you let just dropped the lead rope over they took themselves. As they came into the yard they would have a drink and then rest. At night they were out in a huge field.

They were all fit and normal weight. I dont remember laminitis at all(not like you hear now fat horses etc). All well behaved too.
 
In old-fashioned stalls like this where there's no bedding and the wee just drains away, is there a danger to the horses' lungs from fumes/ammonia?

I read that where possible your horse should be out of the stable when you do a thorough muck out (as opposed to just picking out a few droppings) to avoid him inhaling the fumes. Yet in standing stalls those fumes must be there all the time.
 
FionaM12 said:
In old-fashioned stalls like this where there's no bedding and the wee just drains away, is there a danger to the horses' lungs from fumes/ammonia?

I read that where possible your horse should be out of the stable when you do a thorough muck out (as opposed to just picking out a few droppings) to avoid him inhaling the fumes. Yet in standing stalls those fumes must be there all the time.
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But the difference here is standing stalls are generally better dsigned in terms of drainage and as such you tend not to get pools of urine and therefore amonia build up. (Or certainly this has been the case in the ones I have seen)
 
Fit & healthy does not denote whether sad/happy does it. Sounds a miserable existence, thought those days were gone. Can you imaginge a zoo keeping animals like that, there would be an uproar & they would be shut down. Just because something has always been done doesn't mean it is right, they used to burn witches !!
 
I've seen stalled horses and they certainly didn't seem sad or unhappy, in fact they were quite content and relaxed. They could all see the horses in adjoining stalls through the grills much more easily than horses in most loose boxes can.

Providing they aren't stalled 24/7 and have adequate food and water readily available I don't think it's that much worse than stabling tbh - they can still lie down as they want. There is a working museum near me that has all of its working horses in stalls and no complaints from the public that I'm aware of.

Personally I prefer horses out 24/7 anyway.
 
Horsesgalore said:
I've just started riding at a farm where the farmer takes people out for hacks on his horses. I'm just a bit unsure about how his horses are kept and wondered if anyone could tell me is this okay, or common practice?

It's been summer since I started and the horses' routine is, they're out at night, then come in in the morning. They stand in stalls with no bedding, the concrete slopes so the urine drains away. They are tethered by a rope round their necks (a gadget stops the rope getting too tight). The other end of the rope goes through something attached to the wall, and is weighted, so they can move a little but the rope doesn't go slack.

They never have water in the stalls but I think they'e only in for a few hours before it's time to ride. Their bottoms face the barn door so they can't see out, but they're in a row so can see each other. They get a handful of hay from time to time.

All the horses seem very fit and healthy, they all seem to love the farmer and are gentle and content. I just hadn't seen horses kept like this before!

It hasn't bothered me much until I found out today that in a month or so they'll be in all the time. They'll be ridden once most days and apparently do get to walk about outside a bit to stretch their legs when possible. But most of the time, they'll live in those stalls. I haven't liked to ask if they get bedding and water then!
Click to expand...

No, personally I don't think it is okay. Not to be kept there 24/7 in the winter. For a few hours during a blistering hot summers day, maybe. Horses should be able to see out onto more than just walls or other horses. But then I don't like barn type stabling either, unless the horse has a window to look out of at the back too.
 
Wow, Im shocked at some of the reponses on here saying its fine and perfectly normal. Just because the horses look fit and well doesnt mean they're not mentally trying to kill themselves! How totally unnatural for them, it couldnt be further from what they should be doing. They are designed (physically and mentally) to graze all day and night. These can barely move, stand staring at a wall for what will be 24 hours a day and dont even have the basic needs of water and food... Id report to RSPCA personally. Farmer should be shot.
 
Magic Melon if a horse is tethered correctly in the stall they are able to lie down. I've seen stallls work well in RS. I also have dealt with horses that are better and happier in stalls.

Reguarding the horse grazing naturally and being in a natural enviroment we could say the same about stabling in loose boxes or american barn
 
Monkers said:
No, this is an entirely unacceptable way to keep a horse. Just because it has been a popular method (not anymore thank goodness.) in the past doesn't make it right. Horses are kept like this for human convenience as it makes good use of a small space and there is minimal mucking out.
Horses should have access to clean fresh water at all times, and no horse should go for extended periods without forage. Tethering by the neck is abhorrant and extremely dangerous.

The farmer must by law have a riding school's license. I doubt very much he has one as his yard would have been inspected by a vet appointed by the local authority. He would have been denied a license for the fact there is no water freely available alone.

I strongly suggest you make some background checks and find out if this establishment is licensed and insured.
Click to expand...

Ditto - well said!
 
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