Stabled horses and the Animal Welfare Act...your thoughts??

[Cortez]

Pretty much everything we do with horses goes against their nature, so that argument does not hold up. Stabling horses without sufficient exercise, whether that is ridden, loose or turned out, is a bad practice. If their management includes a balance of energy in = energy out then horses generally do very well.

 

[ester]

Not the case at all - very few develop any bad vices when stabled for long periods of time.

I've worked with stabled horses for many decades - in yards where 100 or more horses are stabled 24/7, 365 days of the year.

I've also seen countless horses turned out on strip grazing areas that are not much bigger than half a dozen stables joined together or no bigger than a dressage arena - they cannot exercise themselves - but says the owner - "they live out". I currently pass three horses every day that are in a miniscule area - the paddock is filthy and though the horses get a new strip of grass everyday the fence is moved behind them as well. Just as cruel as being stabled for long periods!

Well only if your stable is the size of an arena surely?

I think more tracks would be an excellent way to go, for winter and summer!

 

[Tnavas]

Pretty much everything we do with horses goes against their nature, so that argument does not hold up. Stabling horses without sufficient exercise, whether that is ridden, loose or turned out, is a bad practice. If their management includes a balance of energy in = energy out then horses generally do very well.

Agree whole heartedly.

 

[crabbymare]

I think we need to work on the principle that in a perfect scenario they would live out and be able to roam freely in a herd. but we also need to accept that although we want to do the best we can to keep them in this way there are not many places offering livery with 365 turnout and in many cases farmers in very wet areas will not want their fields used in winter so owners need to adapt the best they can and make sure the horses are managed so that they get plenty of exercise (if fields are closed) and are not left standing in all the time. does anyone know if putting in tracks in places that have clay soil would need planning permission as it will involve digging out the earth and putting in a base? If this weather carries on people with horses in the affected areas will have a choice of mud and swamp fields for turnout or horses with very restricted turnout or the best livery yards will have tracks or turnout areas and put their prices up to cover the cost of the building and upkeep which will price out many people who would love to have those facilities