Why do we think our horses “need” a stable?

Just yesterday, I was having a good old chinwag with one of my liveries, actually if I’m being specific - currently my only track livery client… but that’s another subject matter in and of itself. We often put the worlds to rights, either on a dreary British lunchtime or a (much too) sunny (for my liking) afternoon. As someone who is a complete convert to track livery and a fantastic source of information - she is someone who is often on the receiving end of my complaints as to why I had such a long waiting list for the Track, and as it transpires - She was the only one who actually came to us from that list.

One of the things that came up in conversation was stabling, for some reason - I still get enquiries wanting some sort of cross between traditional livery and track, as though people are a little too scared to just dive in and go for it. We know that track works, all the research, proof, case studies, equine professionals in all sectors and so much more, says that it does. There are some fantastic facilities all over the UK and other parts of the world with successful thriving tracks, with happy and healthy horses, whether they be commercial or private - they work.

I think the transition from traditional to track can seem scary, but why? We have been conditioned over the years to think that a horse needs two things - a stable and grass. But why do they need a stable? Why do they specifically need grass? A lot of our native breeds would not be grazing on somebodies lawn, in one spot for hours and hours - they would be travelling over great distances to find sources of forage that suits them, very rarely would they come across lush grass… and if it rains, they wont be ringing doorbells asking some poor unsuspecting farmer to let them into their kitchen so they can poo on the floor and take a snooze. Actually I don’t know who would be more freaked out - the farmer or the pony.

When I receive these sorts of enquiries, I get the age old “Oh I do like them to have a stable in the winter” - but that’s exactly it, WE like them to have a stable… do they really care? Nope. We have a shelter on our Track, and both horses prefer to stand under the trees - as it’s their instinct to find natural shelter, not to walk into some random wooden shack. Actually our shelter is more useful to them as a scratch post apparently, I’ve had to put a line of electric around it to stop my big brute of a cob from pushing the whole thing into the next village.

I’m not saying, that if there was an emergency, or a vet recommended a horse needed to come into a stable for a few days for treatment or likewise, that I would refuse to stable that horse - I would offer a stable in a heartbeat if it was of benefit to the horses health and welfare, but the truth is - most of the time it isn’t necessary. When we choose Track Livery - we are offering our horses friends, forage and freedom - and those three things encourage, what? Movement. We want our horses to move, keep moving, and then move some more, to mimic that natural herd environment. To then bring your horse in to a 12x12 box for 12 hours of the day makes it all irrelevant and pointless, if you choose the Track, you choose the Track, it has rules, purely to make it work the way it should and get the results you want, and one of the biggest rules is that they are not confined.

Standing at gates - we often think our horses “want to come in” because they are waiting at the gate, but what is there for your horse in their paddock? Do they have a companion? Do they have enrichment? How big is the paddock? If the answer’s to these questions are “No, a salt lick and small because he’s fat”… why would your horse want to be out there? Perhaps they don’t want to come in, but in fact just want to be anywhere but their boring foodless paddock.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not in the mindset of “Track is the only way” but I can definitely see the way we care for our equines heading in that direction, and I’m not wholeheartedly against it… more and more horses and ponies are suffering from metabolic issues, weight problems and laminitis these days, and there is something in that - our pasture is no longer suitable, so we MUST make changes, in the way we manage our horses, but also in the way we think about horse management.

I sincerely hope that my little post in my little corner of the internet, has been if nothing else - entertaining, and hopefully informative. This will be the first of more to come I’m sure. (Next time I’ve got a bee in my bonnet).

- Ella xo