Freedom, Beauty, Health    

What is natural for the horse?  Being healthy and sound.

A highly debated issue here in recent years, what is natural for our domestic horse, especially as the world seems to be moving towards a more holistic approach to just about everything. 

You can find ALOT of information on the internet about "natural" and "holistic".  Stop and think about all the information you see and hold it to your heart and gauge the truth of it for yourself.  That's my best advice.

My thought is though, the more natural the care we provide to our horse the more he'll improve in health happiness and soundness, just as Nature intended him to be.

• Being confined to a stall with limited to no movement or being loose in a pasture to walk and move at will?
• Eating at shoulder level or eating from ground level?
• Eating a diet full of fatty and sugary grain or eating a varied diet of natural browse and grass hays? 
• Having steel shoes nailed to its feet or being barefoot?
• Being isolated "for his own protection" or feeling the safety and camaraderie of the herd?
• Being blanketed and pampered to keep him "comfortable"  or regulating his own body temperature by growing a shaggy winter coat and being able to eat at will and move as he sees fit?

What are the facts?

•  A horses natural environment is a harsh and vast landscape as evidenced by the remaining wild horse herds left roaming the Great Basin area of the United States
• Horses are HERD animals
• Horses are nomadic animals, wild horse herds moving anywhere from 8 to over 20 miles a day
• Horses are herbivores, with tiny stomachs made to graze small amounts of  grass and forage all day long
• Horses aren't born with steel shoes on their feet
• 80% of domestic horses are in some form or fashion lame, with only an estimated 10% of our domestic population considered sound
• Most domestic horses are kept in stalls
• Most horses are fed large meals two times a day, a diet high in fat and sugar and protein, which science has shown us is a very unnatural diet for horses
• Most horses are kept from socializing with other horses for fear of disease or injury resulting in numerous behavioral and health issues
• Most horse owners adore their horses and truly want what is best for them

What is the answer?

• Natural Horse Care including a more natural diet, environment and hoof care
• Natural Horsemanship
• Realizing what is best for your horse and doing the best with the situation you have to work with.
• Education!
• Education!
• Education!