HiddenHorses: Natural Horsekeeping

Posts Tagged ‘Natural Horse’

Who is really training your horse?

Horse training 24/7

One of my horses is a thoroughbred chestnut gelding who is socially low-ranking within the herd. I have a problem with him, and the problem is:

All the other horses in the herd keep training him to move his feet! Read more »

Stripping down the horse

Imagine your horse lives at the center of three concentric circles or better yet, spheres and imagine if you can that your horse is imprisoned inside these two outer shells. These shells are curved and semi-opaque and therefore distort what is inside. You can travel inside them at will but your horse is trapped, this is because these two shells are human inventions and under the control of humans, only the human can create them or destroy them through choice. Read more »

What is a Horse?

This is the simplest of questions and yet it is often something that people who have spent a lifetime with horses cannot answer. Even career, equine professionals, with forty years experience behind them cannot answer this question, – and yet of all the things a horse owner must understand about a horse THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING! It is quite simply, the key to understanding everything your horse does, it is the key to your relationship, it is the key to a long happy and healthy life for you and your horse it is, – the key to everything…. Read more »

What is an Ethogram?

My second principle of natural horse keeping states:

We base or relationship on the ethogram of the horse. That means

Life in a herd, a life full of natural movement, a diet that closely relates to the natural fiber based diet and barefoot .

The first thing about this principle that you might want to understand is, what is an ethogram? Read more »

What is Ethology?

Basically ethology is the study of animal behavior, with the emphasis on studying animal behavior in the wild. The first ethologists were field zoologists who observed and recorded animal behavior, from their observations they cross-referenced and compiled lists of verified behaviors, these lists are known as ethograms. So an ethogram is really an documented ‘model’ of the behaviors of a species. Read more »

What is Paddock Paradise?

Paddock paradise is a management system for horses based on allowing the herd constant movement, (should they choose to take it), around a continuous looped track. This system was first proposed by Jamie Jackson in his book ‘Paddock Paradise’ published in 2006 by Star-Ridge Publishing. Read more »

The Seven Principles of Natural Horse Keeping

The following principles are the basis of all of my management of the horse. I introduce them here as a point of reference for further posts.

1. PRINCIPLE NUMBER ONE: ALL OUR MANAGEMENT OF THE HORSE MUST ALWAYS CREATE GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN THE HERD.
2. We base or relationship on the ethogram of the horse. That means: Life in a herd, a life full of natural movement, a diet that closely relates to the natural fiber based diet.
3. Horses need to move, constant movement anytime day or night is a fundamental right of the herd.
   
4. Management is based on the environment not just the horse
5. The opportunity to feed is the main daily activity. Up to 20 hours per day!
6. There is always something to look at or do. Horses have a right to live in a stimulating environment
7. RESPECT THE HORSE AS A HORSE