HEALTHY HORSES!

KEEPING FIT

Fitness is a state of body and mind.
Daily exercise is an essential part of ensuring good health and mental well-being.
Exercise - as opposed to "work" - can take many forms:

Turn-out - at grass, in a paddock, or an enclosed school.
Leading-out - in hand, or from another horse.
Loose-schooling.
Lungeing.
Hacking.

Relaxation is an important part of day to day living. It allows time to unwind from the physical and mental stresses of the equine working lifestyle - something we all need to do now and then.
FUN AND FRIENDS

Horses do not naturally spend long periods of time on their own.
Companionship is an important aspect of horse life.

Some time every day with two or four-legged friends can be very valuable - whether it's out at grass, riding in company, or simply having a chat with you over the stable door!

Variety is the spice of life for horses as well as humans.

When you're schooling, try to keep it challenging and fun, intersperse the serious stuff with rides out, gridwork and jumping, competions, or even a day's hunting.

SO REMEMBER:

HEALTHY LIVING

By increasing the amount of time a horse spends over his meals, he is less likely to suffer from digestive disorders. He'll be much happier because there's less time between meals with "nothing" to do.

OUT AT GRASS

Whatever type of work he is involved in, it is worth remembering that a period at grass every day, all year round, will work wonders for your horse's health and happiness.

Only a happy, healthy horse can be expected to give his best when his rider requires it. Time spent considering how we can keep horses and ponies full of zest for life is never wasted!

BACK