Healthy, Shiny…Bored

In this excerpt from her book No Bored Horses, zookeeper, animal trainer, and horsewoman Amanda Goble explains how the “nice lives” we have given our horses can contribute to their development of physical and behavioral problems.

Horses in even the tidiest, well-appointed stables may struggle without the opportunity to enjoy natural behaviors (activities) such as grazing, moving around, and socializing with herd members. Photo by Filippo Bacci.

In some ways, domestication is spectacular for your horse. Living alongside people has real benefits for both horses and people, because you provide for your horse’s needs in exchange for the joy of riding and spending time with him. Most domestic horses never have to worry about predators like their ancestors did because they live in a safe environment. They’re given plenty to eat and receive veterinary care as needed. Our domesticated horses enjoy longer, usually healthier lifespans than their wild ancestors and seem to live in great comfort compared to the harsh environments of today’s feral equines.

But some trade-offs accompany this big change in lifestyle, and these trade-offs can contribute to physical and behavioral problems in horses. Recognizing the difference between what your horse’s brain and body evolved to do and what they’re able to do now is the critical step you’ll need to take to prevent boredom and make your horse happy. You are able to provide for your horse’s physical requirements without too much trouble, but what about his behavioral and mental needs? Let’s take a look at the trade-offs and potential points of friction between your horse’s needs and the human environment.

• First, domesticated horses no longer have the freedom to do whatever they like, when they like, with whomever they want. Their natural behavior of making choices has been reduced.
• Horses no longer need to run from predators, but they also don’t have miles of space over which to roam. Some horses spend most or all of their day in a stall. These both represent a reduction in free movement and exercise.
• Humans also tend to design pastures and paddocks on level ground with a minimum of rocks, trees, brush, or other natural features, which create fewer opportunities for exploration and using the senses.
• Your horse evolved to live in family groups of different sexes and ages. Herd relationships were often built and maintained over years. Today, your horse may live at a busy boarding stable where horses are frequently added or removed. He might live in a same-sex group, share small spaces with horses he doesn’t care for, or be housed alone for all or part of the day. These affect his social behavior and can set him up for conflict.
• Your horse never has to worry about hunger and thirst, but he might eat the same food, from the same bucket, day after day. He doesn’t experience as much flavor and scent variety.
• He might get most of his calories from bucket meals and receive limited pasture or hay. This prevents the expression of normal feeding and foraging behaviors.
• Lastly, we keep our horse in safe environments and call the vet out when he needs care, but stalls and paddocks that are mostly featureless in the name of safety and efficiency also put a big limit on the sensory variety your horse experiences. They also offer horses fewer opportunities for self-maintenance—taking care of their bodies through behaviors like scratching and rolling, or choosing to spend time in different environments. These spaces can also prevent horses from feeling secure enough for deep, restorative sleep.

Many aspects of domestication create more safety and comfort for horses. We design equine spaces and routines with our efficiency and economy in mind, but also with good intentions for horses. We want safe pastures and stalls and quality nutrition. And sometimes, restricting what a horse does is a requirement for injury recovery or quarantine, and our hands are temporarily tied.

The case here isn’t that domesticating horses is a bad thing or that there are no good reasons to care for horses in a less-than-natural way. It’s to recognize and acknowledge that our modern-day stable practices create major changes in our horses’ ability to express natural behaviors. They limit the amount of stimulation and change in horses’ lives. And this can set horses up for trouble.

Species-appropriate behavior isn’t just good for the body, it’s crucial for mental well-being. An enriched lifestyle that works with your horse’s body and mind promotes wellness and a positive, pleasant personality. But being unable to express natural behaviors or seek stimulation can have the opposite impact, creating stress and resulting in unwanted behaviors and challenging habits. It’s no wonder that many horses struggle with mental and physical problems when today’s lifestyle doesn’t give them these crucial opportunities.

The good news is that you can prevent boredom and alleviate problems by creating the opportunity for your horse to be a horse.

This excerpt from No Bored Horses by Amanda Goble is reprinted with permission from Trafalgar Square Books. You can purchase the book here.