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| Horses once were forest dwellers |
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| Trees are great natural shelter and fun to run in... |
Living outside 24/7 in all seasons on supportive ground
Living outside ... all year round? Most people don't
have a problem with that and claim to do it ... except when it's too cold, or too hot, too many bugs, too windy, too wet, too dry, too humid
... or "we just bring them in at night".
We used to live in northern New Brunswick, Canada.
The winters there are long, cold and very humid.
LOTS of snow, freezing rain, ice pellets, slushy rain, slushy snow, with extreme fluctuations in temperature.....all
in one day!!
When it comes to 24/7 turnout, the number one
concern of horse owners is the winter.
Not my favorite season but the horses love
the winter. No pesky biting bugs, plenty of white stuff to make 'snow angels' and when you have
a custom fitted fur coat it's not too hot and not too cold.
A healthy natural horse can and does adapt to any weather presented to him. He
is made to do so. Living outside with the Eq-system gives
the horse all the necessary
stimulus they need to produce an incredible winter coat.
Exposure to
the elements and the changing hours of sunshine per day triggers all those physiological changes to take place. This innate programming has been
present in the horse for millions of years. There are different ways the horse adapts and deals with the changing seasons. It has to start with being outside 24/7 all year round and being exposed to the environment in which they live. In the fall, we notice an increase
in the amount of hay they eat and even how they eat. They follow natures plan by putting on more fat for the winter and
building a brand
new winter coat.
| Furry coat on a TB |
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If you have ever seen a natural winter coat you would
never think that they could ever get cold ... or wet.
A thick, soft under coat is formed like that of a seal with
a job to 'seal' out moisture as well as provide excellent
insulation. (You can even warm your hands in their
fur) The hairs in the top coat are
longer and have the
job of shedding excess moisture to prevent leaking
through to the skin. The muscles in the skin raise and
lower the hairs to allow for more or less air passage.
(Similar to the way those little hairs on the back
of our neck can raise).
Riding in the winter is easy ... saddle up and go. Then make sure the horse's breathing is normal and put the him
back out. They usually will take a roll in the snow (or you can put out shavings /straw pile for rolling), shake and fluff out and continue on their merry way
... eating and moving. They dry
very quickly. The horses will even sweat
themselves up at times when playing hard. They steam like crazy and just roll and shake it off the skin. The health benefits of living
naturally are absolutely essential. Ideally the horse would be
living in a
specifically designed Eq-system. This
helps to ensure a healthy functioning foot, a healthy body
from increased movement, as well as mental health. Outside
24/7 with fresh air to breath, in tune with other horses and nature
... you get the idea. Living outside also allows for ...
| Snow on the back |
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| Note the deep winter coat on a TB |
... freedom of
choice. Good for the horses' emotional and spiritual well being.
We have a great
run in shelter. In a snow storm you might expect the horses to chose to be inside ... but they don't. They remain outside. If the horse evolved as an animal of prey, then it makes sense that his instinct would not agree to put him in a place where he cannot see (or flee) potential dangers. We know that when given the freedom to chose, the
horse is happier and healthier. It may not be
what we humans
would chose
to do but we respect Mother Nature to take care of her own. If instinct says to put your butt to the wind and 'hunker down' for the storm ... who are we to question. We accept that to be a whole horse, his mind, body and spirit needs to be out
in open air.
| Assuming the position.....butts to the wind |
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| Outside 24/7 in all weather |
Some horses can fool their owners
into thinking they 'like'
the barn and want to go in. They stand at the gate (at feeding time) to come in. They come in and get a reward ... usually the highlight of their day. It can take up to a week to wean them off the gate, but once you
do, they will never look back. Feed more hay
and spread it around to keep them busy foraging. This keeps the mind
calm. High sugar and processed feeds are not used as they are addictive and totally unnecessary.
| Basking in the early spring sun |
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| "Ah, we love the feel of the sun and the earth" |
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