Few tips about keeping, handling, training, teaching and breeding..- keep checking it out – more to come!

Tip 1 –  Horses Welfare and Training

 Anyone who looks after or trains horses does well in keeping the Five Domains of animal welfare in mind, as well as the 10 principles of ISES. 

Horses are very smart and sensitive animals but they have different cognitive abilities to humans. It is important to try to understand the nature of our horses as best we can, and how they learn. As flight animals certain things like closed spaces, or tight reins can trigger claustrophobic reaction. We need to consider and respect horses natural behaviour and treat them accordingly. The Five Domains and the 10 principles of ISES  give a good basis for all horse people.

I might put in more specialized tips around training and horse keeping here below – so feel free to ask if you want some specific explanations or tips. 

 

Tip 2 – Good Fences

Keeping horses is not always an easy thing, especially outside of Iceland. In Iceland they often get to roam free in big heard on huge pastures and sometimes get very little attention throughout the year except hoofs trimmed and few hey bails every once in a while over the winter.

One thing that makes horses keeping abroad a lot easier is to have good fencing. A loose horse in Iceland might not be a big problem generally, with its vast open areas, but in surroundings of railroads, high ways and millions of cars and people, it is a different story!

Generally horses respect electricity very well and can be kept even in 1 string electric fences given that the electricity is sufficient and actually on. However if the horses have not learned to respect these kind of fencing from early age, it might take a little while for them to learn, and while still unfamiliar with it, we can´t take for granted that they shy away backwards from the shock, they might also push through. Hence monitoring well the first encounter with electric fencing is important and 2 or even 3 string fencing advised. Best is really to use electric fence inside of a sturdier wooden (or plastic) fencing, at least for foals and youngsters and other horses that might not respect the electric wire straight away. 

Another important thing is to have the electric wire at a suitable height – if only one string, it is crucial to not have it too high as horses tend rather to push through under, than jump over. 

A very safe and nice fencing option can be recycled plastic fencing, like the one from Equi Safe, even available with embedded electric wire. 

Tip 3 – Enough Space

One of the main causes of accidents among horses is too tight surroundings with too many horses. Horses should be allowed to be together (never keep a horse all by itself) as they are very social animals, but they also need their personal space. Make sure the horses that stand in small paddocks/boxes/fences or elsewhere together, know each other and are reasonably friendly to each other. Keep a good eye on them if this is not the case to avoid accidents and/or take measures to get them to get along better. One method is to put 2 horses that don´t get on that well, or don´t know each other, in a trailer and go for a little drive. The close proximity in a little scary situation (which a trailer trip can certainly be for a flight animal), can do wonders for a relationship! No guarantees though that it works.

 Another important reason for enough space is that horses need to move. Even if they are closed up in a box in a stable a big part of the day, a couple of hours out in a big pasture or pen where they can play and run is essential. If the horse gets the change to run free and play, it can safe us a lot of trouble when the horse is under the saddle.

 

Tip 4 – Small Health Checks

Knowing what a sound horse looks like is an important thing to all horse owners or keepers. Make sure you regularly feel the hind ribs of your horse with a flat hand, to see if it is gaining or losing weight. Slide your fingers down the legs and feel if there is any puffiness, bumps or swollen parts to be found. Measure the temperature if you have the feeling the horse is not quite himself. Check for heat changes in the legs and hoofs. Nowadays there are even special apps available to use on your smartphone to analyse the horses moving asymmetry, giving indication if a slight lameness can be found. Work with an equine dentist to check the horses mouths regularly and perhaps you have also access to a good chiropractor or an osteopath.

Little checks like this can give us clues of what is going on and allows us to catch early all signs of trouble and even avoid the little things to grow into a bigger health issue.

 

Tip 5 – Shoeing

Most of us have an approximate 6-8 weeks between the appointments with the farrier. But knowing that the farrier takes good care of his business doesn´t free us from making our own checks to see if anything is wrong. Make sure that the shoes are not only still sitting tight and not moving at all, but also sitting correctly. Sometimes they can turn slightly, or the hoof wall has started to grow outside of the shoe, causing the hoof wall to damage and making it impossible to grow better heals. It is very different between horses how their hooves grow, both how fast and in what way. Some always get wide and flat and tend to grow over the edge of the shoe within few weeks. Some grow the toe much faster than the heal, needing extra trimming to the toe to keep a correct angle and avoid extra stress on the tendons. Others grow pretty much straight up and not changing much the form, shape or angle at all, making it possible to keep the same shoes on for longer time without major trouble.

Ask your farrier – try to learn as much as you can about your horses feet – it can safe you both money and trouble!

Tip 5 –  Horses Welfare and Training 

Anyone who looks after or trains horses does well in keeping the Five Domains of animal welfare in mind, as well as the 10 principles of ISES. 

Horses are very smart and sensitive animals but they have different cognitive abilities to humans. It is important to try to understand the nature of our horses as best we can, and how they learn. As flight animals certain things like closed spaces, or tight reins can trigger claustrophobic reaction. We need to consider and respect horses natural behaviour and treat them accordingly. The Five Domains and the 10 principles of ISES  give a good basis for all horse people.