Environment
Environment is the physical and biological (biophysical) factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism.
If we relate this to the horse, its environment is comprised of everything it is exposed to, both internal and external. It is the food it eats and the water it drinks; it is the weather, it is the place it sleeps, plays and exercises; it is the animals it shares its life with (including us).
Think now about the horses natural environment and how it compares to the environment we choose to expose it to. How does this differ?
We choose what food it must eat, how much and when; we choose what shelter (if any) it may seek; when, how and how often it can exercise; who it lives with; when it mates (if ever).
Tradition dictates we expose the horse to stress by taking away freedom of natural choice, expose it to toxins and potentially harmful vaccines, wormers and disease. We create environments which we desire for our horses, for the sake of convenience or ignorance.
Is it any wonder domestication of the horse brings with it a host of lameness, ailments and so called behavioural problems? But tradition dictates that we shoe the horse, stable it at night, keep it separate from other horses, and feed it buckets of coarse feed and sticky chaff, etc, etc and traditions must be followed, right?
WRONG! Open your mind and accept responsibility for your horses welfare and realise what domestication and traditional management has done to the welfare of the horse. We have forgotten that the horse has the innate ability to heal itself, providing its environment is condusive to the healing.
Over the next few weeks we will endevour to provide even more info and links on this site to help YOU improve your horses environment, focusing on feed, supplements, supporting therapies and management tips and advice.
If you would like advice about improving your horses welfare, please contact us