Tiger Lily Farm

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Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet. ~Colette

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About Holistic Horse Management

Holistic horse management is about looking at the whole horse to bring about optimum health. This includes providing as natural a living condition for the horse as is possible given most domestic circumstances.

Attaining optimum health usually means less is best. Most of us want to care for our horses with the "best" possible everything. We purchase the "best" food, board at the "best" facility with the "best" turnouts or paddocks. We clothe our horses in the "best" halters, blankets, saddles and other gadgets that money can buy. Giving our horse the best usually follows the philosophy that more is better. However, have you really thought about what your horse thinks is best. Let's look at the wild mustangs of the United States, who neither care about your blanket nor about its quality or cost.

Mustangs are free roaming horses that can be found in much of the American West. These horses live in bands, or family units that are comprised of a lead stallion, his harem of mares, and foals up to about the age of two. This family unit travels up to 25 miles per day over rugged terrain in search of forage (what we would consider poor quality), minerals (dug our of the earth with hooves and teeth), and water. This family unit does everthing together including protecting one another from predation; they also play with one another and teach young foals how to behave properly in a herd environment.

Compare that image to typical domestic horse care. Many horses are boarded in 10 x 10 box stalls, devoid of anything resembling nature, and lacking adequate light, exercise, companionship (meaning with other horses), and 24/7 access to forage. I have heard that this compares to a prison cell only worse. A horse in a 10 x 10 box stall is the equivelant to a human being held in a space of approximately 3 x 3. Now imagine living in this 3 x 3 space with no light, socialization, exercise and free choice meals. Does this change how you feel about keeping your horse in this type of domestic situation?

Now that you are feeling adequate remorse for the state of your horses boarding situation, here are some suggestions for naturalizing your horse's life.

Move your horse to a location where it can be pastured 24/7 or at least 12 hours out of each day (note that some horses need to be in a dry lot due to metabolic issues).
Provide continual forage, preferably hay. This can be distributed multiple times a day to avoid waste.
Distribute hay in small piles at great distances apart to encourage movement
Give your horse a friend. Two horses is adequate, three horses creates herd dynamics.
Provide rough and uneven substrate for your horse to maneuver over. This helps them maintian their agility as well as make their daily walks more interesting. Rough terrain also helps wear their hooves down naturally - perhaps not enough to forgo regular trimmings, but it does make a difference.
Eliminate feed concentrates. If you feel you must include grains or feed pellets in your horse's diet, never feed large quantities of these feeds in one serving. Doing this stresses the horse's small stomach.