But my horse is boarded out?

But my horse is boarded out?

by | Aug 4, 2024

But my horse is boarded out?

By Alexa Linton, BSc, DOMP, EST

I know this is going to be a barrier and a question for many of you who are thinking about a more species-specific way of horse-keeping, so it felt appropriate to give this topic some space to work through it. 

I will say right off the bat, that I’m with you! My three mares are in a boarding situation (self-board, no other horses), so in the back of my mind I am always considering the impermanence of being in a boarding situation. My hope is that within the next two years we will buy a little acreage of our own (may my upcoming online course be super popular!), but until then, my situation has given me much food for thought that hopefully can be of value to those that also have their horses in boarding situations. I know there is many of us in the same boat!

Some things to consider if you are boarding your horse and would like to make some shifts: 

1) What type of board are you in? Full, semi, coop, self board? 

2) Is there wiggle room in your horses space? Meaning, do you have permission to add things, take things out, make it more workable for your horse? Could you potentially add obstacles, sand, another feed station to promote movement and increase enrichment to your horses area? Could you move the water to add a little more movement?

3) Is there wiggle room around their care or the set-up of the facility as a whole? Meaning, is there opportunities to move towards “track life”, such as more group turn out, more enrichment, more varied forage opportunities, changes in footing? 

4) Are you willing/able to start a conversation with the owner/manager of your facility about some potential beneficial changes for your horse/all the horses? 

5) If there is wiggle room and openness to change, how much are you willing to invest in shifting your horse’s living situation, knowing that your situation is impermanent? 

I’ve never owned my own property (although like many of us, I dream of it several times daily!), so I’ve gotten quite proficient at creating horse spaces that can easily be moved and set up in other spots. I also give myself a time, energy and financial budget of how much I willing to invest in someone else’s property. My deciding factor is the health and happiness of my small herd. 

For example, at our previous boarding situation (coop-board with lots of wiggle room about how I set up a one acre rectangular paddock/field) I had impermanent step in posts, T-posts, and electric tape, and rubber mats I could take with me. I also invested in an impermanent Shelter-logic shelter and 54 Mud Control grids with a 20 year warranty. Every October for three years I would invest in one truck load of footing (about $450) and a day of tractor work to prep for winter. This paid off in happy hooves and high and dry horses.

In the situation before that, where I lived on property for 9 years and essentially had free rein, I invested in gutters to improve water control, as well as drainage piping, drainage rock and footing. I was able to split some of this cost with the landowner as it made a great difference in other parts of the property as well. Overall it was a great investment in my horses health for the time spent on property.  

 

What if there is little to no wiggle room? 

 

​The sad reality is, if you want your horse to be living a life mimicking that of a wild horse, you’re going to have to make some shifts. If the boarding facility you’re at isn’t open to a change, it may be time to consider changing boarding situations. I know this isn’t always a possibility, depending on where you live and the situations available. When it comes to creating a track system, moving towards a more independent scenario can be very helpful, although it will definitely mean more work on your end, especially if you’re currently in full board. 

 

What if there is wiggle room? 

 

Great! Remember, you’re often going to have to budget a little extra for these shifts, although fingers crossed you’ve got an amazing barn owner/manager who is as excited as you are to move towards more species-specific horse keeping!

Here are some of the shifts I suggest as a starting point: 

  1. Add an extra feeding/forage station. Place it as far away from your water and shelter as you can (and yes, it may have to come in on rainy days, but soaked hay can be good too). If possible, add a different type of hay or forage (straw, Teff or a low sugar hay) in slow feed nets ensures your horse has access to forage at all times, without having to worry about weight gain.
  2. Add differing footing. A sandpile is always a fave. Leave it as a little pile and watch your horse climb, sleep, lounge, and yes, sadly, use it as a washroom (but who can blame them?). It’s not a huge investment for a lot of happiness. You can also dig up some good dirt and add it in to a small area (good micro-organisms). 
  3. Add obstacles. Got some extra branches hanging about? How about some old fence posts or tire or two (no rims)? Use them as enrichment in your horses space! Add a hay ball, some fun games, or some DIY enrichment activities.
  4. Increase herd turn out time or work with your barn mates to find good matches for full time group turn out. You’d be amazed how much happier horses are…together. Head to the integration section to learn more about how to facilitate successful and lower stress herd introductions 
  5. Add a mini water buffet. Use two extra small buckets with select herbs/supplements to build choice into your horses hydration. Head to the enrichment section for more details on how to make this happen.

Wishing you the very best of luck! Leave a comment if you’ve got more ideas on how to make a boarding situation the best possible for the horses living in it.

Remember to keep having conversations, even if they feel hard or uncomfortable, and keep advocating for your horses needs! It’s worth it. And you’d like more ideas and support check out my new online self-study course Build Your Track System (on the West Coast)

A few pictures below of one of my boarding situations…

Supporting Successful Herd Integrations

Supporting Successful Herd Integrations

by | Aug 4, 2024

Supporting Successful Herd Integrations

Alexa Linton, BSc, EST, DOMP

In my talks with multiple equine professionals, and countless horse owners, about enrichment for horses, the overwhelming answer about the most enriching thing for horses is…

FRIENDS! 

Horses thrive with friends. They are a community, a socially-oriented being, who thrives with interaction and relationship. In fact, for the many hours you are not at the barn, this is your horses main source of stimulus, co-regulation, entertainment, and interaction, even if they can’t touch one another. Whenever I see horses in stalls with no ability to see or interact with each other, my heart breaks knowing how empty their lives are without their horse friends. The reality is, your company is not enough, and stall living is not enough, by a long stretch. Isolation for horses can lead to many issues, as it is not in their nature to be alone, and creates a great deal of internal/external stress in most horses. I have met only a handful of horses that are happier on their own, and it generally due to substantial trauma and/or dysregulation.

One of the main reasons to build a track system is to facilitate these essential relationships, and to provide an environment which promotes herd living by creating a space and shelters that flow and allow free unhindered movement, free feed hay and water in multiple locations that reduces resource guarding and sense of scarcity. 

 

It can feel scary but it’s worth it (especially for your horse)

 

The hardest part of this for any horse person is often the introduction and integration of horses into shared living. It can be so scary for some, that they choose not to ever do it, preferring to keep their horses separate. Unfortunately this creates a frustrating catch 22 – if a horse has not been with other horses, their reduced social skills make them more prone to incident and injury. There are many horses that are lacking in basic social skills, with their last direct interaction with another horse often being their mother. These horses can be harder to integrate into a herd, but it is absolutely possible to support them in learning social skills and creating good situations where your current herd can also teach them how to be a horse.

I hope that by the end of this section you might feel greater confidence in making this shift that can be so beneficial physically, emotionally, socially and mentally for your horses. 

In my soon-to-be-released online course I have included several case studies showing different herd integrations with all sorts of different types of horses, including those that are under-socialized, miniature horses, show horses. I hope you feel inspired and encouraged by them (sign up below to get all the info about the course release)! 

 

In all of these case studies, several aspects were consistent and led to successful herd integrations, preserving relationship and supporting positive connections: 

 

  1. Well-regulated humans, meaning humans that are able to settle their systems, access their breathing to de-escalate themselves in stressful situations, ground their feet and bodies, be real about and work with their anxiety/fear, and generally find a state of calm and trust.
  2. Humans who can read and understand herd language and relationship cues. Sometimes an integration can look scary, when in fact normal horse behaviour is occurring, causing us to pull the plug and not continue forward. There will often be things to work through that we cannot control, and being able to read behaviour allows us to know when this is happening, and when the behaviour is entering a space of dysregulation and stress that requires an interruption. It will also let us be more in the flow of the process, understanding when the herd is ready for the next step or needs more time to settle and adjust.
  3. Well-regulated horses. Ideally a herd integration is boring and uneventful, and this is more so the case when at least one of the horses is well-socialized and has a good understanding of herd dynamics. This also requires you to have good observer skills and read behaviour to understand what connected and regulated looks like in your horses, and what stress looks like. If the horse you are introducing is not well socialized, your work will be to support them in learning basic social and settling skills through ground work, training and building more capacity for regulation through stress.
  4. Time. I have been guilty of herd integrations that were way way too rushed, very stressful and just generally not fun for anyone. I don’t do this anymore, now that I understand nervous systems and herd dynamics. Time is our friend. My colleague Elisse Miki has taken up to a month for an integration onto her track system, starting with the horse in an adjacent paddock and allowing the horses to get acquainted over a safe fence line and be able to take space or interact as they choose. Then the integration is done in small doses over a number of days with careful observation on the state of the herd and the newcomers. Time allows for baby steps and titration, giving their systems the opportunity to adjust.
  5. A well set up space. Be sure to eliminate any corners or places where a horse could become trapped. You may decide to shut the stalls temporarily, open more gates than usual and place panels in strategic places to support flow. Lots of forage available, including loose hay and possibly grass. I often thought that having a great big space for introductions would be best, but I’ve learned that this can provoke an escalated response because there is lots of room to run. Setting up a space that somewhat limits them getting up to speed, but doesn’t have any tight corners can be a good solution. 

Want to learn more? Sign up for our new comprehensive Build a Horse Track System (on the West Coast) online self study course.

 

12 Awesome Enrichment ideas for your horse

12 Awesome Enrichment ideas for your horse

by | Aug 4, 2024

12 Awesome Enrichment ideas for your horse

Whether you are shifting up a more traditonal horse keeping setting or you are planning a track system, one of the most fun aspects to think about and implement is enrichment for your horses. Enrichment includes any aspect of your track that adds a little spice to your horses lives and emulates a natural environment, all while building their body awareness, coordination, proprioception and sense of curiosity.

Think about what a wild horse might be navigating in their environment – how might you create a little bit of that in your horses space?

Adding a kiddie pool and/or a gym mat is easy, cheap and fun for your horses! A large tractor tire can be repurposed into a perfect pedestal obstacle.

Enriching things for horses might include other horses (the best enrichment of all!), poles, branches, rocks, hills, valleys, creeks, varied footing, varied forage, tires, trees and forests, treat puzzles, a gym mat, a tarp, a kiddie pool, wooden obstacles including pedestals and bridges.

If you’re in a boarding situation with an individual paddock, start simple with a few poles, some puzzles (hay balls are a great one for this), and maybe even a sand pile, and keep adding as you and your horse get inspired.

Remember, increasing your horse’s level of choice is key, so anything that does this is a win, even if your current situation isn’t ideal.

Adding poles to your paddock or to your track system increases the level of enrichment and mimics a more natural environment

Some of my favourite and often re-purposed enrichment ideas:

  1. Varied forage. Add horse-healthy tree branches (I love willow) and leave down branches that fall to allow your horses to munch on bark and leaves. Hide little bits of hay or treats around your track for your horses to sniff out and find. You can also mix up their hay by feeding a few different types at a time and add a bag of straw. Plant medicinal herbs and shrubs around your track for your horses to enjoy.
  2. Get their noses involved. Making puzzles for your horses using treats and cubes can be a very fun and engaging task for them. In hot weather, you can freeze water with carrots or apples to keep them entertained and cool. Learn more from Rachael Draaisma and her scentwork online course.
  3. Poles and logs. You’d be amazed how well-coordinated your horses become when they have to move over poles every time they run around your track. You can repurpose old fence posts or jump poles, or even logs that fall in the forest, to create a challenging, fun obstacles course.
  4. A big tractor or truck tire filled with dirt and then gravel – makes such a fun spot to stretch, play and build strength and coordination all in one. And small tires without the rims make great obstacles.
  5. A kiddie pool! Great on hot days and secondary water source. If you have a horse that loves water they will love this addition and it’s also a great way to get horses used to water. You want the harder plastic kind, nothing fancy. They are amazingly durable and easy to patch. Find them cheap on FB marketplace.
  6. A sand pile. Perfect for napping and playing! You don’t even need to spread it out – just let your horses do the job for you.
  7. A hay ball. My mare Raven loves her hay ball, and seeks it out every day. https://amzn.to/3RxbY4K
  8. A wooden pedestal and a wooden bridge.
  9. A hill. You’d be amazed how much your horses love climbing up and down a hill. How great is this skill when you get out on the trail, and also for building strength and coordination for whatever you’re up to. You can also add a rock pile and tuck treats in it for a surprise.
  10. A water buffet. We look at this great enrichment activity in a couple of lessons.
  11. Some puzzles. Make your horses puzzles. Raven has great fun with an empty plastic apple cider vinegar bottle with holes for hay cubes to come out, tied up in a tree (and it’s free and repurposed!). This treat ball is perfect for tucking hay cubes and providing a few hours of enrichment https://amzn.to/3z8DSOi
  12. A gym mat. The cushy terrain of a gym mat can be challenging for their stabilizers and can support positive shifts all the way up to the brain (Find them here – https://amzn.to/3RtA2Fx). Or try out Surefoot Pads – https://www.ttouch.ca/product-category/surefoot/

Here is a great article with some more ideas:

https://www.yourhorse.co.uk/horse-care/horse-behaviour/7-ways-to-enrich-your-horses-environment-and-make-him-happy/?rq=Justine%20harrison

This is a great FB page with lots of ideas for enrichment: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2609672455794356/

A photo of myself with Elisse Miki of Equilibira Therapeutics in Langley, BC chatting about the obstacles she includes in her horse space, including this pedastal. You’ll get a tour of her amazing track system when you sign up for our soon-to-be-released online course! As well, the header image of the water buffet is also from her track system.

Want to learn more? Sign up for our new comprehensive Build a Horse Track System (on the West Coast) online self study course.