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Open Stables.
This page was last updated: 2003-12-08
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What is good and bad about open stables?
Below, I am comparing stabling in open stables with stabling
in boxes over night / being outside (paddock or pasture) in the daytime - as I
don't think any other way of keeping horses is appropriate nor acceptable today,
with the knowledge we have of the needs and behaviour of our horses.
Of course, I am aware that there might be a few top-sporthorses - or
stallions - that are too valuable to be allowed to run free with other horses...
On the other hand, even they should be allowed the possibility to run free on
their own then, at least for a couple of hours... And
company by a small pony, a goat, a donkey, a calf should be possible - even for
such horses.... So, back to my opinion - stabling in either open stables or
box/paddock are the only acceptable options in my eyes, as horses that are kept
in a box all day - or even tied up in an old fashioned type of stable are
suffering many more problems, like swollen/sore legs, or physical problems due
to boredom or lack of a proper social life ....
Good things about it....
Well, the good things about open stables should be more or less obvious to anyone who cares for horses, and has some knowledge and understanding of their natural behaviour:
The horses get a unique possibility for satisfying
their need for socialization with other horses. They are able to
establish real herd structures, with alphas, leading mares etc. - all of
course depending on the actual group of horses - breed, sex, age and so on.
Normally a group of not too many horses will function best, as there will be
least "fights" about rank and food among fewer horses. But this
will of course also depend on the size of the box/stall/shelter and the size
of the paddock/pasture. And again, it will depend on the breed, sex and age
of the horses. A group of young stallions/geldings will be
"fighting" and playing no matter how many you keep together, and so
it will be important to keep an eye on the "omega" horse(s) to
assure that
they still get the food they need, and are not being bullied too much
around.
A group of mares with foals on a big pasture will normally do quite well
even with a large number of horses,
provided the alpha mare is of the calm type.
A group of riding horses/sporthorses will normally also do very well in an
open stable, they will be less likely to develop bad behaviour of any kind,
but especially bad behaviour arising out of boredom. Again, a group of horses of
the same type and size will probably do better together than a group with
greater diversity, so that it might be better to split a larger group of
horses and ponies into two smaller groups - one with the horses and another
with the ponies. Important is also to make sure that the same horse/pony is not
left alone for hours every day, when the rest of the herd is taken out for
riding or other work.
The horses get the possibility of exercising as
much or as little as they want over the whole day, not only for a couple of
hours under saddle - or for a couple of hours in the paddock, when stabled
in a box for the rest of the day.
Horses are made for moving around, which you probably already know. But
this means literally that they if left the possibility will move around
almost all the time... Not like running, but moving one step by another,
when grazing.. Or walking a few meters (or longer distances) to find a
better spot to graze or search for water... Studies have shown that wild
horses are moving around about at least 16 hours a day for these purposes.
Of course wild horses have larger areas at their disposal than most of our
"kept" horses have.. But even then, horses in open stables have
free choice of when to move, how fast to move, where to move - and when to
just lay down and sleep... I know that when horses stabled in boxes are
allowed access to pastures/paddocks during the day, they of course also have
the possibilities of running free at least for a couple of hours every
day.... But, often they will run a lot right after being let out,
meaning that they go directly from standing still in the box to moving fast
around in the paddock - often even with wet and slippery soil... Ever heard
of warming up, before starting running? - Exactly, horses that are let out
to run, did not warm up first, and so they have a fairly high risk of injuring
legs and backs. On the other hand horses in open stables never really are still for a
longer time, so they never "stiffen up" the way horses in
boxes do... And so do not have the same need for warming up, before they
start moving/running around, enjoying themselves out in the open....
The horses get the possibility of choosing by
themselves to either stay out for hours and hours, or stay inside most of
the time and only go out for a few hours, when the weather is appropriate
for it (meaning not too warm and sunny, nor too cold, wet and windy).
Some horses don't like too much rain, some horses don't like too much
wind, some horses don't like too much sun, and some horse couldn't care
less, how the weather is, when they choose between staying inside or have a
little walk outside...
Bad things about it....
Well, I actually can't think of anything bad about open stables... Of course, it is important that you keep an eye on the herd to see that the horses get along... But this is also true for horses that are "only" let out during daytime, or are grazing in herds in summertime...
Besides that, I can only think of three other things that could be called "bad" about the open stabling....
1. If the pasture is too muddy and wet,
there is a risk that the horses get bad hoofs or sore legs...
This of course could be a problem, but has more to do with management of
your pastures/paddocks, than with the stabling in open stables. Letting your
horses out on such a muddy paddock is equally risky, if it is only let out
during the daytime, maybe even more, as there will be a tendency towards
"running" right after being let out, which will cause a lot of
strain on your horse' legs, when it comes cold and stiff from the box out to
run and "slide" in a muddy paddock.
2. Your horses get too long and heavy a
coat and so will have a tendency of overly sweating when ridden...
Again, this is in my opinion more a question about management. If you
provide your horse with a thin blanket, when let out in the fall, he will
develop a less think coat, and so the risk of him getting to become overly
sweaty, when you are riding him, will decrease. Should you still find his
coat to be too thick, you can also cut his coat, when he has finished
setting his wintercoat... Typically, you will cut him at the shoulder/front,
and at the legs, thus giving him a change to get rid of the heat, when he is
been ridden. A horse that had it's coat cut like this, should eventually
wear a blanket in the open stable... And this will then also help to prevent
"bad thing" No. 3...
3. Your horses get too wet and muddy to
be ridden, when it's raining....
This of course is a problem, if you are a devoted rider that want to
ride your horse everyday... But, again - the problem can be fairly easily
solved by letting your horse wear a blanket.... There are so many "high
tech" blankets on the market that are not very warm for the horse
(which is an advantage for an open stable horse that should be able to keep
warm even in cold weather), but are waterproof - and still breathable, to
provide your horse with protection, but without jeopardising his health.
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Now, after having read all this, it should be obvious for everyone that I think open stables is the best way to house our horses. No matter their breed, and what they are used for.
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