Why Turnout Is Important for Your Horse?

Hello, how are you today? Welcome to our blog About Pets. We hope you are very well and looking forward to a new post about Pets.
Today we want to share with you a special post:

How often should you Turnout a horse?

Horses are the healthiest and happiest outdoors in their pastures. There are several reasons why your horse should be outdoors as much as possible.

Although many horses cry out to enter a stable in bad weather, it is important that they live outdoors as much as possible.

Sometimes it is necessary to keep your horse confined to a stable, for example when a veterinarian prescribes stable rest.

Other than that, participation (being outdoors) is crucial to your horse's health and well-being.

Hoof health

Blood circulation is essential for hoof health and horses may not get enough exercise while standing in a stable.

Standing on bedding soiled with manure and urine can also lead to hoof problems like thrush and white line disease.

Hoof growth and strength can be compromised if horses are left standing in a stable for long periods of time, especially if the litter is left wet.

Exercise stimulates the natural growth of hooves.

Leg health

Horses standing in stables can develop stored legs, which is a condition where the legs swell, usually below the knee joints.

This is noticeable in all four legs and dissipates when the horse is allowed to lie. move (this helps determine if a stocking or a wound causing the swelling).

Leg injuries occur when horses are frustrated by staying on stall walls or hay feeders. Impatient horses can injure their front legs when going out and wearing their hooves unevenly.

Boredom

Horses are intelligent herding animals and will become restless and boring if individually confined indoors for long periods of time.

A horse can entertain itself by chewing on the walls of the stables. Wedging is a stereotypical behavior as a way of dealing with stress in which a horse places its upper incisors on a vertical object such as a fence post or gate and arches while inhaling.

The horse can walk around the perimeter of its enclosure. , known as stable walking, an obsessive-compulsive habit that can lead to other health problems (if a horse is constantly stuck, it will not eat or rest).

While all of these so-called "vices" are not caused by stagnation alone, keeping a horse indoors where it will get bored and unable to expend energy can exacerbate the horse's bad habits.

Camaraderie

Horses are herd animals. Keeping horses separated in stables, where they cannot see and interact with each other, can be very stressful. Outdoor pasture, even if the horses are kept in separate pens but can still be seen, is better for the sanity of your horses. Even better is being able to run or trot with other horses.

Digestive health

Horses that live outdoors tend to have fewer colic episodes than horses that are kept in a stable.

A study from the University of Nottingham suggests that stagnant horses may be more prone to colic and that lack of movement slows down intestinal motility, leading to impaction colic, which is similar to the impaired mobility problems they suffer. sedentary humans.

Horses that are outdoors with room to move tend to develop colic less often than stagnant horses.

The same slowed motility that can lead to impaction colic in stagnant horses can contribute to equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS), a painful intestinal condition. The mental stress of being stuck for long periods of time can also play a role.

Respiratory health

The ammonia fumes that develop when manure, bedding, and urine break down (a process that takes a surprisingly short time) can damage your horse's airways.

Ammonia is caustic and not only does it smell bad, but it can also increase your horse's risk of pneumonia or recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Dust can also increase your horse's vulnerability to chronic inflammatory airway disease.

Even in a well-ventilated barn, stale air can cause problems. Horses breathe more easily outdoors.

Behavior

Bored and energetic horses kept in stables can not only develop annoying vices, they can also misbehave by finding creative ways to burn off excess energy.

Horses can act by kicking the walls of the stables, hitting the horses. passersby, or chew or bite on anything within reach.

When handled, a bored and energetic horse may attempt to bite its handler, kick and kick when tied up or find it difficult to sit still to be groomed or saddled.

When it is time to ride, you will find that your horse may act by pulling, pushing, or inattentive to your controls. Horses that can move naturally outdoors are more relaxed and have less pent-up energy, which can make them easier to handle and ride.

Weather and health issues can sometimes make the stable the best place for your horse. But give your horse as much engagement time as possible.

Enjoy The Video Tutorial about The Importance of Turnout in Horse Care

Source: HorseClass

Did you find this post Useful or Inspiring? Save THIS PIN to your PETS Board on Pinterest! 😊

Ok, That is all for now…

If you enjoyed this article please, Share and Like our Facebook Page. Thanks.

See you in the next post, Have a Wonderful Day!