Horses have so many aspects of their life decided by their riders. Everything from where they live to what horses they are pastured with. As equestrians, we must remember that horses are sentient beings with emotions, likes, and dislikes. Although we may not speak the same language, we still have preferences and a need to feel satisfied. Why is giving your horse choices important?
Giving your horse choices is important because they feel more in control of their life that way, improving their safety and overall welfare. Denying choice also promotes negative behaviors and compromises health.
Our equine friends deserve to live a comfortable and satisfied life. They do so much for us already. Continue below to learn more about why horses need choices and how to incorporate more authority for your horse.
Why Should You Give Your Horse Choices?
Horses have a wide range of feelings and thoughts. Since equestrians have goals with their horses and take up all the responsibility of horse care, they forget that horses can choose. Changing horse care to allow choice provides a sense of safety and security for the horse and a greater feeling of control.
Horses with more control are happier and more willing to participate in planned activities. They already demonstrate their capacity to choose through natural behaviors such as where they move in the pasture, what they do in turnout, and how much of their food to eat.
A study found that when animals have choices, negative behaviors and vices decrease, and play behaviors increase. Giving your horse choices means less or no stall kicking and more horsey zoomies, to name a few. Horses without any control develop depression, dangerous undersaddle behaviors, and generally become unsafe to handle. Even the smallest opportunity for choice can make a difference.
How To Give Your Horse More Choice
The first thing you must do before providing your horse choices is to discover what they like using a preference test. For example, set two different buckets with forage out for your horse and see which one it eats first. Give them as much time as they need to choose and let them explore at their leisure. Once you do a preference test for one aspect of their life, you can do it for everything from bedding to training. Do not provide too many choices to avoid overwhelming your horse.
Just as your horse deserves to make choices, you have a responsibility to your horse to provide them the best care possible. BioPro Armour is the best option for horses’ immune health and wellness. Powerful thymic proteins and zinc work together to enhance immune response and help immune cells target pathogens. As a result, horses get sick less often, and both of you can spend more time doing what you love. Click the link above to give it a try today!
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