Hello and welcome to this discussion of best practices for care for the horse. In this lesson, we'll discuss basic care guidelines for the well-being of all horses, whether they are kept in stalls or pastured. We'll look beyond the minimum standards as defined by various states and governments to the core standards shared by responsible horsemen worldwide that allow horses to not just survive but thrive. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to list the five basic elements of care and apply them to your own situation. Let's start with basic shelter. Shelter, is a key element of equine management. It is necessary for horse's comfort and welfare and for safekeeping during health and illness. Housing safeguards their physical and mental health, because it protects them from weather and from predators, whether real or imagined. When we don't provide adequate or suitable shelter for horses, they're subject to physical ailments such as skin lesions and or respiratory disorders. If they don't have proper footing on the ground or a good surface to rest on they lose their ability to move properly and may suffer from pressure sores on their body. They also will suffer mentally from housing situations that create too much confinement or isolation, and this can result in behavioral abnormalities. When these behavioral abnormalities are not addressed, the horses will ultimately suffer from other physical ailments such as lameness, abrasions, lacerations, or kicks that they sustain while trying to navigate their environment. Minimum standards of care requirements vary from state to state within our country, and shelter needs will also vary with climate and terrain. But there are basic elements to proper home environments and care for all horses. In the first module we focused on the parameters that define the normal horse. Now we will focus on the environments that we as horsemen and women create to maintain a healthy and happy life for our horses. As we have previously said, it is always important to keep in mind the horse's anatomy and natural inclinations when we consider the environment they should live in. Remember, horses have blind spots of vision. They need to be part of a herd. They have an inclination to flee instead of fight. They ideally graze for the majority of their day, but they also need a place to stand and rest at the end of the day. There are five elements of basic care that should be considered when designing an environment for your horse. Number one, containment and footing. This entails the space required to move freely, lie down, groom, exercise, and socialize. It also includes reasonably even ground or smooth paths to move about on. Finally, ground should be dry with adequate natural or man made drainage. The second element of consideration is ventilation, meaning the circulation of fresh air, free from drafts, and free from particulate matter, such as hay chaff and dust. The third element to consider is protection from sun, heat, cold, wind, rain, and snow; and from the nuisance of biting insects. The fourth element is cleanliness, meaning that manure and urine are removed in a timely manner, and there is space for the horse to get away from its own excrement. Finally, the fifth element is safety. Is the environment free from hazards such as nails, sharp edges, electrical wires, hanging branches, and free from toxic plants and predators. In addition to considering these basic elements of care, we also need to provide an enriched environment for the horse to thrive and express their natural behaviors. This not only addresses their mental health, but also helps to prevent physical ailments. Animal welfare is a growing science and recent research of the behavior and psychology of horses is bringing to light the importance of fulfilling their social needs and supporting a stress free environment. Just as with preventing physical diseases, prevention is key for the horse's mental health. If a horse's needs are fulfilled and handlers are properly trained in husbandry, the horse is less likely to suffer from behavioral problems. On a larger scale, reducing the number of horses with behavioral problems will aid in reducing the number of unwanted horses in this country. On the resource page, you'll find a link the valuable resources for more information about long term equine behavior and welfare issues. We recommend you visit the resources area to learn more. Many horsemen and women pay great attention to the training of the riding or driving horse when tacked up and in the working mode. While this is of course very important, this training in use mode is often only a small portion of a horse's day, one to two hours. The remainder of the day, perhaps as much as ninety percent of the horses time is spent in their home environment. Horses have been very adaptable to human convenience. As we continue to learn more about the horse's fundamental social needs, we should aim to adapt our way of equine husbandry to meet their needs. When a horse is not working and is at rest, the horse should have the opportunity to self groom all parts of the body. To choose to lay down in a place perceived to be safe from their point of view. To interact socially with other horses from an early age. And to create inter-generational bonds, such as mature horse with a youngster. They should be allowed to express their innate curiosity about their surroundings, and explore and learn about new environments and companions. Now that we have discussed the basic shelter requirements for the horse, let's turn our attention to the specific types of housing that meets standards for adequate shelter of the domesticated horse. In our next lesson we'll address the best practices for stabled horses.
