TOP TEN TIPS
- 01
Turn your horse out as much as possible with a stable group of other horses.
- 02
Introduce your horse to a new herd gradually. Start by turning him out in an adjacent paddock and introduce a friendly horse when he is calm and relaxed. In about a week to two weeks they can join the rest of the herd.
- 03
Stable your horse next to others from his herd. If your horse has a special friend, put them next door to each other.
- 04
Horses prefer to spend around 16 hours a day eating. When your horse is stabled, replace some of his hay with a short chopped hay replacer or meal extender so he has less time with nothing to do.
- 05
If your horse crib bites, avoid feeds that have been molassed and give him an antacid to reduce the amount of time he spends cribbing. This is kinder than using a crib-collar.
- 06
If he weaves, a window to next door’s stable or a stable mirror can reduce the amount of time he does this. But would not be suitable for an unsociable horse.
- 07
Have your horse’s saddle fitted by a Master Saddler. Badly fitting saddles cause pain so doing this can prevent physical injury and problem behaviour.
- 08
Spend time with your horse to find out what he likes. You can use these activities to break up training sessions or just to relax with your horse.
- 09
When training your horse, keep the sessions short. Only working on two or three tasks at a time will help your horse remember what he’s been taught.
- 10
Allow plenty of time for situations your horse may find frightening, such as loading into a horsebox. This way you won’t have to hurry and end up forcing your horse to behave dangerously.
