horse exercise requirement, living in stall year round - Ask Extension
its in my title
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horse exercise requirement, living in stall year round #821580
Asked March 03, 2023, 2:21 PM EST
its in my title
Polk County Oregon
Expert Response
Hello Julie,
You didn't really ask a question, or provide any details about the horse and the housing situation, but I can give you some basic guidelines for horse care to get you started.
Most horses can be kept outside on pasture year round and they will get enough excercise to maintain basic health when turned out. However, there are many benefits to having a horse in a stall, at least part time. These include making it easier to use the horse for riding and training, monitoring feed intake, and being able to look over the horse frequently to assess it's health.
For an overview of horse housing options, I recommend this publication: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/behavioral_considerations_when_housing_horses There is good information about how to watch a horse's behavior to know if it needs more time out of its stall. Some horses like stalls better than others. Also look at the pie charts about horse activity. The average pastured horse spends about 100 minutes a day moving and the average stalled horse about 60 minutes a day (which might be riding or turn out).
Spending 100% of the time in a stall is rarely a good idea. Usually a horse is placed on "stall rest" for only a few weeks. The vet may or may not allow hand walking during that time. Here is a publication about how to handle horses during stall rest: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/behavioral_considerations_when_housing_horses
If you are wondering more about your horse's fitness level, this guide will help you determine your horse's level of work. A casual rider that works with their horse 1-3 times a week would fall into the "Light" exercise category. https://extension.psu.edu/characterizing-the-exercise-workloads-and-energy-needs-of-horses
Horses do need to get some movement to help digest food and maintain cardivascular health. Riding and training time help meet a horse's fitness needs. Turn-out time is good for a horse's mental health, especially if it includes social time with other horses. A good goal is to make sure your horse is getting out of its stall for at least 30-60 minutes a day.
You didn't really ask a question, or provide any details about the horse and the housing situation, but I can give you some basic guidelines for horse care to get you started.
Most horses can be kept outside on pasture year round and they will get enough excercise to maintain basic health when turned out. However, there are many benefits to having a horse in a stall, at least part time. These include making it easier to use the horse for riding and training, monitoring feed intake, and being able to look over the horse frequently to assess it's health.
For an overview of horse housing options, I recommend this publication: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/behavioral_considerations_when_housing_horses There is good information about how to watch a horse's behavior to know if it needs more time out of its stall. Some horses like stalls better than others. Also look at the pie charts about horse activity. The average pastured horse spends about 100 minutes a day moving and the average stalled horse about 60 minutes a day (which might be riding or turn out).
Spending 100% of the time in a stall is rarely a good idea. Usually a horse is placed on "stall rest" for only a few weeks. The vet may or may not allow hand walking during that time. Here is a publication about how to handle horses during stall rest: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/behavioral_considerations_when_housing_horses
If you are wondering more about your horse's fitness level, this guide will help you determine your horse's level of work. A casual rider that works with their horse 1-3 times a week would fall into the "Light" exercise category. https://extension.psu.edu/characterizing-the-exercise-workloads-and-energy-needs-of-horses
Horses do need to get some movement to help digest food and maintain cardivascular health. Riding and training time help meet a horse's fitness needs. Turn-out time is good for a horse's mental health, especially if it includes social time with other horses. A good goal is to make sure your horse is getting out of its stall for at least 30-60 minutes a day.
