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Question:
I have a young horse and I board him at home.
I work full-time and I don’t get to work with him as much as I would
like. He is alone a lot of the time and when I do take him out, he
is skittish around other horses. What can I do about this?
Answer:
We all have busy times when we can’t work with
our horses as much as we would like. Family, illness, work and
weather can prevent us from working our horses consistently.
Whether you board your horse at home or in a stable, try to find
someone to help you turn the horse out every day or so. It is
important that a young horse get some kind of exercise. If you put
your horse in with other hand-picked horses, you can also socialize
your horse. Being with another horse will help him learn how to act
around his own kind. Socialization with their own kind, another
baby or an adult horse, is very important and should be part of your
horse’s training program. Socialization can affect the emotional
and mental development of your horse and make for a more well
rounded horse.
When I first bought my horse Tennison at 18
months, he had never been exposed to any kind of socialization. It
took him several years to learn how to “be a horse”-- to romp and
play and rear and bite and chase other horses in a pasture or
corral. Horses are just like people in that if they are not
socialized enough, they do not know how to act around their own
kind. With socialization, a horse learns how to accept pressure and
leadership better. An adult horse will educate a youngster. Any
time a puppy comes to the ranch, my dog Max, who is four years old,
seems to think it is his job to teach the puppy manners. An older
horse does the same thing. I use mares for this because they are
usually good teachers.
Since you only have one horse and board your
horse at home, how do you provide the socialization? Try to get
your horse out with others at trail rides or horse shows. Some of
my clients have adopted or bought rescue horses with lameness
problems to provide companionship for their horse. This way, not
only can you save a life by adopting a horse who normally wouldn’t
be adoptable, but you can also make your horse happy. I have also
had clients who have gotten a goat to provide companionship for
their horse and have seen the two animals romp and play together.
Since not every horse is a good match and you
don’t want your horse hurt, you do have to be careful which other
horse you match your horse up with. We do this regularly at the
ranch when a horse comes in for training and I have never had any
major problems or accidents other than a horse giving or getting a
nip here and there. I actually have seen more horses get hurt by
themselves than when they are with others. We try to match up two
to three horses in the large turnouts so that they get plenty of
socialization.
If you board out, it is important to pay
attention to what goes on and to speak up when the situation isn’t
good. Even the most conscientious ranch or stable owner can get
busy and not see everything that is going on. You can’t assume that
when you board your horse out, anyone but you is going to routinely
see that everything is going well. Know your horse well, behavior,
soundness and personality.
-Charles Wilhelm
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