Perception: What we think is 'natural' for horses! Photo © Jill Willis
And then, when this hypothetical stallion is turned out, we can imagine how he will tear around his small paddock kicking and bucking in full of animated glory. And for the especially pampered horse – often the prized breeding stallion - he might even have a window to the outside world so he can keep a watch on his harem. In the more luxurious barns, a ceiling fan might be mounted over the stalls and a few toys are hanging from the ceiling to stave off any possible boredom. Many people think – or have thought at one time – that the idyllic setting for horses is something along the lines of the pastoral setting of Kentucky with their flat green carpets of grass surrounded by white 3-rail fencing for them to graze and frolic in by day and, at night, a beautiful, airy barn with large rubber-mat-lined stalls filled knee-high with fluffy pine shavings.
One might think that with some 60 million horses in the world that we would, as a civilization in love with these beautiful animals, have a good understanding of the species – how to properly feed them, how to provide ample and healthy living conditions, when and how to ride them, what to feed them along with how much and how often, and how to best care for their feet without much risk of causing them any harm.
