Healthy horsekeeping

Good and healthy horsekeeping is based on your knowledge of what is best for your horse. This is especially true when it comes to feeding, exercise and daily care.

If you keep your horse in stables, they must meet the requirements and recommendations set by the Swedish Board of Agriculture, including certain measurements for boxes and stalls, headroom etc., which are obligatory. The stable environment must be sound; the horse must not be exposed to drafts, dampness, dust or noise. You must ensure that the horse has a dry and comfortable bed to stand/lie in. If your house is in loose housing, it must have some form of protection that it can step into to get away from the elements. If the horse is also outside during winter, you must provide a dry and clean bed.

The horse must have a good and balanced diet, and unless it has free access to food, it must be feed at least three, and preferably more, times a day. The horse must have free access to water.

If the horse is kept in stables, it should be  released into a paddock every day. It should also be given a chance to go outside or have contact with other horses. The paddock should ideally contain something for the horse to occupy itself with, such as a ball or a few birch twigs, in case your horse gets bored. The fences must be set up so that the horse cannot injure itself on them; any electrical wires must be well-stretched, and barbed wire must not be used.

Horses need to move around, and it is important that you give them plenty of varied exercise to give them a chance to develop their muscles, strength and stamina as well as to release energy.

The horse must have daily supervision, even when it is on summer pasture. You must ensure that the horse is healthy and well. If you set up a good routine when it comes to all the work relating to the horse, you will get a happy and harmonious horse – and an amazing relationship!