SA Saddle Horse 6th Edition - Flipbook - Page 56
Friends, Forage, Freedom:
The Psychological Needs of Horses
Happiness—it’s something we all want for ourselves and each other. Our treasured horses are no exception. We spend
thousands of rands and endless hours trying to make sure our beloved equine friends have everything they need to lead
the joyful lives they deserve.
But what, exactly, are our horses’ actual psychological needs? In this article, we’ll cover the basics of what our horses
need to live their best lives and how we can do this practically in the modern world.
THE HORSE IN THE WILD
THE THREE FS
No true wild horses of the Equus caballus species exist
anymore; our friends have been domesticated for so
many thousands of years that their ancestors have
died out in the wild. Behavioural scientists study feral
horses, such as the Australian brumby, to form a better
picture of what equine life is like without human
interference.
Thanks to this model of feral horse life, behaviorists have
identified three core psychological needs of horses. These
are nicknamed the three Fs: Forage, Friends, and
Freedom.
Several key elements of feral horses’ behavior directly
impact the stress levels of domestic horses. Firstly,
these horses have the freedom to move incredible
distances—an average of about 15km per day, with
horses in exceptionally dry circumstances traveling
much farther, as much as 55km from their watering
areas.
Forage is one that most horse owners know well, particularly
thanks to the prevalence of EGUS—gastric ulcers—in the
modern horse. Horses need constant access to forage for
more than physical reasons, however. Being without access
to food causes boredom and severe anxiety in horses, which
compounds physical problems like stereotypies and ulcers.
This can also result in behavioral issues under saddle linked
to pain from gastric acid splash, as well as general tension
and anxiety. Food aggression is another common
consequence of limiting access to forage.
The most crucial aspect of feral horse behavior is the
fact that they live in groups of friends known as bands.
These bands consist of a stallion and his harem of
mares or several younger stallions without any mares,
and number around five to fifteen horses. Many bands
make up large herds that coexist in the same territory
with occasional conflict between stallions.
Friends are an often-overlooked but vital aspect of equine
mental health. To a horse, being able to touch, see, and
interact with other horses is about more than loneliness. It’s a
matter of life and death. Being alone means being a target for
the predators that—in their minds—are everywhere. Having
access to other horses goes beyond survival, too: spending
time playing and mutual grooming with friends keeps them
interested in life.
Finally, these horses spend the majority of their time
eating forage. Horses originated in cold, dry climates
such as the Mongolian steppe, where grazing is scarce
and has a low nutritional value. As a result, they
constantly consume small amounts of food
throughout the day, spending up to eighteen hours
each day eating. Most of this time is spent grazing, but
wild horses also enjoy browsing trees and bushes.
Freedom means catering to the horse’s need for space and
movement. Constant, low-impact movement is healthy for
their bodies as well as their minds. There’s another essential
reason why horses need space: their instincts tell them to flee
from predators. When they don’t have room to run from
perceived threats, trapped horses can respond with conflict
behaviors, including aggression.
