Over the years I have seen many posts and videos of equestrians showing off what they bought their horse for Christmas. A lot of the times it is the latest Ogilvy saddle pad (in a limited edition color!), “support” boots, or maybe some shiny new spurs (woohoo).
This year, I wanted to share a list of things your horse would actually like for Christmas (most of which cost very little). Please enjoy and happy holidays!
1. Time spent without riding
Unlike you, a ride isn’t always your horse’s idea of a good time. Give your horse the gift of some fun groundwork or just a nice thorough grooming session to give him a mental and physical break from working. I promise he will most certainly appreciate it.
2. Freedom
What do horses require as a basic need? TURNOUT! Allow your horse plenty of turnout during the holidays (and the rest of the year as well) to let them be a horse and exercise themselves naturally. Nobody wants to be cooped up in a stall for Christmas.
3. Forage
Give your horse the gift of free-choice hay this Christmas to satisfy his natural grazing instincts. All the stall toys in the world can’t compete with some good old hay.
4. Friends
Just like forage and freedom, horses need friends. This doesn’t mean being able to see another horse in the stall across the aisle. I mean time spent outside, interacting with other horses. These interactions do wonderful things for your horse’s mental health and leads to happier horses overall.
5. Bodywork
Whether it be Magnawave or chiropractic work, schedule your horse a bodywork session for Christmas. These sessions will help your horse feel more comfortable and happy during rides and other work.
6. Saddle Fitting
All the special saddle pads and bodywork sessions can’t fix the issues an ill-fitting saddle causes. Schedule a saddle fitting for both you and your horse to receive recommendations to keep both of you comfortable and pain-free.
7. Nutritional Analysis
Spending all that money on the top commercial feed? It may not be doing what you think it’s doing. Send your horse’s diet in to an equine nutritionist to see where there may be some deficiencies or toxicities. Remember, a balanced diet leads to a happy horse.
Thank you so much for reading about 7 things your horse would actually like for Christmas. Which one was your favorite? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.<3
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