If there is one thing I will always advocate for, it’s more turnout for horses! Horses are not and have never been animals that should be confined to a stall. While I concede that there are times when stalling is necessary (mainly injury or illness), I wanted to share 9 amazing benefits of turning out your horses 24/7.
Of course, I do want to mention that this article is not meant to make anyone feel bad. I, myself, stalled my horses for a number of years. Only after I educated myself did I see all the wrong I was doing to my horses. It is never too late to change!
1. Better digestion
When horses are turned out, they can move a lot more than they would/could in a stall. According to MadBarn, this movement “allows for the contraction of smooth muscles in the intestinal wall responsible for transporting food through the gut.” This contraction leads to better digestive motility and therefore a decreased risk of impaction colic as a result.
Whenever free choice grass or hay is provided with turnout, there is an additional decreased risk of stomach ulcers. Horses that can graze throughout the day continuously keep food in their stomachs. This, along with the buffers produced through chewing and saliva secretion, protects the equine gut from the gastric acid that is constantly produced.
Of course, in cases where turnout is limited, feeding your horse through a slow feed hay net can help mimic the slow grazing throughout the day, keeping their stomach healthy.
2. Happier horses
If there is one thing I can make clear, it is that horses are not inside animals. They have evolved to live outdoors and thrive on turnout. Turning out your horse can help reduce stress, provide them with fresh, clean air, and can reduce and prevent stereotypies.
Stereotypies, such as weaving, cribbing, or circling, develop through equine boredom or stress. It isn’t funny that your horse is “dancing” in his stall. Your horse pinning his ears as you approach his stall is not something to make a funny TikTok about. He is showing very clear signs of stress and needs to be able to move freely, outdoors.
3. Increased blood circulation in the body
Horses that can move around throughout the day show an increase in blood circulation when compared to stalled horses. The movement horses perform when turned out also has been shown to lead to better muscle recovery and less stocking up in the lower legs.
4. Decreased risk of respiratory illness
It is fair to say that horses that are stalled are exposed to numerous airborne particles and contaminants on a daily basis. Dust, dirt, exhaust, ammonia, and the list goes on.
Since we have already covered how flawed the equine respiratory system is, it is clear that turning out your horses would lead to a decreased risk of respiratory illness. Turned out horses receive less exposure to these harmful, disease-causing irritants.
5. Better physical fitness
Turning out your horses allows for free movement, meaning your horse is exercising (in some fashion) for most of the day. Studies have found that increased turnout can lead to a lower incidence of soft tissue injury and an ability to maintain a baseline level of fitness.
According to MadBarn, “[studies show that] horses on pasture turnout without forced exercise remained as fit as stalled horses participating in a controlled exercise program.” Horses that can keep their physical fitness with less work on my part? Yes, please!
6. Improved hoof health
Horses that receive adequate turnout also show improved hoof health and circulation compared to confined horses. This is because, as horses take a step, the functional anatomy of the hoof allows for blood to be pumped back up the leg, thereby improving circulation.
Confined horse hooves can also suffer due to the damp environment they are subjected to. Depending on the facility, horses can often stand in urine soaked stalls for hours a day. This can lead to a softening of the hoof as well as some hoof conditions.
7. Horses need friends too!
Just like you – horses need companionship! Horses are herd animals and therefore extremely social creatures. Providing turnout is exceptional for their mental health and can lead to a decrease in stress and negative psychological impacts caused by confinement.
8. Decrease in behavioral issues
Confined horses are more likely to exhibit stereotypies, anxiety, and other undesirable behaviors. These horses are unable to expend their pent up energy and move freely throughout the day, leading to behavioral issues. By allowing your horse free turnout, they can get all their “sillies” out and be safer to handle and happier/quieter during handling and riding.
9. Less work for you!
The final benefit I’d like to mention is for you! I can speak from experience when I say that turning horses out 24/7 means less labor overall. This can mean more time for you to spend doing fun activities with your horse, a decrease in overhead boarding costs for barn owners, and just easier maintanence overall.
Horses are not as complicated as people like to make them. Just think of all the time you would have if you didn’t spend everyday cleaning stalls. 😉
Thank you so much for reading about 9 amazing benefits of turning out your horses! Let me know if anything in this post surprised you! I’d love to hear from you.
We post new content every week!
Check out our previous posts here!
Follow us on Instagram for updates!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for even more content!
Article(s) referenced in this post
