Many people have created some very clever paddock paradises but periodically they will describe some very 'unnatural' practices they've incorporated -- such as separating the mares and geldings -- as a result of fear or ignorance.  For example, no matter how great the environment and feeding situation you provide, if a horse is alone -- either totally isolated or across the fence from one another without the ability to touch (i.e., groom) each other -- then it is leading an unnatural life and you are contributing to a stressful, unhappy situation.

I had a conversation with a woman who ran an 'equine rescue operation'  and she explained that the pony she needed to have trimmed was 'not alone' because it was able to 'see' its fellow pasture-mates from a strategically placed window inside its run-in shelter.  It was not turned out with any equine buddies and she could not understand why it consistenly had bouts of laminitis when it was not being fed a rich diet.  It both bewilders and concerns me to think that anyone charged with running a 'rescue operation' would have such little understanding of the physical and emotional needs of the equine species and keep these animals in either total isolation or in a small, confined lock-up situation where they cannot move freely. 

At the time, I had no education in 'natural horse care' but I had also, thankfully, never been privvy to the myth that mares and geldings should not be turned out together.  There were, of course, things I did at the time that I wouldn't do now (like stalling the horses on most nights) and other things I just intuitively navigated my way through after buying my first farm -- in Minnesota -- that had a heated barn with indoor plumbing.  I simply experimented with keeping the heat set at 38 degrees -- just warm enough to keep the pipes from freezing.  When the horses were inside at night, I kept the doors to the outside cracked open to release the heat and moisture -- and no one ever got sick and they all had thick winter coats.  Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have confined them to stalls at night. 

I moved to Santa Ynez, California this past year and am thrilled with the natural, rocky and steep terrain that my horses move across daily.  Apollo, (my 22-year-old) exhibits a nice floating trot as he navigates the various dirt paths leading up and down the steep inclines.  And while I am so grateful that my own horses are fortunate to have such a good life, I am dismayed to see so many other horses in the area confined to isolation in small 'pens' or paddocks while others are simply stalled until their owners come along to take them for a ride.  Whether it is Scottsdale, Arizona or Palos Verdes, Calfornia, I never cease to be amazed by the number of horses I see kept alone in someone's backyard.  Often by people who genuinely 'love' these animals, and spend a lot of money on feed, trimming, toys, etc.  And just beyond this same spectrum are the large boarding facilities with numerous tiny little turn out pens which might be the only 'turn-out' they ever get at liberty.  Or, they get turned out onto large, irrigated green pastures and the tell-tale lamellar stress rings on every single hoof shows they are all likely in a state of subclinical laminitis. 

My horses were lucky enough to make it through my ignorance early on about shoes, stalls, etc.  But in retrospect, I also followed my intuition and tried to incorporate many natural practices in their care even though I didn't have any good models to follow.  But now that I know, I can't be quiet and I hope you can't either.  If you know someone who is keeping their beloved mare or gelding alone in the backyard, speak out.  Offer to help find it a buddy.  Educate the owner.  Get others in the neighborhood to join forces and put in a paddock paradise.  Or start housing the horses together.  Open up the gates so they can freely walk from your yard to your neighbor's yard.  If you have the room, consider starting a natural boarding / rehabilitation facility. 

There are so many horses I come across on a regular basis that could blossom from the rehabilitation benefits of a paddock paradise.  Whether it is the 'sore' horse or the horse who has suddenly started rearing or acting out in some other way -- these are unhappy horses being kept in stressful, unnatural situations.  It's up to us to change their lives -- even if it is just one horse at a time. 

And for those of you seeking out the services of animal psychics, please put the information in some sort of context.  Jaime and I had a consultation with a woman several months ago who decided to board her horse in a stall each night because 'the animal psychic told her that Cousteau preferred sleeping in a stall."  Well, if you ask a child if he/she would rather eat candy for dinner or vegetables, you are likely to get the unhealthy choice.  Or, if you ask an overweight, out of shape person if he/she would like to spend the day taking part in strenuous physical activity or lying on a sofa, eating chips and watching tv, you might get the latter answer.  Just because your horse "tells" you it prefers something is not a reason to give in to that request.

All the best,

Jill

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