Living conditions

Domestication of the horse is a violation of the essence of its being. Anyone who has ever observed a herd of wild horses in their natural environment knows how much we fall short in the way we keep our horses, despite all our good intentions. A horse is a social animal that needs space and more social interaction than is usually provided by us.
A wild horse has free choice of food. We deprive him of that choice. A horse can go wherever and whenever it wants. But not with us. When it comes to living conditions there is always room for improvement.

Living conditionsTreatment and prevention

Prevention of laminitis

  • ·20 April 2016
Horses at risk Prevention begins with determining whether your horse belongs to a risk group. In that case, all the following information deserves extra attention. Risk groups: ‚ Welsh, Exmoor, Shetland and New Forest ponies, cobs, Appaloosas and Icelandic horses…
Living conditions

Social interaction

  • ·9 April 2016
As soon as the laminitic horse is able to move again, it is good to give him company. Choose a quiet horse as a companion, preferably a horse the patient is already bonded with. If possible, reintroduce the horse back into the herd. Make sure the…
Living conditions

Potassium

  • ·8 March 2016
By over fertilising for years with both organic and inorganic fertiliser the soil may contain a surplus of potassium. Dried chicken manure especially contains high levels of potassium. Too much potassium in the soil, and therefore in the plant, interferes with the ability…
Living conditions

Grazing muzzle

  • ·18 February 2016
Grass leaf tips contain lower NSC levels. A grazing muzzle helps prevent the horse from grazing the grass lower down. Grazing speed decreases. Food enters the digestive tract more slowly and steadily. The horse can stay out on pasture longer and therefore will get…
Living conditionsTreatment and prevention

Soaking hay

  • ·28 December 2015
Water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), can be partly removed from hay (and beet pulp) by soaking and rinsing. Approximately 50% of the WSC drain out in one hour’s time. Soaking for longer is not more effective. However, rinsing in larger volumes of…
Living conditions

Silage and haylage

  • ·30 November 2015
Silage Silage is grass that has been conserved by fermentation. The grass is wrapped in plastic when the moisture content still exceeds 70%. Silage has a high protein content. The protein is partly broken down to ammonia, which burdens the liver…
Living conditionsTreatment and prevention

Direction instead of goal

  • ·30 September 2015
Unfortunately we can not offer our horse the living conditions it deserves. Deciding to keep a horse means limiting the freedom and options of the horse by definition. We ride them, have limited space, time and resources available and are never…

Remco Sikkel | Chez Chevaux | Chez Porte 2 | 63330 | Le Quartier (FR) | Tel: +33 6 52 49 76 75 | SIRET 538 167 040 00012
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