02/07/2026
Great read!
As a retirement facility that specializes in transitioning show horses into their next chapter, listening to the horse, being flexible, and determining what is really making them struggle in turn out is paramount. Not every horse can comfortably live in pasture 24/7 so finding that perfect balance that allows horses to be comfortable in the largest area possible takes time and patience. It is an incredibly rewarding process!
“He gets stressed in turnout.”
“He doesn’t like turnout. He loves his stall.”
“Not all horses like turnout.”
These are common excuses we see used by people to justify confining horses to stalls for the majority of their day.
Ironically, the people making these excuses almost never apply the same logic to similar stress behaviours seen under saddle.
The horse that bites at the person saddling them? Quirky. Or a sassy mare.
The horse who tries to evade being mounted and is difficult at the mounting block? Raring to go, doesn’t like standing.
The horse who refuses fences? Needs more training.
The horse who runs through the bridle and tries to bolt? Needs a stronger bit.
The horse who bucks people off? Spirited and needs more “wet saddle pads.”
What do all of these excuses have in common?
They seek to explain away stress behaviours and provide “training solutions.”
They do not view the behaviours as a statement that the horse does not want to be ridden.
They view them as a problem to be fixed.
So, why, when horses experience turnout stress that dramatically impacts their quality of life and exponentially increases their risk of health issues like colic, is it labelled as the horse’s preference?
People should be MORE motivated to fix stress behaviours that impact their horses’ day to day wellbeing.
Riding is not necessary. It also encompasses maybe 1 hour of the horse’s day.
Lifestyle choices like turnout time encompass the other 23 hours and are necessary for good welfare.
If humans are more motivated to fix issues that impact their ability to enjoy riding their horse than they are issues that impact the horse’s long term health and wellbeing… there’s no way around it:
It’s selfish.
