Horses can develop many so-called stable vices or undesired behaviors. These behaviors usually develop due to boredom or stress and can be corrected. Weaving is one of the more common ones. What is weaving in horses? Weaving is when a horse sways their head, neck, and or body laterally in a repeating pattern. Horses often…
Have you, at some point, looked at the expensive food rejected by your fussy horse and told the ungrateful culprit that hungry horses in the wild would love to eat it? But would they…? What do horses eat in the wild when they don’t have access to hay, nutritious hard feeds, and lush pastures? When…
Horses are social animals – they love to play, sleep and bond with each other. Horses are also curious and seem to enjoy meeting and making new friends. But do horses only form bonds with other horses? Or can other animals be good companions for your horse? By far, the best companion for your horse…
There’s nothing more annoying than seeing those lovely trees in the paddock dying because your horse is ringbarking them by eating the bark! And you just can’t figure out why. As far as you know, the horse isn’t lacking in anything nutritionally. He, or she, certainly looks healthy enough. So why is your horse eating…
Should you be worried if you see your horse eating poop? Why would he, or she, be doing this? Is it normal behavior for horses? What should you do if you see it? Can you, or should you, try and stop it? Read on to discover the answers to these questions about what, to us,…
Horse lovers enjoy nothing more than gazing out at a paddock full of grazing horses. What is even more magical to watch is when horses groom or play with each other. Horses form relationships with horses and other animals, including their owners. But do horses get lonely, or do they enjoy solitude? In short, horses…
Part of the beauty of horses is how different they are from one another. Personality traits, quirks, likes, and dislikes vary from horse to horse, as do habits. Unfortunately, horses are susceptible to developing bad habits if their owners, handlers, and riders aren’t careful. Behaviors like rooting at the bit are annoying at best, and…
What is ‘happiness’ for a horse and how can you tell if a horse is happy? As horse owners, we like to think our horses are happy and content. But are they? Fortunately, horses can usually be relied upon to let us know whether they’re happy, or unhappy! It’s just a case of knowing what…
Horses have been human companions for thousands of years. Spending time with horses can be a rewarding and therapeutic experience, but working with horses comes with risks. One of the most common issues horse handlers face is the risk of being bitten. Understanding why horses bite and how to prevent it is crucial for any…
Windsucking and cribbing, or crib biting are both stereotypies. Stereotypic behavior is an action that horses repeat in a compulsive, habitual way. There are some similarities between these two stable vices, but they are not quite the same thing. So, what is the difference between windsucking and cribbing? Let’s take a look… Windsucking and cribbing…