Own a horse, what does it all look like? Many of us would like to have our own horse. However, is it possible given the conditions in which we live? Of course, a big influence on whether having our own horse is possible in our case is what stable for our friend we choose. There are many options, but the most popular ones are a hotel in a well-known stable, having our own stable for our own use, possibly with a few extra stalls, and keeping our horse with a friend who will rent us a stall for certainly less money than a large stable.
All the choices are good. Now it is only necessary to choose which is best.
First of all, it is necessary to decide what we will take into account when choosing a stable for our charge. And if the charge, let’s assume that it is our beloved charge, the horse for which we want well. So, first and foremost, the horse must have convenient living conditions. The basic thing is that it should have its own box and access to water and food. There are stables that include watering the horse and feeding him in the price of the hotel – that is, we pay a certain amount for a certain time and the horse will always be fed, watered. But there are also stables where the horse only stands, and food and drink for him is already on us. It will certainly come out cheaper this way, the only question is whether we will always have time to come to our darling three times a day. If it is a stable located three steps from our house – the problem is small, but if we have to commute to the stable by three buses and pekaes – such a solution is practically impossible.
In addition to food, other factors should also be taken into account. For example, whether the horse will have somewhere to run. It is known that this is very important for the horse. It affects his health both mentally and physically. The paddock is one of the few places in the stud, where the horse can feel free, run, stretch its legs well and, above all, de-stress, establish a hierarchy. All this is very important. Our horse will still lose a lot from the life of an ordinary, wild horse living among people, for half of its life standing in a “cage”. Certainly such a life is not the life this horse would choose for itself – so let’s be understanding to it.
So, as many paddocks as possible, preferably that there are several at the stud, so that you can divide the horses into groups that tolerate each other, and that there is another paddock in case the first one “breaks down”, that is, for example, if the railing breaks or if the horses learn to escape from it. And quite large. It is known that a horse will not enjoy ten square meters. There must be space. It is best if, standing by the railing on one side of the paddock, we can not see the opposite side. Such a paddock works well on the horse’s psyche, because even though it’s just such an impression, the horse doesn’t feel so “captured”, especially in horse company.
Another thing is who will take care of our horse when we are not there. If it is a stable where we pay for boarding, there should be such people. The stable should not be allowed to stand empty for a long time. There must be someone who will feed the horses, check whether the drinkers work, let them out in the paddock. It would be worthwhile to get to know such people, to like them, to establish contact. After all, they are the ones who will be with our favorite on a daily basis. Sometimes even possibly more often than we do.
As for attending the stud, you also need to consider the distance from your home to the stud. So what if there’s a great stable three hundred kilometers from our house, when we’ll be able to go to it once a month? It’s not worth it. It’s better to keep a horse in a slightly worse stable, but closer. It is only important that the stable is well-maintained.
How many times a week should we visit our horse? The answer is simple – as often as possible. When it comes to riding, it depends what kind of horse it is. Whether he is young, whether he is ill, whether he has problems with something, from his sex, breed…. In a word, from many things. But let’s assume that the horse needs to walk a lot, and we can’t appear so often in the stable. You need to think about whether it would be worth asking someone to help. For example, you could look for a willing person who would contribute to the hotel fee and ride. This is viable for people who do not have their own horse but want to ride. It is only important to choose the right person. Also important is her age – she must be of age to take responsibility for herself. In the case of children, you should ask for parental consent. Let’s also remember that everyone has a slightly different driving technique. Let’s find a person whose technique suits us, so that we don’t spoil the horse.
In addition to all this, we should also look at something else – our pocket. Everyone would like to keep a horse in a wonderful stud, located preferably in a beautiful place, with professional conditions. However, the question of whether we can afford it should be answered. You need to remember that a horse is a permanent expense and you can’t just get rid of it. If you don’t have the necessary capital, you need to put aside what you can from your monthly paycheck. Usually you pay for the hotel on a monthly basis. Prices vary – from three hundred zlotys to thousands.
The choice of studs is large. Let’s take into account all the factors I wrote about, considering both our welfare and that of our horse.
