Truer words were never spoken. Even if you child won a pony in a contest, keeping the pony means agreeing to take care of it. A horse by itself (by the way, horses are not happy by themselves) requires at least two acres fenced with three or four plank fence, woven wire with a top board or electric fence (chain link and barbed wire fence are not safe for horses and cannot be used). The fence should be at least four feet tall, and the field should have grass, water and shelter from rain and sun. Every additional horse requires at least one additional acre. If you don’t own such a pasture, you will have to pay to board your child’s horse on a farm. Also, do you remember the list of responsibilities that you might need a professional’s help with? Every item on that list costs money and none are negotiable. Denying your child’s horse any of these items or procedures, or performing them less frequently than suggested is nothing less than animal cruelty. It’s true that horses in the wild receive none of these treatments, but in the wild, horses hooves are worn down by travel over rough terrain, horses that get diseases weaken and are left behind such that disease doesn’t spread through an entire herd. Free run over thousands of acres ensures plenty of grass through the winter and less chance to be grazing near manure piles which is how horses contract worms. You can see how when we confine horses together in pastures of three or even 100 acres, we create numerous problems for them. When we own horses, we’re responsible for relieving these problems.
The last several posts have included all the cautionary advice, and by now you're probably thinking you'd rather keep your child away from horses all together, but tune in at least one more time in the next few days to read about the SIGNIFICANT, AMAZING benfits your child will gain from horseback riding. The next post: "Three Priceless Benefits to Horseback Riding" will appear soon!
Happy Trails!
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