Horse & Hound

Calm down!

WHILE many horses adapt well to the limitations of domestication, some find coping more difficult. These are generally thought of as stressy types. Such animals may show behavioural traits such as volatility, restlessness, poor trainability and stereotypies (stable “vices”), or veterinary problems such as stomach ulcers, all of which reflect their maladaptation.

Although skilled management can ameliorate many of these issues, there are individuals in every breed – especially thoroughbreds and Arabs – for whom special adaptations must be made to keep them sane and happy.

As well as those who are intrinsically hyper-reactive, horses who are otherwise more placid can become stressed and anxious

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Horse & Hound

Horse & Hound8 min read
‘Plenty To Get Your teeth Into’
I THINK this is a fantastic track. It features a lot of the iconic Badminton fences and the flow works really well. There are some nice fences to get horses and riders into their rhythm, and the early combinations set them up for the first intense qu
Horse & Hound1 min read
Willie Mullins First Irish Champion For 70 Years
WILLIE MULLINS became the first Irish trainer to land the British championship in 70 years in a title race that went to the season finale at Sandown on Saturday (27 April). Vincent O’Brien was the last to achieve the feat in 1954, before Mr Mullins w
Horse & Hound1 min read
Army Horses Loose On London Streets
TWO military horses have undergone surgery after they got loose on the streets of London last week. Six soldiers and seven horses from the Life Guards were on exercise on 24 April when they were spooked in Wilton Crescent, a street in the Belgravia a

Related Books & Audiobooks