Flanders is an authority with regards to (the breeding of) horses. There are 300,000 horses in Belgium, most of them in the Northern part of the country. No wonder the Flemish authorities want to make sure the animals are kept safe and live in an healthy climate. That's why they have released a brochure on the climate in horse stables.
In practice, most horses are kept in a (closed) stable for much of the year and during the day, although due to their natural characteristics they are perfectly adapted to a high degree of freedom of movement and relatively cold temperatures. It is mainly practical reasons (prevention of theft, work organization, etc.) that give cause for this. Precisely because of such intensive use of the stables, which actually conflicts with the characteristic characteristics of horses, sufficient care must be taken of the construction and the layout, depending on the needs of the horses as well as on the part of the horse keeper.
These respective needs are:
• For the horse: The stable must primarily create a good living environment for the horses. The animals must be protected against rain, extreme weather conditions and wind, but also against sun, aggression of peers and obstacles that can cause injuries. Respiratory problems, injuries, stereotyped behaviors (stable vices), etc. are often due to or at least promoted by a poor stable design. The stable is the place where the horses must be able to rest without problems, eat, drink, fatten, show social behavior, receive their care and where the foals are born.
The primary requirements for stables are therefore the following:
- provide protection against extreme summer and winter conditions,
- keep horses out of draft,
- provide sufficient fresh air,
- provide a dry berth,
- provide food and water,
- keep horses in a specific location, with a minimal risk of injury .
• The horse keeper mainly strives for:
- to keep his animals in such conditions that both the horses and the carers can enjoy an optimal level of welfare,
- to comply with the legal provisions,
- to cause the environment and the environment as little inconvenience as possible,
and moreover in the case of a commercial enterprise:
- operate a profitable company.
The stable must therefore create good working conditions for the caretaker (s). Labor rationalization is therefore an important objective in the design and layout of the buildings (length of the running lines, mechanization). The safety of caregivers is also an important issue. Activities that take place in the buildings mainly consist of the supervision, care, feeding and watering of the horses, and fattening. In addition to the cost price of the stable, additional considerations are based on aesthetic criteria, expansion options, accessibility, etc. The following requirements may be formulated as secondary requirements for stables: - allow efficient care and treatment of the horses,
- comply with legal provisions,
- are not disruptive to neighbors,
- are not disruptive to the environment,
- provide water, even in frost,
- provide storage capacity for feed, litter and materials,
- provided with manure storage,
- allow horses to be efficiently removed from the stable,
- consist of durable materials with a minimum of maintenance and fire hazard.
In the context of the increasing attention for animal welfare, environment, quality and the like, more and more "good agricultural practices" are being developed for various agricultural activities.
5 points for attention that can certainly be part of good agricultural practices for the care and treatment of horses, especially with regard to animal welfare, include the following1:
Management and responsibility
- Caregivers and others who work with horses must pay attention to the welfare of the horses.
- Persons working with horses must have knowledge about the appropriate care and treatment of horses, ignorance is not an acceptable excuse for cruelty and neglect.
Housing
- Design, implementation and use of shelter facilities must be of such a nature as to promote the health, well-being and performance of the horses at all stages of their life.
- Natural or constructed shelters must offer protection against extreme weather conditions.
- Horses must have a clean, dry berth. Horses must be able to stand up and lie down freely. - The box or stand size must be adapted to the size and weight of the animals.
Feed and water
- The daily ration must be adapted to needs and must be provided regularly.
- With group feeding, sufficient eating places must be provided to avoid competition for the feed as much as possible.
- Every horse must have sufficient potable water available to meet its needs (20 to 60 l / day).
Grazing / Spout
- Horses walking outside must have access to water and feed in sufficient quantity and quality.
- Well-maintained grassland can provide (the majority of) the necessary nutrients.
- Supplementary feeding must be provided if necessary.
- To prevent digestive and health problems, it is preferable to gradually switch to a grazing system.
- Horses that run outdoors must be regularly checked, especially during periods with increased risks such as when throwing, when introducing new animals, ....
- Horses walking outside must have access to a well-drained lying room and natural or constructed shelters.
Therapy
- Horses must be treated calmly, with care and patience in such a way that injuries, pain and suffering are avoided.
- Tying systems and equipment must be used in such a way that the natural movement, temperament and physical properties of horses are taken into account.
Health
- The health condition of the horses must be checked regularly.
It is clear from the above considerations that knowledge about the optimal housing conditions and existing systems and their application are important requirements for all horse owners.
We'll talk about the climate in horse stables in the second part of this post.