Strategies to cope with stress

Freedom, forage and friends are the horse’s basic needs. Making sure those are fulfilled plays a huge part in stress reduction.

Last week we talked a little bit about how bad stress can be for your horse. Hopefully, now that we know how much damage it can do, we can be more proactive in trying to reduce the stress levels our horses deal with on a daily basis.

Obviously, we can't (and shouldn't) completely prevent stressful situations, but the idea is to minimize chronic stress. Here's a list of things that can greatly help with managing stress in everyday life.

1. Freedom.

In their natural environment, horses walk upwards of 30 km a day. Movement is a natural state for horses and it's something domestic horses just don't get enough of. Locking them up in a stall for most of the day is incredibly stressful, so providing movement opportunities is crucial in stress management. That said, every horse is different and while most will thrive on a track system or pasture, some will find it stressful. If your horse is not used to spending long periods of time in the pasture or turnout, increase the time gradually, to avoid inadvertently creating more stress.

2. Forage.

The horse's digestive system is built for a constant trickle of low-calorie food. Wild horses will spend up to 18 hours a day eating. Providing two big meals a day leaves the horse's stomach empty for long periods of time, which is not only very stressful, but painful as well. Try to provide constant access to hay, or at least make sure your horse is never without it for more than three hours at a time.

An empty stomach is not only stressful, but painful. Make sure your horse never goes more than three hours without forage.

3. Friends.

Horses are social beings, so living in a herd makes them feel safe. This doesn't mean we should just throw our horse into a big unknown heard and hope it works out. The important thing is that your horse has company that he enjoys. Sometimes finding the right company for our horse can be challenging, but it is well worth the effort to make sure he has friends he feels comfortable with.

4. Routine.

Predictability greatly reduces stress, both in humans and horses. Keeping a regular schedule can be very beneficial, especially for the more sensitive horses that get stressed out by new things very easily. Make sure they are not disturbed during their favourite rest times and try to stick to the same time of day when it comes to training.

5. Pain management.

A huge stressor that we rarely think about, is pain. Chronic pain elicits chronic stress and creates a vicious cycle of dysfunction and body-wide inflammation. Regular veterinary check-ups and bodywork sessions can greatly help horses with chronic conditions, such as arthritis. Make sure to never skip a hoof care appointment and be mindful of regular dental check-ups.

6. Meditation.

If your horse is prone to getting stressed out, you can try implementing meditation into your routine. Horses generally respond really well to meditation practice, but it can take some time for them to learn to relax. Spend some time meditating with them in their space as often as you can. Obviously, this also has a positive effect on you, so that's an added bonus!

Don’t underestimate the effect your presence has on your horse. By relaxing and calming down you can convey that feeling to your horse to make him feel more secure.