To Stall or Not to Stall--That is the Question

Many performance horses are kept stalled  for the majority of time, but is this the best practice for keeping horses?  In my opinion, as well as others who have done research on the issue, the answer is no.  If in doubt, I always go back to the wild horse.  I try to keep things as natural as possible, and lots of turnout is natural.

That's not to say I never stall my horses--I do.  But here are the reasons why I do it:

• to limit spring grass (especially in my overweight horses)
• to allow for some 'gravel time' to keep their bare hooves in shape
• or in extreme weather (for me extreme is a foot of snow or several inches of ice on the ground)

I usually only stall for up to six-eight hours at a time, too (except maybe in cases of extreme weather).  I much prefer my horses to be outside when they can, though.  I'm sure many horse owners have their reasons for stalling as well.  If you don't have some good ones, you may want to reconsider your horse's living situation though.  I wrote an article (based on a scientific study) for The Horse called Are Stabled Horses at Increased Risk for Colic?  You might want to check it out.  There are also articles out there that explain the detriments of stalling on the hoof.  Movement is crucial for proper hoof development and healthy maintenance.  

If you do stall for any length of time, making sure your horse has hay to munch on for the majority of the time is very important.  Even an obese horse being stalled to help with weight loss will not lose weight nearly as quickly if he is starved.  A horse's gastro-intestinal system is designed to constantly digest forage.  That's probably why the full-time stabled horses in the study I wrote on were found to be at increased risk for colic--not enough forage. 

So what is the answer when stalling is sometimes necessary or beneficial?  For me, it's about balance. I have a lot of grass and several overweight horses.  They are at risk for laminitis in the spring especially.  I try to keep them off of the grass or muzzled during most of the daylight hours during the spring (and fall).  They are always turned out at night.  If you don't have a lot of grass, or if your horses aren't overweight, there may be no reason to stall them whatsoever.  There are some good reasons to keep a horse stalled--just keep in mind the downfalls of stalling before you decide to do it.

Ta-ta!