The Horse and Human Wellness Connection

I talk a lot about “wellness”.

But I don’t think I’ve ever really explained my particular take on wellness, or how I feel it connects humans and horses.

For me, wellness isn’t just finding time to do things for myself, or making sure I take my vitamins. I believe wellness equates to a mind and body that are strong, healthy and as unburdened as possible by pain and stress. This wellness then leads to a sense of contentment and relaxation that isn’t possible otherwise.

This goes for horses, as well as humans. And there’s a connection there – horses are happiest when in the company of peaceful minds. And since relaxation comes from a sense of wellbeing, it only stands to reason that your own wellness can have a big effect on your relationship with your horse. So how do we find this seemingly elusive sense of wellbeing?

Let’s start with the human side of the equation.

Nutrition:

I’m not one of those “all or nothing” people when it comes to what I eat. I don’t do well with being told I can’t have something I love. But I also know that if I fill myself up with junk food, I feel awful. I lack energy, I’m moody, and I lose all of my motivation.

So while I love me some ice cream or a piece of cake, I also know that for the most part, I am what I eat. So I try to follow the 80/20 rule. If, 80% of the time, I know I’m eating healthy whole foods, then that other 20% of the time, the cake or ice cream isn’t going to kill me.

Whatever nutrition guidelines you follow, I would implore you to remember that the best way to take care of ourselves, diet-wise, is to fuel our bodies with healthy, nourishing foods we like, and to eat when we’re hungry and stop when we’re full.

Your Healthy Weight:

Healthy doesn’t necessarily mean “slender”. Your healthy weight is the one at which your body can function optimally. Getting there involves balancing your food intake and exercise with your goals.

I believe working toward a healthy weight is important not only because of the health risks associated with being over- or under-weight, but also because of the emotional boost we get from feeling comfortable in our own skin.

Mindfulness:

If you’re anything like me, this is a tough one. But it’s the one that brings everything else together. It’s so easy to get caught up in our own day-to-day craziness, rushing from task to task without taking the time to slow down and take a breath.

Being more mindful of everything from completing a routine task at work to eating your bowl of cereal in the morning will help you connect with yourself and the world around you (and this can only help the connection with your horse as well).

Self Care:

This seems to be a real buzzword these days. I think self care goes beyond massages and pedicures. Yes, maybe sometimes the quickest route to temporary bliss is a hot bath and a glass of wine. But truly caring for yourself has a lot to do with making sure that your cup is never empty.

You have a lot of responsibilities in life – your job, your children, your horses, to name a few. Those responsibilities can take a lot out of you and leave you feeling empty. Self care means filling that cup back up with whatever makes you feel whole again. Maybe that is a hot bubble bath and a nice glass of wine. Maybe it’s a good book. Maybe it’s travel, or spending time at the barn or with friends.

Whatever it is, find it, and do it often.

Now, what about your horse?

Ensuring your horse’s wellbeing can seem, well, almost easy compared to your own. Horses are simple creatures. When you boil it all down, their physical and emotional wellness revolves around four things:

Freedom:

Horses were never meant to be cooped up in boxes for twenty-three hours a day. I’m going to say something here, and I know I’m going to end up offending someone but, unless your horse is on veterinary-ordered stall rest, please understand that what he wants most is to be out of his stall as often as possible.

Horses are outdoor animals. They like having the freedom to roam, to self-exercise, and to come and go as they please. This is important not only for their physical wellbeing, but for their mental and emotional health as well.

Friends:

Horses are herd creatures. They enjoy the company of other equines, and take comfort in knowing that they’re not alone. Horses are also extremely adaptable; a horse forced to live without other horses will learn to deal with it, and may seem “just fine” to the humans around him, but that doesn’t mean it’s what he would choose.

A lone horse will rarely truly rest, instinctively knowing that he must remain ever vigilant if he is without a herd-mate to share the burden of watching out for predators. This results in a constant low-grade level of stress that undermines the horse’s sense of wellbeing.

Forage:

Horses’ digestive systems work best when they’ve got a little bit of food in their bellies all the time. Their emotional systems work best this way too. A horse’s main goal in life is to stay safe. This includes ensuring that they’ve got enough food and water not just right now, but for the foreseeable future as well.

The optimal feeding system for most horses is free-choice hay. While this is not always possible or even best for some horses (think fat ponies, or horses prone to laminitis or affected by disorders such as Cushings disease, to name a few).

However, if it is at all possible, allowing your horse to have 24/7 access to hay or grazing (even if this is via a slow-feed haynet) will not only keep him physically healthy (by, for example, keeping ulcers at bay), but will also go a long way to ensuring his emotional wellbeing to boot).

Consistent and Correct Daily Care:

Of course there’s more to horse care than providing daily turnout, companionship and food. We must also ensure our horses have regular and proper veterinary attention, hoof care and grooming.

They should be kept at a healthy weight, and exercised according to their fitness level and soundness. They require shelter from extreme cold and heat, and enrichment in their lives in the form of playtime and engaging activities.

Horses are creatures of habit. They thrive on routine. This goes beyond things like feeding schedules, and extends to how you interact with them as well. Horses quickly learn from whom they can expect kindness and consistency.

Knowing what to expect from you is perhaps the most important aspect of how your horse feels around you, and this can have a much larger effect on their emotional (and therefore physical) wellbeing than most people would imagine. And that’s what brings it all full circle:

Your own wellbeing has a direct and powerful impact on that of your horse.

How you feel, physically and emotionally, the version of yourself that you bring to your horse every day, determines the kind of horsekeeper you will be. And that, in turn, determines how your horse will feel, physically and emotionally.

And that is the essence of the horse and human wellness connection.