Premier Horse Agistment

Split Rock Mountain

Horses need friends 

As highly social herd animals, horses thrive when they are able to freely interact with other horses. Individuals graze alongside each other, play together, groom each other, roll and rest together. They will forage and seek shelter together. Horses in a stable, established group are familiar with each other and are interested and engaged with their companions. 

Horses are also prey animals. They do not know that sabre toothed tigers are extinct and they are always worried that they are at risk of becoming some other animal’s dinner. They feel much more secure when with other horses as there is safety in numbers. A horse on its own feels vulnerable and may be unwilling to fully relax. It is not in a horse’s nature to live alone.

Horses also thrive when they have plenty of space in which to exercise and explore. Horses need to move freely to maintain their health, to keep their hooves in good order and to keep their brains active. Nothing beats a good gallop with mates.

It is also important that horses have plenty of space to move away from each other if they wish to do so. Just like people, some horses like more time to themselves than others. But even these will keep an eye on the mob and not stray too far from it.

The benefits of companionship are many and they enhance horses’ general well-being and temperament. The security of a familiar group translates into horses that are more relaxed and confident when interacting with each other, with humans and with unexpected situations.