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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsWho knows a lot about horses?
Last edited Fri Jan 15, 2021, 02:24 AM - Edit history (1)
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The reason I'm asking is because in my books, the two main characters keep a farm for abused animals that they've saved, but Beth (one of the characters) also has two horses that she keeps in the back of the barn.
I don't really go into too much detail about them, because I'm no expert, but I was wondering if anyone can answer a few questions about keeping horses.
Anyway, in the book I'm writing right now, someone tries to burn their barn down in retaliation for stealing the talking Cat from them. Beth and the Criminal are off finding missing persons, and one of their close friends almost dies trying to save the horses.
In order to write this part, I need to explain more than that the horses are in the back of the barn.
Now, the question is, if you had unlimited money, how would you keep them? Would you keep them in a stall, in a room, or in an open area? Would you keep them together or apart? How big an area would you need to keep them happy. What would you feed them?
I've done some research, and I've even contacted a relative that keeps them, but I also like gathering a broad stroke of opinions on it, and I figured the DU Lounge could be a good source for different ideas and opinions on the subject.
Anyway, I definitely appreciate anything anyone can tell me and thank you in advance for all your help.
ETA: Do you talk to your horses, and if so, do you think they understand you?
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Kali
(56,659 posts)probably some others too. I have horses and would be happy to help in the morning.
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)I would have a barn with stalls for the horses but also have open access to a fenced-in corral where they could exercise.
AmyStrange
(7,989 posts)left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)But exercising them frequently by walking them around the corral would be a good idea.
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)It appears that you are writing a book based upon a subject of which
you have little knowledge.
AmyStrange
(7,989 posts)-
ETA: The horses aren't major actors in the series, at least not until this book anyway. They were more or less mentioned in passing.
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cilla4progress
(26,497 posts)horsewoman! For 40 years!
A run-in stall, like a 3-sided covered shed with access to pasture is ideal.
You could have a yard or large corral around the shed where you bring them in from pasture at night.
Some wealthy people like to stall them in fancy barns. But living more naturally is more healthy for them.
Horses are herd animals and do best when together. Depending on their use and age you could keep 3-5 or so together nicely.
I also like to feed my horses more naturally - thats free access to pasture in the summer months. I feed them a low carb /sugar grain. Mine are trail horses, just for fun. We do ride every week in the warmer months.
I have about 5 acres of irrigated pasture for my 2 horses (we just had to put one down in November.) I feed hay in the winter.
Also - depending on herd dynamics, it may be necessary to separate them at mealtime.
AmyStrange
(7,989 posts)-
Thanks for all the info!
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AmyStrange
(7,989 posts)cilla4progress
(26,497 posts)more than complex sentences. They probably do know some words.
Horses are extremely sensitive to people's energy. A bit off-topic but I follow Chrissy Tiegen on Instagram. She's funny and a progressive - one of my guilty pleasures.
The other day she said she and her young daughter are thinking of going for a ride. She was worried that the horses would pick up on her fear. I thought that was very intuitive of her!
Horses vary widely in their personalities: some are very, very sweet. Many are scamps. If happy, they can be quite playful! Occasionally they are grumps!
csziggy
(34,189 posts)My horses have been happiest when kept in a pasture. Sure, access to shelter is good, but remember, horses live on the steppes with not even a windbreak.
Now that I only have retired broodmares, they are pasture potatoes, and live in a pasture about 5 acres. The people who care for them now (I can no longer to the physical work with them) bring them in if it will be wet and cold since their coats are not very water proof.
These four mares have been together for years - Ziggy at 24 is the oldest and bosses all the others; Smoky is now 22 and acts as though Ziggy is her big sister; Goldy is 16 and is Ziggy's daughter; and Spirit, also 16 is Goldy's best buddy. I wouldn't separate them for anything because they all have bonded so tightly.
They get sweet feed which is a mixture of oats, corn, and other grains and supplements with molasses to bind it together. And they get either a grass hay, or if we can get a supply alfalfa hay (not common in our area) or perennial peanut hay (getting very common here in the Southeast), especially in the winter when our pasture grass is not growing.
A note - types of hay vary in different parts of the country. I knew someone who went to a horse school in the Northeast and they brought back some bales of meadow grass hay which had a lot of flowers mixed in. Here for most of my life taking care of horses, grass hay was most common. Perennial peanut has been introduced but is still not very common.
For your plot line, the horses could normally be in a larger pasture, but could be brought into a barn yard behind the barn for some reason such as a vet or farrier visit early the next morning.
AmyStrange
(7,989 posts)-
thank you for sharing.
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cilla4progress
(26,497 posts)Glad that awareness about horses living more naturally has grown. Nothing sadder than seeing horses stuck in box stalls, 12x12 if they're lucky, for 23 hours a day!
csziggy
(34,189 posts)There was one fancy boarding stable in town and it was far too expensive for my parents to afford. Behind the high school was a big (maybe 20 acre) "pasture" (in quotes because there really was no grass, just weeds) that people paid $5 per horse per month to keep their horses in. There were only four stalls so you couldn't leave your horse in over night, just brought them in to feed them, and turned them back out.
By the time I got my third horse, my parents "upgraded" me. We moved my horses to a smaller pasture with only three horses, grazing the five acres, a shed for tack, and a barn made out of railroad ties with four (!) stalls. We used the fourth stall to store hay and our feed barrels.
The idea of confining animals that had evolved to be wandering wide open spaces bothered me, so when I got my own place, I managed my farm so the horses were out at least half a day. For the show horses, we'd blanket them in the winter and put them under lights since photo period triggers a short coat more than cold. In the summer we'd put them up during the day to keep their coats from fading in the sun.
I never raised a weaver or a cribber. ** Probably because my horses were outside most of their lives.
** For non-horse people, a weaver is a horse that rocks back and forth, probably because it was confined too much. A cribber or windsucker, hooks their top teeth over a board and sucks air into their stomach - probably for the same reason as a weaver.
happybird
(5,377 posts)We had a cribber and he was rarely confined. But, he was 16 when we got him, so maybe he was confined too much before he came to us??
csziggy
(34,189 posts)And from my experience most were confined when young. In fact, most of the cribbers I saw were ex-racehorses that were stalled from when they were about a year old and the only exercise they got was on the track, training or racing. I'd suspect yours was confined at some point in his life. Horses can also learn to crib from others, so when I was boarding horses, I never took cribbers into my barn.
happybird
(5,377 posts)He was an OTTB, so that makes a lot of sense.
My parents first got horses 30 years ago, partially out what I think was empty nest syndrome (and what a heck of a retirement hobby to pick up. Jeez!). I was gone for about 20 of those years, and moved back to the area about 2 years ago. I’ve been helping them take care of the girls and learning a lot, but there is still so much to learn.
AmyStrange
(7,989 posts)csziggy
(34,189 posts)When I still had dogs.
They mostly understand tone of voice but they all can learn certain words. For instant, horses can learn voice commands. Often horses are exercised by lungeing - working them in a circle, sometimes on a long line. I generally worked my horses free in a round pen and taught them the words, walk, trot, canter, and whoa. I use different inflections in my voice for each and my body language and position in relationship with the horse also helps them understand what I am asking them to do. It's about the same as teaching a dog walk, heel, or sit.
I'd start my horses young - many of them, I had handled as soon as they were born so they were imprinted on humans and used to human voices and hands. I gave them a "barn name" early along and they learned their names. It'd freak out people if we were talking in front of the barn and one of the horses was making noise inside - I could call out their name using a command tone (think of "Mom voice"
and the horse would stop whatever it was doing.
SheltieLover
(76,974 posts)Either in stalls or "box stalls," which are usually a minimum of 15' x 15'.
They eat hay, oats & corn & always have a large bucket of fresh water in their stalls.
Some barns have turn-out
doors to a pasture area. most I have seen open into a center walkway leading to the outdoors.
Like all mammals, horses are terrified of fire. You might want to do a little general reading on horses' vision. It's quite different than other mammals & is the reason they are so skittish.
There is almost always a tack room where grooming supplies, saddles, blankets, bridles are kept. Often a fridge for cold drinks & some medications is also found in barns.
i had a horse once who was believed to have been in a fire. he was fine physically, but any krinkling sounds, such as plastic bag of carrots terrified him.
i hope this is helpful.
AmyStrange
(7,989 posts)-
It gives me another avenue to research.
My cat, Shadow, does the same kind of thing. I got her from a friend who didn't know where she came from, but whenever I start a fire, cough, or break kindling, she runs from the room. I think she was in a fire somewhere.
Anyway, thank you for sharing.
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SheltieLover
(76,974 posts)I'm glad something in what I shared was helpful. 
Doreen
(11,686 posts)A lot of this depends on one thing or another. Are the horses in the back of the new horses and still are nervous in their new home? Did the friend get the horse out? Did the horse run back in ( which is an unfortunate thing that does happen? ) was it the horse itself that was the near cause of death or the fire? It depends on what the owner of the horse likes to with their horse. For me I let my horse out in the large field at night unless she was getting shoes put on, seeing a vet or we were going to a show the next day. I never put my horse in a stall with another because she would kick them. My friend put her two horses in the large stall because they liked each other. There are many types of grain or grain mixes that are fed to horses depending on their diet needs. Most of the time horses are fed hay unless they have issues with it. Alphalfa is often fed unless once again they have an issue with it (it my horse cough badly.) If I had a preference I would have a barn with nice stalls with hooks for halters and bridal, a post for the saddles next to the stall. A grain dish and hay net in the stall with a small trough with running water. There would be a nice wide aisle between the stalls on either side with ropes on either side to latch onto their halters to hold them while grooming and saddling them. That is just me but it might be some idea for you. Do you want an.indoor arena or an outdoor arena or both. What type of riding do you want your characters to do? Jumping, dressage, barrel racing, calf roping, or any other type of riding there may be that interests you. Sometimes for animal lovers making a mention of what breed your animals are makes them feel closer to the animal characters. Even if the animal is of no particular breed like a mutt or just an alley cat. You do not need to be specific but you can give a lot of info in just a few sentences about the horses. If you have a really hard time picturing this in your mind find a boarding barn and you can go see it and ask the people there some general questions. I hope I was of some help...I hope I didn't give more than you needed.
AmyStrange
(7,989 posts)-
I'm still gathering info, but your thoughts about fires and horses in the beginning does help.
My character keeps them as pets, but that's all I've figured out so far.
Mentioning breed is a good idea, but since the narrator is dictating this for his psychiatrist, he doesn't feel all that information is important. For example, he never explains where this is all happening, because well, his psychiatrist would already know that.
Plus, he's not a writer. He's just some schmo off the street dictating into a computer.
I will keep it in mind, though, because ultimately you are right. Stuff like that does connect the reader more with the story and characters.
Thank you.
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AmyStrange
(7,989 posts)Doreen
(11,686 posts)Like any pet of any species they understand. They can tell if you aren't feeling good and do what they to make you feel better. Like putting their noses in the center of your back and pushing you till you turn around and they bend their head into your chest and let you scratch their head and rub their ears. My horse got what she wanted and made me happy so it was win win.
Corgigal
(9,298 posts)plenty of background info on horses, I thought I might as something for you to consider. Where I live we have plenty of livestock, and if I had a few horses , even stabled, I would like a livestock guarding dog on the ground at night. I would sleep better.
I’m sure others will let you know if that’s necessary or not, I just think it would be important to me. I almost got one last year for my little farm here.
AmyStrange
(7,989 posts)-
Since the farm in my book is also home to a large number of formerly abused animals (a couple dozen dogs and cats, pigs, bunnies and a couple of feral snakes), I think I got that covered, but it'll be interesting to see what others think.
Anyway, thank you for sharing.
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Buzz cook
(2,835 posts)in the back of a closed barn and someone sets fire to the barn, they die. That is unless they are rescued or the arson was bungled.
AmyStrange
(7,989 posts)-
you do give me something to think about, and thank you.
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Doreen
(11,686 posts)not the main entrance. The barn I boareded my horse at was not fancy but it did have two exits. Creating a barn in your mind can be fun because your barn can serve more than horse type purposes.
happybird
(5,377 posts)A nice run-in shed attached to a large paddock. They are only home in the late fall to early spring, and they hang out, eat, and get all fat and hairy, lol! During polo season, they board at a big farm with grooms who can trailer them wherever they need to go for games (there is also an arena and grass playing field on the property). When boarding, they stay in stalls at night, My father goes every morning to ride and then turns them out in a field for the rest of the day. A groom puts them back in the stalls in the evening.
AmyStrange
(7,989 posts)-
That's something interesting to think about.
A question just popped into my head. Do you talk to your horses, and if so, do you think they understand you?
Anyway, thank you so much for sharing.
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happybird
(5,377 posts)They’re spoiled rotten, tbh. One, an off track thoroughbred, has the personality of a Labrador retriever. She’s quite a goofy, obnoxious character and I think she understands a lot of what is said to her, but that may mostly be tone of voice and body language. She follows my Dad around like a little duckling and leans her head over his shoulder when he stops moving. She has no manners or care for personal space, lol! They definitely recognize the vet’s truck and the farrier’s truck and move waaaaay over to the other side of the field when they see them pulling up.
My parents take a lot of good-natured flack from other players about how our horses are “pets,” not just polo ponies. Some players treat their horses like tools. We are not like that. They are beloved family members, just like our dogs and cats. I remember once, years ago, Dad was mid-game and Mom and I arrived late. The horse he was on, Zorro, heard Mom’s voice and stopped dead in his tracks to look around for her. Dad was not happy, lol! They get quite competitive and the horses like playing as much as the humans (but Zorro was definitely a Mama’s Boy, the sweet old guy).
Buckeye_Democrat
(15,495 posts)... paid rent to have her horse kept at some horse farm and she loved to talk about it.
She'd frequently visit her horse to feed it, ride it, clean it, etc. One of her many stories was about how she saw, from a distance, her horse escape through a (temporary) break in the fencing that surrounded the farm when it was let out to graze. She was terrified as it galloped away and then she spent hours searching for her horse.
Long story short, she was crying as she returned to the barn and there was her horse back in his stall!
Then she was told that horses often associate their stalls with security, so it wasn't too surprising that it returned. And she was further told that it can kill them because horses will often remain in their stalls even when the barn is on fire. (That particular barn had sprinklers and smoke detectors throughout it.)
So I figured that info might be useful to you, assuming that what I heard was true. 
Edit: It's apparently true.
https://www.infohorse.com/horseemergencyplan.asp
During an emergency, it is not unusual for horses to be unwilling to leave their stalls or corrals. If fire or flood is a threat your horses must be led to a secure area. Have an emergency plan and practice it before the disaster occurs.
AmyStrange
(7,989 posts)-
It's definitely worth knowing, and thank you for sharing.
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Ptah
(34,002 posts)
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I want to portray their living quarters accurately.
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cilla4progress
(26,497 posts)have almost identical comments and observations here!
So, here's a question:
Almost all the horse people I know are Republicans. Very hard to find a Dem among them. We trail ride with a group of oldsters. We are very close and share our joy and fun and love of animals and the outdoors. We laugh and feel like a bunch of 10 year olds! We NEVER discuss politics. It came up once years ago, and we've carefully avoided it ever since. I don't want to know who they voted for. I struggle with this a lot and have many feels about it.
During Obama's presidency horrible things were said about him and Dems as "jokes" by the announcers at rodeos we would go to. So one-sided!
Curious what your experiences of this are, and why you think it is?
Kali
(56,659 posts)Last edited Fri Jan 15, 2021, 01:39 PM - Edit history (1)
horses are often an expensive hobby so again...
having said that, one real horsey person I know is a Dem. the other is a naturalized cit from Germany and is married to a Repub. And then there is the Japanese lady that rides for her who is probably Dem as well.
most of the ranchers/cowboys I know are way right of me but there are a few Dems out there. they have working horses and good ones.
AmyStrange
(7,989 posts)-
My aunt owns horses, and she is NOT a republican. As a matter of fact, most of the people I know in New England who have horses are NOT republican.
ETA: Of course, I don't know THAT many horse owners, so I'm no expert.
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Kali
(56,659 posts)I'm on a cattle ranch in SE Arizona, we keep horses on pasture (range, not irrigated) and may supplement with alfalfa or grass hay in late winter. When we are using them, they are in a corral with open stalls for feeding. then they get hay and some type of high energy grain product - either rolled barley or sweet feed. if for some reason they are penned for a long period they extra nutrients like calf pellets.
as mentioned, horses are herd animals and have a pecking order. they tend to form stable groups and disrupting by adding or removing individuals can cause a lot of fighting and injury until they get things settled. it can be the worst at feeding time if they are not separated or spread out. that herd behavior can also be a problem when you want to ride, there are problem hoses that become herd- or barn-bound and they can be dangerous for inexperienced riders (who shouldn't be riding alone anyway).
horses have vastly varied temperaments and some have moods within their temperament. they can be slow and lazy, hyper energetic, sweet, obnoxious, playful, dangerous, safe as an old pet Labrador and so on. they know tone of voice and especially body language better than individual words but some certainly can learn some words. they like to be talked to, especially in calm lower tones.
if money (and feed costs) were no object I would have a structure that was covered with a central alley and each box stall would open to a turnout area. both ends of barn would be open so risk of being caught in a fire would be pretty low unless they were locked into a stall for some reason. I would love to have a large enclosed, roofed hay barn at a safe distance from the horse barn. horse barn would only store a week or two's worth of hay at a time.
biggest risk of fire around a barn are somebody welding and not watching sparks, or wet hay combusting. arson of a barn to intentionally kill horses is not very believable to me, unless it was an insurance scam on high priced animals and even then pretty unlikely. so your villain would have to be pretty evil to want to harm animals that way.
my personal experience with small "rescue" organizations around this area is that these people are really just animal hoarders and have a hard time keeping their animals fed.
AmyStrange
(7,989 posts)-
yes my villain is VERY cruel.
As a matter of fact, he threatened to do an exploratory on the Cat without anesthesia, unless she talked to him.
It's one of the reasons why the gang helped her escape.
My characters are not hoarders.
Of course, you have to read my books to know all that.
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Kali
(56,659 posts)won't it be fucking awesome when politics becomes so boring that reading for fun can happen again? this has been a rough 4 years, and 2020 has just about fried my brain completely.
AmyStrange
(7,989 posts)-
the last four years have been hell on wheels.
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