The Three F's

Friends, Forage, Freedom

Have you ever heard of “The Three F’s”? This is my top recommendation for horse owners to refer to if they are ever questioning anything regarding their horse - even physical discomfort.

Are ‘The Three F’s’ being met?

Friends, Forage and Freedom - these three words sum up what a horses needs and requirements are, especially to be happy, healthy and comfortable.

If we are not providing, or meeting these needs, our horse are more susceptible to a multitude of issues that can affect them physically, mentally, emotionally, behaviorally, in training, at liberty - you name it - its all connected.

Friends
Horses are social animals that will almost always choose a friend or herd over solidarity. Even when they don’t seem to get along with another horse, they’d rather be in their general vicinity, than alone. Being a prey animal, they feel safer when in the presence of their own kind. Unfortunately, humans often make the choice of solidarity for them, even unintentionally.

Having a reliable herd setup is essential for horses mental and emotional health. Extended periods of time in turnout with other horses in a large area on a consistent or full-time schedule is key! Horses experience a lot of emotions, including loneliness, depression, and stress. When they don’t have consistent interactions with other horses, they can become shut-down, making them more susceptible to other issues. Living next to one another horse is helpful, but they really need to be able to touch, play, eat and explore with one another in the same area.

Forage
Keeping forage in front of horses at all times is also essential to eliminating many issues. Their bodies and digestive systems are designed for foraging (vs. grazing). With a stomach that is constantly producing acid and susceptible to ulcers, it is imperative that we counteract this - most owners opt for using hay nets or other slow feeder options. This allows them to feed an appropriate amount of forage at a slower rate.

Ideally, over time, we can extend their access to forage to nearly 24 hours a day. Anymore than 4 hours without forage can cause physical discomfort, anxiety, stress, contribute to resource guarding and more. When our horses basic needs are being met, and they don’t feel as though they have to rely on us to throw them their next meal, resource guarding and stress often fades away.

Freedom
Stalls and barns are a manmade invention, and while providing shelter for our horses is ideal, that doesn’t mean they need to live in a stall. Rather, they should have the choice of shelter, when they want or need it. Living in a herd, in full time turnout, with constant access to their required resources (forage and water), can solve a lot of issues in their lives! Having the ability to do whatever they want, whenever they want, is more than beneficial for their minds and bodies. Musculoskeletal issues, body tension and hoof health often improve with more turnout.

Paddock Paradise’s are a popular setup for horses in full-time turnout. By creating ‘activity stations’ in the horses turnout- horses are encouraged to walk and move around more . This setup encourages them to begin traveling to and from their water, to their forage, their shelter, a napping spot, etc.