Learning topic: Provide advice on housing and shelter
Appropriate housing and shelter for
horses
Paddocks for horses
Paddocks are the most natural way to house horses.
The size of paddocks will depend on:

the amount of available land and the soil type

use of the paddock

type and size of the horses that are to use it, for example, mares and
foals or geldings

stocking rates

area and climate

season of the year

the type of feed available, amount of feed available, and competition
from trees and weeds.
The carrying capacity of pasture
The carrying capacity of pasture for any sort of stock is calculated out by
using what is known as a Dry Sheep Equivalent (DSE). The carrying
capacity is decided on how many dry sheep—ie sheep that are not growing,
pregnant, or feeding lambs—that it can carry and maintain in good condition
per acre of land in that paddock, without any sort of feed supplementing.
One hectare is equivalent to approximately four acres of land.
The table below compares horses to Dry Sheep Equivalents, as well as the
steer and Dry Cow Equivalent, to give you some idea on just how much
more feed horses require.
Type of horse
dry sheep equivalent
steer or dry cow
equivalent
1 small pony
4
0.5
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1 average pony
6
0.75
1 average 450 kg horse
12
1.5
1 average 450 kg mare and foal
18
2.25
1 draught horse
18
2.25
1 draught horse mare and foal
27
3.40
As you can see, there is a big difference. A lot of people assume that cattle
need a lot more feed than a horse but, as shown in this comparison, they do
not. Also, cattle and sheep cause a lot less wear and tear on pasture than
what horses do.
Small paddocks
A small paddock in rural Australia is a paddock under four hectares (ten
acres). Horses reared in a small paddock need shade and shelter, a good
water supply and safe fencing.
Horse in a small paddock
Problems associated with small paddocks
A half hectare paddock of good quality pasture may be enough to support a
horse feed wise, but it is too small to provide that horse with adequate
selective grazing. It will not allow sufficient exercise and it will not be able
to prevent the horse from ingesting parasite eggs or larvae that are on the
pasture from its own faeces.
Some people feel that there is really nothing wrong with keeping a horse in
a small paddock as long as we have a sense of responsibility for what we
have taken away from the horse. Think about it, we have taken away from
the horse:

room to move freely

the ability to keep warm by exercising, and to choose cool spots in
the hot weather

room to run, stretch muscles, gallop or play
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Learning topic: Provide advice on housing and shelter

room to selectively graze over large areas

room to selectively graze well away from dung piles, urine spots and
sour grass.
The ability to graze selectively is the horse’s natural defense against
parasites. If we prevent this we must assist in parasite control by frequent
worming and removal of manure. If you cannot completely remove the
manure, then put it into piles that you can keep adding to. This will at least
reduce the amount of paddock contamination, and piling the manure helps to
heat it up, which can kill parasite eggs and larvae under the right conditions.
Trace elements and important minerals from the soil are incorporated into
the pasture plants as they grow. Then the horse eats the plants, absorb what
they need from the plant, and the rest is passed back out in the manure.
Large paddocks
Large paddocks are the natural way to house horses. Horses were designed
to eat grasses, woody shrubs, etc, not grain and hay. They are claustrophobic
and we like to confine them. They have stomachs that are designed to be
constantly half full, meaning that should have continuous access to food. So
along with the confinement, the average horse person only feeds their horses
twice a day!
The table below compares the good and bad things about large paddocks:
The good things about large
paddocks are:
The bad things about large paddocks
are:

can be shared with other horses,
which is good for all horses, as
they are social animals

if the horse gets into any sort of
trouble, it may be some time before
you become aware of it

there is enough room to stop
bullying, and competition for each
blade of grass


can be shared with other species,
like cattle. This is really good if
you want to use the horse to
muster, or work cattle, because
after living with them, they will
know what they are, instead of
snorting, bucking, and bolting off
in the opposite direction!
if the horse becomes sick, eg colic,
it may be too late to save it when
you find the horse, or it may do a
lot of damage to itself thrashing
around with the pain

if the horse injures itself, eg a bad
cut, the injury may be too old to be
sutured by a vet, resulting in
unnecessary scarring. It may also
be so contaminated that infection
occurs, with or without the wound
being fly blown and therefore full
of maggots!

if you cannot catch the horse in a
small paddock, what hope have
you got of catching it in a large
paddock?

some horses do go a bit ‘feral’
once out in a large paddock

good for the horse’s state of mind,
as it will not be stressed or bored

the horse has room to run, exercise
and play. This is good for toning
muscles, wearing hooves, keeping
warm, and is good for the
cardiovascular and the digestive
system
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
a spell in a paddock is the best
reward that you can give any
working horse
What is the ideal large horse paddock?
If you were to develop the ideal large horse paddock, it would need to have:

a good, fertile soil type, producing quality mixed native and introduced
pasture

some sort of shade-like trees or built shelters

shelter from wind and driving rain, like trees planted to form wind
breaks and shelter belts

some hard or gravelly sections of soil to provide hoof wear

some hills to provide exercise

good, clean reliable water sources

safe, easy to see fencing, a safe, obstacle free paddock that is free from
poisonous weeds

access gates large enough to allow vehicles through, such as the vet’s
car in an emergency.
Horse stables
Some horses may need to be stabled if they are working or if space if
insufficient. A good stable should:

be warm in cold weather, draught free and face away from prevailing
winds, yet it needs to be well ventilated and cool in summer

be sheltered by trees or other buildings from the harsh afternoon sun

have a pleasant outlook to prevent the horse from becoming bored or
sour

have adequate drainage and be flood proof in most weather
conditions

be designed and built so it is safe to put a horse into it

be equipped with modern fire extinguishers and first aid equipment

have lighting and wiring which is out of the horses reach. All lights
should be fitted with guards and be placed high up, where even the
tallest horse cannot reach
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Learning topic: Provide advice on housing and shelter

should be injury and escape proof, but can easily be evacuated when
needed.
Basic stable requirements
The stable complex is divided into a number of pens called boxes which are
used to house individual horses.
The table below lists the features of a good horse stable:
Be large enough to
comfortably accommodate
the horse to be housed

For an average 15-16 hands high horse, a 4.0 x
4.0 metre box would be adequate.

Horses can live in boxes that are too large, but
they must never be housed in boxes that are too
small as this can cause discomfort and is
stressful to the horse.
Be square rather than
rectangular

This will reduce pacing and the horse will
determine the size of the box and reduce the
risk of becoming cast when lying down.

Cast is when a horse rolls over in a box or onto
a fence, usually ends up on it’s back and can no
longer get up again.

These should at least be shoulder height on the
largest horse in the complex, especially if the
outside wall is iron.

Cement block or brick walls may not need
lining.
Contain a tamper proof
automatic watering system
or have a safe, spill proof
water bucket

Fresh water must be available at all times.

All watering systems must be easy to clean.
Contain a safe hay rack

A safe hay rack is easy to fill with hay and can
only be emptied by eating the contents, not by
simply pulling the hay out in one lot and
scattering it on the floor.
Light source

These need to be up high, with safety glass, a
mesh cover and insulated wire, out of the
horse’s reach.
Warm and draught free

The stable needs to be warm and draught free
but with adequate fresh air.
Windows

Windows need to be placed out of the horse’s
reach, fitted with safety glass and a grill, or a
mesh top door that allows the horse to see
outside.
Floors

Floors should be slightly sloped to allow good
drainage to either a drain or gutter.

They should be non-slip, easy to clean, but
made of a surface that has some give and
absorbs concussion, which is not good for the
stabled horse’s legs.
Have kick boards or lining
around the walls
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
Bitumen is one of the best stable surfaces
although expensive. It has the most give against
concussion on legs.

Need to be at least 1.1 m wide, preferably with
split Dutch doors.

The bottom door should be a minimum of 1.5
m high, with a top and bottom bolt to prevent
the horse’s leg from being caught.

The top door should reaching 2.2 m high as a
minimum when closed, with at least one bolt.

Doors should open outwards.
Have a tie–up ring

This is bolted to the solid wall, not just the wall
lining.
Insulation

Insulation should be installed in both the walls
and roof.
Roof

The roof should be sloped for drainage, with
guttering and drain pipes.

It should have a decent overhang to keep rain
out.

The roof needs to be at least three metres high.
This will help air to circulate and prevent injury
to the animals head if it rears.
Doorways
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