Natural boarding

for a healthy mind & spirit

Natural boarding recognizes the fact that horses are herd animals who need the company of other horses 24 hours a day. They need to interact by touching and playing. Through evolution as a herd animal, horses know that safety is in numbers. So a solitary horse is often a stressed horse.

Natural boarding methods are based on the study of how horses live in the wild. It is the foundation of all natural horse care and is a fairly basic horse care model that is easily achieved:

• Living outside year round with no 'clothes' on

• Free access to shelter

• Access to clean water
  
  

How you can achieve a more natural habitat for your horse

Mustang Mountain, otherwise known as Stars Rest, is located on the side of a mountain in northeastern New Mexico. It is at 7,600' elevation and the terrain varies from steep granite bluff to rolling sandy bottom. It is surrounded by ponderosa pine forest and there is no pasture land.

Stars Rest's formerly wild mustangs are fed free choice local grass hay and just enough beet pulp to provide them with necessary supplements. They are all kept barefoot and have no difficulty climbing up and even galloping over the rugged mountain terrain. In spite of dire predictions of lameness and injury from keeping horses on this rugged piece of land, our little bachelor band has just gotten stronger, healthier and happier.

Missouri Paradise consists of approximately 12 acres made up of mostly hardwood forest along with 4 acres of pasture and is home to 4 horses.

This site shows how a single paddock can be altered to create more interest and encourage the horses to move more. A track has been built around the edge and rock has been added to give a more varied terrain.

If you have a Pasture Paradise set up for your horse and would like to share it with us please contact me via the contact page. Thanks!

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