Proof Is In The Pasture

Pasture-kept horses have the ability to interact socially and are exposed to a rich environment, but have less contact with humans than their stall-kept counterparts. A 1997 study* has found that in spite of decreased human intervention, young pasture horses might be easier to train than those kept in stalls. In the Michigan State University study, 16 2-year-old Arabian horses were started in training: half were kept in pasture during the study, the other half were stalled.

The same trainers worked with both groups. The horses kept in stalls showed significantly more training resistance, such as bucking, tail tucking and head tossing. The researchers concluded, “housing conditions seem to have a significant effect on the behavioral responses of horses to training.”

* Behavioral And Physiological Responses Of Horses To Initial Training: The Comparison Between Pasture Versus Stalled Horses, E. Rivera; S. Benjamin; A. Morrison; L. Callender; B.D. Nielsen; A.J. Zanella