Guest blog HOPE for Horses: Stress in horses

The science has discovered that when a body is experiencing stress, cell division occurs differently than when there is no stress. This is the reason why a body becomes "sick". The stress remains in your cell, so every cell that divides afterwards carries the information of the stress again. Only when this stress is released can the next cell division take place without the information from the stress! It's pretty cool how something like this works, right?! But then, the question may arise: How do you relieve the stress?

Learning to release stress

I think we all know that being exposed to stress for a long time or frequently is not beneficial for health. Unfortunately, you cannot escape stress, it is a given that you will have to deal with stress in your life. The good news is that you can learn how to deal with it and how to release stress. This varies from person to person and certainly also from horse to horse!

Knowing that avoiding stress is impossible, how can we help release the stress?

From well-behaved to dangerous

In the past months, I have had several customers who bought a horse/pony that was supposed to be super well-behaved and sweet, but nothing could be further from the truth. Situations where children fall off, the horse jumps on top of someone, a horse going completely wild and becoming dangerous. Horses that really go out of control. Just a few examples from my past months.

Did the customers make a mistake in buying? No, not necessarily!

If your pony/horse is in a stressful environment, then the animal is still immersed in the stress hormone. This can make the reactions seem more "mild" or exaggerated. When you take such a horse (also applies to people) out of this environment and suddenly give it the space to be, or to show a reaction, this usually happens! Very intense!

It's as if you are the cause of this behavior and you may even hear from your surroundings that this is the case. Nothing could be further from the truth! It may be that your horse feels "safe" enough to express itself with you!

And then?

Knowing that stress has caused these consequences, how do you deal with it? For the customers I have encountered in recent months, they immediately start doubting themselves, can I actually do this?

To answer this question, it is very important to be honest about the whole situation. Do you have it in you to give your horse time? Are you willing to look at the entire management around your horse? Are you willing to seek the right help? And also, are you the right person for this horse? And once you have made a decision, what next?

Sell again?

Interestingly enough, very often people with a good heart often doubt whether they are the right person for their horse/pony. But also consider what you are doing when you sell this horse or pony again!

Please be honest then!!! I know that sometimes a lot of money is involved, but what does the horse gain from being passed from hand to hand with increasingly more baggage and more stress.

There is always someone who loves to work with such a "project". What I also know is that these horses, once in the right environment, with the right management, can become wonderful animals!

The most important element is time!

Do you want to give your horse time? With the right help and training for your horse, time is truly a gift for your horse. And when you are willing to give this time, it often goes much faster than you think.

It is very important to find the right training/guidance for you and your horse. One horse may need clarity and understanding on a line on what is expected of him/her. While another horse may need to be let loose! Unclip them, create a safe space for yourself and go play!

In all this, the various elements of stress should not be overlooked. If your horse is in a herd where it does not feel at home, you can play or work as much as you want, but you will not get where you want to be!

The same goes for nutrition, if your horse is very sensitive but you keep feeding sport pellets, it's like carrying water to the sea.

We cannot always do everything right for our horse. That's just the way it is, which is not necessarily a problem, but always look to see if a situation can be improved for your horse and what you do have control over!

Living stress-free is impossible!

It is also not the case that a herd of wild horses lives stress-free. Because a herd of wild horses has the chance to "run out" the stress, the stress manifests itself differently in them. In addition, the herd is often stable. No herd changes and the relationships are determined. Determining the relationships can be very stressful. And we often think that only the horses at the bottom of the pecking order feel stressed, but this is not the case. The herd gets certainty and strength (defense against predators) from the herd. This way they can keep themselves safe and the whole group remains strong.

Changes in the herd cause stress

At some customers, there had been more changes in the group than desired, but the situation was just like that. The whole group reacted differently to each other and horses that are normally super sweet had turned into fierce lions. This causes stress for all animals (including those who behave like lions!). When you give such a group time, it often calms down quickly.

If you buy a pony/horse from a trading stable for yourself or your child, you can expect to bring home a sweet pony, right? The pony may have behaved well there, but read the above about the herd again! This can also happen with a horse/pony that has just moved. But a trading stable has many changes and it is not necessarily calm for the horse/pony. The animals are there for a short time and things are often done quickly, because the shorter the stay, the more profitable it is after all. So you don't get to see the whole story of the horse.

Did you know that a horse/pony needs a year to get used to a stable herd? That sounds like a long time, right?

Nutrition, housing, herd, and yourself

It's not easy to find the right match and the right stable for your horse/pony, or for yourself!!! Don't underestimate this either!

And when your horse/pony is temporarily in a stressful situation such as a trailer ride or a move or a visit to the vet or whatever? Then you can do a lot to relieve stress with food or supplements. In such cases, these are indispensable in your horse's/pony's feed kit.

Always look at what suits you and especially! your horse!

Which instructor can help you and your horse the best? Which methods are best for you? Are you in the right stable for you? Can you really be yourself in this place? Can your horse be himself there?

There is no clear answer on how to deal with this, it requires a lot of adjustment from us as humans to deal with a horse that is not feeling okay.

There are many ways to Rome, but for you, that one unique path is the best ^_^