Stall and Stable: Ideas for Happy Horsekeeping – Details, episodes & analysis

We're just poppin in to your earbuds to talk about horse welfare and behavior from a birdseye view. Why is it important, how science has delivered important knowledge about behavior to the equine industry, and Helena's notes from her graduate studies at Penn. Listen in!

There are six primary behavior motivators for horses:

1) Food
2) Water
3) Safety
4) Comfort
5) Companionship
6) Reproduction

To understand why a horse does something (good, bad, or indifferent), it is important to first think of the behavior as belonging to one of these six categories.

When you identify which of the six motivators are influencing your horse in any given moment, it becomes much, much easier to meet their needs. And, when you meet their needs, they become much more cooperative. And yes, we want cooperation, not control. Listen in!

We are back with another Triple Crown Nutrition episode. Today we answer three listener questions about equine nutrition: 1) What's the most exciting research happening in equine nutrition right now, 2) How can owners best manage feed times and exercise in sport horses, and 3) Once a horse is in good weight (or overweight), how do we manage the change in feed to accomodate their new weight. 

This episode is brought to you by AMERICAN STALLS, makers of premium quality stable components and accessories. 

Stall and Stable listeners are the BEST listeners ever!

In getting know some of you over the last year, I am both overjoyed and humbled by the stories you share with me. Stories about your barns, your horses, your accomplishments, and your challenges. It's really starting to feel like a family. 

Today, Helena welcomes a listener from South Carolina who brought her horses home for the first time with the help of our podcast. Listen in! 

Last weekend, we had the pleasure of hosting Tik Maynard for a 2-day clinic in the Ocean State. It was a very enlightening two days! 

Advanced Eventer, Horse Trainer, and author, Tik Maynard, is a quality human being. You sorta need to be if you're going to convince horses to be awesome, and Tik does that without even thinking about it. Do you how he's so effective as a trainer? It's because he thinks he is... Listen in!

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When you finally get your horses home, there is no other feeling like it. Looking out your window and seeing your favorite creatures enjoying life under your care is one of THE most gratifying experiences for a horse lover. 

But there's a flip side. Happy Horsekeeping isn't as easy as it sometimes seems. While we can design our barns, yards, and turnout to keep our horses safe, feed them the best hay and grains, and provide a low-stress environment for them, there are times when that's still not enough. Listen in!

There's a wonderful surge in horse adoptions this year. Many rescue horses, however, are in poor condition, and that leaves adopters struggling to nurture their horses back to good physical and mental health. Our guest in this episode is Dr. Stacey Boswell, an equine veterinarian whose new book, The Ultimate Guide to Horses in Need, covers the most common issues facing rescued horses, and how we, as caregivers, can best support their return to good health. Listen in!

We're having a conversation about stall doors today. If you're a barn geek like us, every design element in a barn is meaningful, but perhaps none so much as doors, which can be used dozens of times a day. Doors need to be safe, efficient, functionally compatible with your barn's workflow, and of course, handsome.

Join Helena and guest, Nick Thornton of Lucas Equine, as they chat about what goes into choosing the right stall doors for a barn. Whether you're building new or ready to replace what you have, it's an interesting conversation about what kind of thoughts go into this important barn component. Listen in!

What's so great about boarding? Lots of things, actually! 

Helena chats with return guest, Terry Golson, of the Cooperative Horse today, about Terry's recent move to a new boarding barn that has turned out to be quite the surprise for her and her American Paint Horse, Tonka.

"Terry is one of my favorite people to talk with because she's not just a horse lover, she's also an animal behavior expert who's done amazing things with her own horse, as well as her clients' horses."

Join Helena and Terry as they explore why boarding can be the ideal situation for some horse owners. Listen in!

In today's episode, we revisit a favorite book of ours; The Compassionate Equestrian. The book describes 25 principles that compassionate equestrians use as a guide to create healthy and productive relationships with their horses.

As we circle back to the principles of compassion when we work with our horses, this episode's conversation digs deeper into the concept of reducing drama with your horse (and your barnmates) by checking in with yourself and your ego. Ooooh, listen in!