Not all of this will be useful or benefit your horse or be practical. Every horse and environment is unique. But the basic premise is to respect the horse as a species and try to improve their lifestyle and welfare. Some of the observations and science behind this concept, have been improved upon and superseded since this was released. I personally don’t necessarily endorse all of the information, but I take what I think is good and helpful and works for me and my horses and donkeys and I encourage you to do the same.
The photos in this post are my own, but there are also some interesting ideas in the link I’ve shared. A quote from the attached link:-
“Paddock Paradise is a ‘management or boarding concept’ based on the lifestyles of the naturally healthy U.S. Great Basin wild horses. It was conceived as a way for horse owners to provide domestic equines with an environment that more closely resembles their natural habitat. It was not until Jaime Jackson published the book, Paddock Paradise: A Guide to Natural Horse Boarding, that the concept of providing horses with a similar enrichment environment was even discussed.”
I’m a big fan of Paddock Paradise (PP) approaches/philosophy, in that I understand that the modern domestic lifestyle doesn’t suit a lot of equines and a PP approach can be a good compromise. It’s not perfect either, but it comes a little closer to how equines evolved to live. It gets people thinking in the right direction. It’s often better than the improved pasture, boring handkerchief sized, private (individual) type paddocks we put them in currently.
Horses evolved to move, live in a herd, seek food and water, firmer ground when it was wet and moist ground when it was dry. They moved, often many kilometres, with the seasons and the demands of reproducing, surviving and thriving.
They didn’t stand in mud or in a small yard with strangers and bicker over hay nets. Domestication did that to them. WE did that to them.
But we are trying to make it better for them. We are learning and evolving, just as they did, from small furry multi-toed animals living in forests, to the beautiful majestic hard hooved animals we see today.
Therefore, when it’s suggested that horses are designed to live on soil and in winter, in mud, I’m skeptical. Did they really evolve to live on just soil and in mud for months at a time? I don’t think so. Is this a problem we all battle with, yes definitely and a PP system can help with this. But to suggest that this is a good idea, I’m kind of skeptical. Didn’t they evolve to live and walk on various terrain and we know they like to avoid mud, it slows them down, can be dangerous and can cause health issues. This isn’t what they evolved to live in for months at a time.
We have to ask ourselves, who is saying these things? Is it an ethologist well qualified to speak on these things? Or is it someone’s opinion? I’m not saying it’s bad or evil by any means. My horses had to live this way for a while because the alternative was much much worse, it would mean they had to live on grass that caused obesity, hoof problems and potentially laminitis. So I chose mud, until I could do better.
But I never celebrated it or suggested or promoted it to people as a good thing. That’s where we need to be careful. It’s also important to point out that one person’s mud is another person’s idea of a pretty good deal for their horses! It’s very subjective!
I recommend questioning what you read and what you hear. Think about and even google, how horses evolved, where they lived and thrived and what domestication has done to them. Not a lot of domesticated living is pretty or good for the horse, so beware.
We are all doing the best with what we currently know, and as we learn more, we do better.
Question your sources of information. Horses were designed to travel over a large variety of terrain.
(Pictured, the mud I used to battle and now, the variety of terrain on my partly surfaced PP system)
Fantastic words that encapsulate the approach needed, from PP fb group member Emma:
“my biggest learn . . . . is making sure I embrace flexibility, observation, and keep my mind open to the changing needs of the horses and the land!
What I initially implement is just a framework to build on and change as needed.”
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What I recommend when starting out and this is simply a guide, don’t set anything permanent up that you don’t have to in the beginning. Set up temporary fencing, step in posts and solar or battery charging and then look at where the water runs, where it drains well and where it doesn’t, what type of soil, grass, plants (weeds), trees you have, where it’s windy and where it’s sheltered, where does the cold wind predominantly come from, where do the horses prefer to sleep, roll (can be separate places) and where they run, where can you plant more trees, put in drains, utilise existing fencing, etc.
Then set up water and hay stations as far away from each other as possible. Where is there access to power or will you need to utilise solar, do you need to build shelter and you can then capture water in a tank. General rule of thumb is a width of one meter per horse plus an extra meter for turning. The more narrow, the more movement and less grass. The wider it is, the more grazing and lingering will happen. Always allow more room in the corners, especially if you have horses who like to gallop and avoid dead ends if not all horses get along 100% of the time.
Do you have machinery and/or a system for collecting, storing, composting and distributing manure and for carting hay?
Let paddocks rest, slash regularly and observe safe grazing times of day and year if your horses do tolerate grass. Consider cross grazing or cutting hay if you have enough acreage or if you’re keen and the area is small, you can cut it by hand as a treat for your horses.
Set up something temporary and just keep changing it and tweaking it til you’re happy. Experiment and let your horses and donkeys tell you what they like and what they don’t like. During that time set aside funds for possible mud control/surfacing and drainage options.
Try to ensure that there is various kinds of enrichment in your Paddock Paradise. Equine enrichment means adding or changing their environment with different substrates and terrain, social interaction with their own species and also other species, sensory experiences such as essential oils and herbs, providing puzzles and toys to fulfil their need for mental and physical stimulation and provide opportunities for contrafreeloading as well as offering a variety of foods to browse, taste and explore. Contrafreeloading means that many species choose to ‘work’ for their food, rather than have it just served up to them. Giving them opportunities to enjoy species specific behaviour will ultimately contribute to their overall health and wellbeing.
Remember that the basic ethos of a Paddock Paradise is to attempt to replicate the conditions that horses evolved to live in over the millennia.
“Just as nature provided what is best for the wild horse, Paddock Paradise is an attempt to replicate those essential factors that naturally create physical, mental and emotional well-being.”
Some people may think the Paddock Paradise or track system concept is anti grass and anti grazing. It’s true that some horses just cannot tolerate grass, but there are many horses who just cannot tolerate grazing modern improved pastures. Therefore, we can work towards safer grasses and more diversity and allow dormant native seed to sprout.
Overstocking is a common problem on agistment/boarding as well and also on small horse properties. We get a bit greedy with how many horses we want to squeeze on to small acreage. Private paddocking rather than herd living tends to create high intensity grazing with no rest for the pasture. Whereas keeping horses in a herd, on a PP, means we can rest and rotate paddocks.
There’s something really beautiful about letting pasture grow, mature, develop seed and reproduce and watch the whole cycle start again through the seasons.
We build diversity in plant life, healthy soil through attracting bugs and microbes that live and feed off the humous and we crowd out invasive weeds. Plant debris that falls to the ground creates a layer that traps moisture and creates its own little micro climate.
We slash regularly in spring, which encourages even more growth. This also contributes to organic matter to build up the soil profile and support all the little organisms living in the soil, that make it healthy for the plants and grasses.
Even if you don’t get a lot of native species growing straight away, many introduced species can be lower in sugar and starch and safe to graze during certain times of the year, when rapid growth has finished.
You can also be providing homes and protection from predators for various native pollinators, insects, small animals and we even have visits from turtles.
Clicker training is lots of fun for our horses, but providing enrichment opportunities is another fabulous way for humans to get creative, have fun and enrich our horses’ lives. Join me on a journey of recycling, foraging and earthworks !
I really love playing around with different enrichment options and dreaming up new ways to enhance their environment as well. There are many easy, fun and cheap ways we can provide stimulation and entertainment for our horses. Often the simple things can be the most entertaining. I have ideas for food puzzles and toys all the way through to environmental enrichment on a bigger scale. It’s best to start with one or two things at a time and most importantly ensure the horse understands how to engage with the item without frustration. Always remember to regularly remove items and refresh or replace with something different, to avoid habituation – where they stop noticing the object in their environment.
Equine enrichment means adding or changing their environment with different substrates and terrain, social interaction with their own species and also other species, sensory experiences such as essential oils and herbs, providing puzzles and toys to fulfil their need for mental and physical stimulation and provide opportunities for contrafreeloading as well as offering a variety of foods to browse, taste and explore. This means that many species choose to ‘work’ for their food, rather than have it just served up to them. Giving them opportunities to enjoy species specific behaviour will ultimately contribute to their overall health and wellbeing. I feel very strongly about taking a whole horse approach to equine ownership/care.
I’ll include some ideas – but this is not an exhaustive list, more to get your creative juices flowing! I’ll provide some photo and video examples and at the bottom, will add links to further Resources and Further Reading. Please note that some of these ideas are for supervised play only, please use your discretion.
frozen blocks containing fruit and/or vegetables in fruit juice or herbal teas
slow feeder hay nets, puzzle feeders and fruit and vegetables on a rope
bobbing for fruit or vegetables
Likits, jolly balls, ball feeders, Kong wobblers, snuffle mats, ball pits or make your own
various grasses, weeds and browse (branches & leaves) scattered and hidden – checking they are safe and not toxic (see Resources)
hide hay and safe treats in boxes, hay nets or under loose hay
dog chews, ropes and slow feeder toys
dab various scents and essential oils in their environment or train scent detection
grow a herb garden or hedgerow
obstacles to step over and climb on
scratch posts
small and large stones, mud, sand and sawdust for walking on and rolling in
river crossing, hill climbs, bridges, platforms and teeter totters
misting station
purpose made horse balls or human yoga balls
water play with a hose or sprinkler
scratches and massage – there are purpose made gloves or use a spaghetti server
I was inspired by the book and concept of Jaime Jackson’s Paddock Paradise and I created a track system for my own horses for part of the year. One of the many enrichment ideas I’ve implemented in this theme, is the misting station. We enjoy very hot dry summers in Australia, so this has been a popular addition and source of enrichment for my horses every year. The fun they have under the mist and the energetic antics of my horses afterwards is not only enriching for them, but a lot of fun to watch as well!
Misting station
Horses cooling down
A sand roll is wonderful for back scratches and varied terrain with abrasive surfaces can help condition hooves and give horses a dry place to stand during winter.
Variations in surfaces create interest, hoof conditioning, exercise and even stretching.
Let our imagine run wild as to what we can build and/or provide in their environment.
Stones, bridges and obstacles all add interest and exercise.
Simple changes such as creating scratching poles with cheap rubber doormats or putting hay in slow feeder nets, can contribute to an overall improved lifestyle.
Toys and puzzles are fun and easy – buy or make your own! (Supervision may be required with some toys and puzzles.)
Sometimes we need to help them to learn how to play with puzzles.
Sourcing and offering different types of food and browse is fun for everyone!
The ultimate enrichment is enjoying the company of their own species!
Finally, training with Positive Reinforcement (clicker) training is another way to add enrichment to our horses’ lives, as well as helping to build a strong and trusting relationship through mutual enjoyment.
