28/07/2025
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*** Well what do horses do in the wild, then? ***
After one riderās justification in taking her horses out travelling and jumping in 30 degree heat in the U.K. involved the phrase āall the wild horses are fineā (on my post about horses not being able to acclimatise to a few days of 30 degree heat in the U.K.), I thought Iād do a little post about how āhorses in the wildā cope in various situations. Iāll use several āreal lifeā examples that frequently crop up on my posts; some are genuine people asking genuine questions, and some are confused people thinking that āhorses in the wildā live this idealistic life that we should be trying to emulate for our own horses.
Firstly, real āwild horsesā live extremely tough lives. They fight to eat, they fight to stay in their herds, and most of all, they fight to simply survive. Itās not a lovely, relaxed lifestyle. Horses are prey animals; they have many predators. They must be acutely aware of their surroundings, 24/7. These horses are born into that environment, but itās still a tough life. Our horses are literally born in a barn. They are COMPLETELY different to a herd of wild horses. Most foals are born in a stable, with just their mother for company. They are born into safety. They know domestic life as a safe life from day one. They arenāt wild horses. Wild horses need to get their foals up and running, literally, before predators smell the placenta/see the vulnerable new born foal, and move in. Wild horses must be on their guard at all times; itās not a life of freedom.
1. Why do we need to examine our horsesā mouths and treat dental pathology at least once a year? What do horses in the wild do?
They die. Itās honestly as simple as that. Horses hide dental pain incredibly well; they are āprogrammedā to hide dental pain as they must keep eating to survive. Yes, wild horses will absolutely suffer from dental pathology (itās not due to the āevilā domestication, or the nasty stables we keep them in). If a wild horse canāt eat very well, he/she will become malnourished, unable to keep up with the herd, and succumb to predators. Their shorter life expectancy also means that a lot of dental disease seen in our veteran domestic horses, wonāt be relevant due to their shorter life span.
2. Horses donāt need shoes! How do horses cope in the wild?!
Yes, a lot of wild horses definitely cope barefoot much better than our domestic horses are able to. It may be due to breeding, and likely also due to the fact that they are constantly moving over various terrain from day one, and do very little āroad workā. A lot of barefoot domestic horses canāt really cope barefoot, which is where hoof boots have their place. If we want to hack our horses out for hours on roads, or to compete our horses on grass without them slipping, then they will most likely need some form of shoe/grip on their feet. Wild horses donāt need to collect and jump on slippery grass, and wonāt spend hours on tarmac (which wears hooves down).
3. Horses get colic because theyāre stabled; what happens in the wild?
Certainly a lack of constant forage will predispose a horse to colic, and in the wild, horses are constantly foraging and grazing. However, there are many causes of colic that just happen, and we donāt know why. Again, many wild horses wonāt live long enough to suffer from some of the āold horseā causes of surgical colics, such as strangulating lipomas. Again, a horse with a surgical colic will simply die in the wild.
4. Why do we need to acclimatise our horses to being ridden in extreme temperatures? Wild horses are fine!
Well, firstly, they arenāt out in the midday sun cantering in circles and jumping courses, whilst carrying about 90kg. And secondlyā¦..no, I think that just about covers in! They find natural shade, and will move about slowly if they canāt find water/shade.
5. Why do I need to provide field shelters and hard standing for my ponies? What happens in the wild?! Just because horses survive in the wild, doesnāt mean they thrive. Yes, horses in the wild donāt have field shelters, but our domestic horses are often used to a roof over their heads from birth, and by choosing to domesticate horses, we are also responsible for ensuring the absolute best of welfare standards for them. Horses do find shade and shelter in the wild, normally under big trees, and just because they donāt have shelters, it doesnāt mean their quality of life wouldnāt be improved by having them. Horses in the wild are frequently on the move, so itās rare for them to be standing around in muddy paddocks - our domestic horses need hard standing for that reason.
To summarise, just because horses (mainly) survive in the wild, definitely doesnāt mean they thrive. We often expect our horses to carry us around, and in return for that, we should expect to provide the very best care for them. Our domestic horses are more often than not, born in a stable or barn, and are extremely far removed from wild horses from day one. A life for a wild horse is often one of battling to survive.
