Welcome! This website obviously focuses on horses, but the common thread throughout is the concept of "natural." However, this isn't about mysticism; it's about logic: observe the horse's natural habits and adapt their housing, feeding, trimming, and training methods accordingly. This helps avoid psychological and physical problems.
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"Natural horsemanship" is often categorised into separate, self-contained segments:
- There are "natural horsemanship" gurus who successfully teach how to best interact with horses using communication, psychology, and understanding instead of mechanical means, fear, and intimidation.
- Some people have dedicated a lot of time and research into how horses should be housed, cared for, or fed. This too is a form of "Natural horsemanship". Time and again, it appears that the more natural the care (including diet, housing, hoof care), the healthier the horses become, both physically and mentally.
- Another aspect of "natural horsemanship" is natural hoof trimming. Many people have horses with hoof problems; unfortunately, the way horses are often trimmed still relates more to tradition than insight and knowledge. The frequency with which our hoof trimming pages are consulted highlights it as a "hot issue".
What is often overlooked is that "natural horsemanship" represents a complete approach:
- You can trim your horse naturally, but if you confine them to a stable for the majority of the day, you'll never achieve healthy hooves.
- You can apply "natural horsemanship" in handling and riding, but if your horse is stabled and lacks contact with fellow horses, they may lack spirit or could be ridden with pent-up frustration.
- You can provide 24-hour pasture turnout, yet if you feed them pellets, clip them and blanket them, letting them out on shoes, there's a high chance your horse won't remain healthy or accidents might occur.
The principle that a healthy body and a healthy mind go hand in hand has long been accepted among people. This is equally true for horses!
Over time, we've learned that the "natural horsemanship components" are like puzzle pieces that fit seamlessly together to form a complete picture. This puzzle isn't complete until all pieces are in place. The result is a balanced horse, both mentally, emotionally, and physically.
On this website, www.paardnatuurlijk.nl, you’ll find many puzzle pieces. As you read, you’ll discover links to our other pages, reflecting the interconnectedness of all the information. Yet the puzzle is still incomplete, with new information regularly added to this site. www.paardnatuurlijk.nl is unique because it offers enough pieces to give you a good idea of what the complete puzzle will look like.
Some visitors come to www.paardnatuurlijk.nl looking for a single puzzle piece. They might only be interested in natural trimming, seeking tips for stopping a runaway horse, finding out about optimal feeding, or just learning how to load a horse onto a trailer. However, it’s important to realise that each page on this site is interconnected. Explore those other pages too; Paard Natuurlijk is a comprehensive package. The more pieces that fall into place, the better and easier everything becomes and the happier and healthier your horse (and thus you) will be!