The Debate: Indoor vs Outdoor Board
A drive along rural Ontario will include sights of horses in fields; the best pasture art! When observing these beautiful animals outside, the question can arise, especially on snowy and icy days, are those horses safe? Do they go inside at night, or do they stay outside?
There has been an emotional debate by horse owners, horse lovers, and horse professionals, about whether indoor accommodation for horses is best, or does the natural state of the wild horse rule. Expert opinion can be counter-intuitive to humans who like to live in warm places, and think it logical that our horses do too. 
The facts determine there is more respiratory illness, disease, behavioural problems and even digestive issues with horses that are kept in stalls. On the other side of this debate is a long list of horses that do perform better; they are healthier and happier, and kept in well managed stables offering adequate ventilation, safe practises, and proper daily turnout under safe conditions. These indoor horses are also groomed, ridden, and managed in a professional manner that ensures their safety and wellbeing. This professional manner insulates them from the problems listed as detrimental to indoor living. In other words, both indoor and outdoor board can be equally safe to the horse, if managed properly. There is no winner or loser to the debate!
Our region has a number of highly recommended horse boarding facilities, offering quality accommodation for horses – both indoor and outdoor. At Inukshuk Farm, our final footsteps lead us inside the stable where each horse is checked and given their evening flake of hay. The lights are shut down, and that peaceful sound of horses munching their hay is heard as the doors are closed for the night, is a comfortable ending to another day.
Inukshuk Farm serves the natural horsemanship and pleasure riding community. If you have always loved horses but have never had an opportunity to connect with the healing properties of knowing a horse, call us at Inukshuk Farm and we will be pleased to facilitate that first meeting.
Janice Ecclestone
Inukshuk Farm, 1940 Birch Island Road, Selwyn, ON
705-652-0578, inukshuk@nexicom.net New Website www.inukshukfarm.ca
