For many horses, summer brings one of the season's greatest frustrations: flies. While often dismissed as a minor nuisance, flies can have a significant impact on a horse's comfort, wellbeing and behaviour. Some horses cope remarkably well with flies, while others become distressed, lose condition or alter their normal behaviour patterns. Persistent fly irritation can lead to rubbing, skin damage, anxiety and reduced grazing time. There is no single solution to fly management, which is why...

Summer offers horses the opportunity to enjoy many of the behaviours they have evolved to perform naturally. Grazing, walking, social interaction and rest all form part of a healthy daily routine, and allowing horses to live within a stable herd environment can provide enormous benefits for both their physical and mental wellbeing. Horses are social animals. In the wild, they would spend much of their lives within a herd structure, forming friendships, establishing routines and learning from...

As temperatures rise, horse owners naturally begin to worry about keeping their horses safe and comfortable during the warmer months. While we often think of horses as hardy animals, they can be just as susceptible to heat stress and dehydration as we are. One of the greatest advantages of keeping horses in a natural herd environment is that they are able to make many of their own decisions about how to stay comfortable. Horses will often seek shelter during the hottest parts of the day,...