Stutteri Nord

09/01/2026

Professionelle har den nødvendige træning, og erfaring til at håndtere fyrværkeri sikkert, hvilket reducerer risikoen for skader og ulykker blandt pri

09/01/2026

Interessant undersøgelse.

Many horse owners cherish the belief that their horse sees them as the ultimate companion, but a recent (albeit small) study hints that this is likely not the case...

A 2026 study from Linköping University tested 30 privately owned horses (mares and geldings) in two key scenarios designed to probe attachment like behaviours.

First, in a reunion test mirroring everyday stressors like brief separations at shows or vet visits, the horses were isolated for one minute, then reunited with both their owner and an unfamiliar experimenter standing passively nearby.

The results?

No significant owner bias at the group level 😐

Each of the horses approached owners and strangers with equal interest in head proximity and physical contact, showing no "safe haven" preference for their human as dogs reliably do.

Longer owner relationships did very slightly boost physical contact, but even this was limited and inconclusive due to small sample sizes.

The second test zeroed in on olfaction, horses' underappreciated sensory superpower.

Horses sniffed buckets holding t-shirts worn by their owner or a stranger (from another stable, to control familiarity).

Again, no clear preference—though older horses leaned slightly toward owner scents, younger ones explored strangers more curiously.

This aligns with prior findings that horses generalise positive human experiences across people, not fixating on one individual like a parental figure.

Why does this matter from an equitation science standpoint?

Horses evolved as prey animals in tight-knit herds, where conspecifics provide the secure base for exploration and stress buffering. Humans just can't ever fully replace this. We don't offer the same group grooming, synchronised movement, or herd vigilance that cuts stress hormones by 30-40%.

Something to remember when making considerations for secure, well-designed environments that work with your horses' nature, not against it.

📑 Horses show limited owner bias in reunion and odor tests: a pilot study, Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, Volume 156, 2026, Ellinor Rönnow, Lina S.V. Roth.

03/12/2025

23/11/2025

Mangler du lommer i ridebukserne? Her er tasken du kan bruge i stedet.

12/11/2025

Horses differ in their sensitivity, as well as their motivation.

This means that when you use any pressure, you’ll need to identify each and every horse’s innate or acquired sensitivity.

If the pressure used is consistently below a motivating level the horse may habituate and require more pressure in the future, inducing negative affect.

Conversely, using pressures that exceed the motivating level is also a recipe for poor welfare.

Good horsemanship has always been about tuning in to the precise motivating level of pressure for each individual. An experienced horse person can often determine a horse’s sensitivity simply through touch and grooming.

Andrew McLean - Modern Horse Training: Equitation Science Principles & Practice, Volume 2

📖 Available for purchase on our website!

16/07/2025

Virkelig god øvelse for heste der er bange for ting bagfra, og/eller er meget følsomme for berøring på bagparten. Husk at arbejde dig forfra og bagud stille og forsigtigt, så du ikke kommer tilskade fordi hesten bliver bange

16/07/2025

Ny undersøgelse peger på en sammenhæng mellem hestevelfærd og sikkerhed for rytteren.

Recent research published in the journal Animal shows a clear link between horse welfare and rider safety.

Horses in facilities with better welfare—characterised by fewer health problems, higher haemoglobin levels, and more positive behaviour towards humans—were associated with the lowest number of rider falls during lessons.

In contrast, horses showing signs of poor welfare, such as chronic pain, apathy, aggression, or anaemia, were associated with more rider accidents.

The study also found that positive, attentive human-horse interactions during care and riding improved welfare, while rushed or minimal interaction worsened it.

Management practices like the frequency of turnout or the teaching strategies employed by riding instructors—were also found to be highly influential.

For example, the facility with the best welfare outcomes provided more frequent turnout and riding instruction that emphasised horse comfort rather than strict control. This approach not only improved horse welfare but also resulted in safer riding environments and a reduced risk of accidents.

This study, though modest in scale, clearly demonstrates that investing in horse welfare brings tangible benefits beyond simply having healthier, happier animals.

Facilities that make even small improvements in management—such as increasing turnout and providing more attentive care—see direct enhancements in horse welfare, which in turn results in fewer rider accidents during lessons and lowers the risk of costly legal claims for riding centres.

Ultimately, prioritising horse welfare is both an ethical responsibility and a sound, practical strategy for creating safer, more sustainable riding operations.

Full Study: L. Gueguen, R. Palme, P. Jego, S. Henry, M. Hausberger,
Differences between facilities in horse welfare profiles: slight differences in management/working conditions may be enough,
animal, Volume 19, Issue 6, 2025

05/01/2025

Super ide med en ridesti fra Galopbanen til café Victor👍 🥳

05/01/2025

Interessant resultat om hestes alder og mental parathed i forhold til træning!

The age at which horses are mentally fit for training is a subject of ongoing research and debate among equine professionals.

While most agree that formal training under saddle should not begin until the horse is physically mature enough to carry a rider, opinions on the mental readiness of youngsters for non-ridden training vary widely.

A recent study examined a group of Warmblood colts undertaking a pretraining programme for stallion licensing.

The researchers examined 18-, 24-, and 30-month-old stallions over a 12-week period, measuring salivary cortisol, heart rate, and heart rate variability (HRV) in response to various pretraining events that included free movement in an indoor arena, exercise in a horse walker, lunging, and free jumping.

The results showed that all pretraining events induced a stress response in the young stallions, indicated by increased salivary cortisol and heart rate, as well as decreased HRV. However, the degree of stress response decreased with repetition of the same event, suggesting rapid adaptation to these challenges.

The most pronounced cortisol release was observed in response to free movement and lunging in the early weeks of pretraining, and particularly during first exposure to the automated horse walker.

The study found no major differences in stress response between ages groups, contrary to the researchers' hypothesis. This suggests that even eighteen month old colts are mentally capable of coping with the demands of pretraining.

Heart rates during pretraining events peaked at 150-160 beats per minute, which is considered moderate compared to competing horses, with researchers noting that the observed physiological changes may actually enhance learning in horses, representing a eustress (positive stress)response rather than harmful stress.

The full study can be found at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1751731124003100

27/11/2024