Freedom, Forage, and Friends

I did not make up the concept or saying of the “three F’s”, although I wish I did. I first heard about freedom, forage, and friends being the foundation of equine managment when I was listening to Karen Rohlf’s “Horse Training in Harmony” podcast. Essentially, the concept of the three F’s is that for a horse’s basic needs to be met, he needs to have the opportunity for movement and to roam as nature intended (freedom), access to hay, pasture, or a substitute (e.g., beet pulp) as the base of the diet to ensure digestive function and well-being (forage), and a housing arrangement where he can be part of the herd, contact with equine buddies, and allowed to “be just a horse” (friends). From here, we humans can then train, ride, and be with our horses as the companions that our horses have generously allowed.

I admit that when horses are under our domesticated care, it is tempting to skimp on the three F’s and to care for them under the assumption that they were meant to be held in captivity. However, horses are sensitive, communicative beings that need their basic biological needs met if we are to join their world and ride or work with them in partnership and mutual respect. Horses are herd animals evolved to be with other horses as a survival strategy, they have a wildly unique digestive system that handles large amounts of continuous forage, and they are one-toed creatures built to move around with speed, power, and distance. Not prioritizing these basic needs will result in poor health, separation anxiety, and disharmony in their world. As humans and stewards of the domesticated horse, we have the opportunity to help fulfill these needs.

Some practicalities. Freedom essentially means plenty of turn-out and/or pasture time for a horse every day. Owners need a large space where a horse can freely gallop, move, do “airs above the ground”, and play. This can be a safely fenced and footed arena, large paddock, or pasture. Sometimes, with limited pasture or arena time available, it can be a combination of the three. Allowing for horse friendships may at the very least look like housing horses separately so they can see each other, maybe touch each other, but opportunities for friendly physical contact between horses (allogrooming or play) is best. It may take some sleuthing to determine which horses are a good match, so that injuries do not occur (no hind shoes!). Horses in a wild environment naturally form herds and interact with one another, acting as one unit. This provides security, confidence, and happiness in a horse. Finally, forage is the bedrock of equine nutrition because without it a horse simply cannot function properly or survive. Approximately 1.5-2% of the horse’s bodyweight daily should be hay or pasture (or substitutions for forage; senior horses with poor dentition may subsist on hay pellet mashes several times a day). Forage will be the foundation of your feeding program and eating his hay or grazing is likely what you’re horse will be busy doing for most of his day.