Pavo embraces 8 promises to my horse from the KNHS
The Dutch Equestrian Federation KNHS recently drew up the '8 promises to my horse'. With this, the KNHS wants to convey what they stand for and how we should deal with our horses. As a partner of the KNHS, Pavo also embraces these promises.
Fenna Westerduin of the KNHS explains how the promises came about: "We think it is important that people start thinking about whether they actually treat their horses in this way. Often we don't really think about that. By putting these promises on paper and propagating them again and again, we hope to hold up a mirror to people. People should actually start to see it as a kind of 'tick list' to see if they are handling their horse in the right way."
The 8 promises:
- Understand my horse's behaviour and build a lasting bond based on trust, patience and respect.
- To stable my horse with peers around him and to ensure that he gets enough free movement every day.
- Give my horse unlimited, or several times a day, water and roughage and ensure that he gets all the necessary nutrients.
- Use as few tools as possible and then only to promote the healthy development of my horse's body.
- To train my horse at a level and manner that suits his mental and physical condition.
- If my horse doesn't respond the way I'd like, I realize it's probably because of the way I am asking. If I can't figure it out, I will enlist the help of an expert.
- Never stop learning and be open to instruction and new insights.
- When it comes to the time to say goodbye, ensure a dignified end of life for my horse.
Westerduin: "I always think number 6 is a very nice one. We must continue to reflect when a horse does not react as we would like it to. Look at yourself first and, if it's not up to you, look further. There will be something about why a horse reacts the way he does."
Pavo underlines the importance of all these promises. With number 3, Pavo would like to continue to support horse owners. By means of a Pavo Roughage Quickscan it becomes clear exactly what a horse ingests through the roughage. By mapping out the specific needs, tailor-made feeding advice can be given for each horse. This can be done through the feed calculator and also through personal feed advice.