Exercise

Horses need daily exercise. If kept stabled all day they should be ridden or driven for about an hour or turned out to pasture at night.

What Kinds of Exercise or Play Are Needed?

The amount of exercise an Arabian horse needs depends on where it lives. An Arabian that lives in a stall needs daily riding exercise and a chance to run on its own in an enclosed area. An Arabian that lives in a paddock might not need to be taken out for extra exercise every day, but it should be ridden at least three or four times a week. An Arabian that lives in a pasture has enough space to get the free exercise it needs, but it still needs to be ridden regularly.

Another form of exercise for a horse is called lungeing. With this maneuver, a person stands in the middle of an imaginary circle with the horse on a rope around 30 feet (9 meters) long; the horse moves around the circle at a walk, trot, or canter.

Some Arabians love to play with toys. One favorite is a “jolly ball,” a large plastic ball with a handle the horse can grip in its mouth.