Horses

A herd of 16 horses live on the lands of Mon Cheval Naturel, including 4 Falabella miniature horses, 3 ponies and 6 Canadian horses, a breed officially recognized as Canada’s national horse and Quebec’s agricultural heritage. Ms. Verreault’s strong values in terms of environmental awareness, local purchasing, regional development and back-to-basics principles led her to bring the Canadian horse in her stables and to put this breed at the heart of the centre’s activities. A well-muscled neck and solid hooves characterize the Canadian horse, also called “the little iron horse”. Very versatile, it is used for harnessing and riding, it serves as a police service horse and takes part in several disciplines: western, classic, jumping, ski-joëring, sleigh riding, etc.

Our horses are kept outside all year long, but they have access at all times to shelter, minerals, salt, and an unlimited supply of water and hay. Since horses are typically gregarious animals, we advocate an environment recreating the natural living conditions of the animal’s wild habitat. We provide them with different soil types, including sand and pebbles, to stimulate hoof growth.