Metsätarhat, aukeat pellot sekä yhdessä asuminen pihatoissa tukevat hevosten hyvinvointia Ruska Laukan tallilla Ruka-Kuusamossa

Ronivaara · Kuusamo, Finland

Horse welfare at Ronivaara

Herd life, movement, rest and individual care are part of every horse’s day.

A good life begins with knowing the individual horse

Every Finnhorse at Ronivaara has its own character, history, strengths, preferences and way of showing how it feels.

Knowing the horses through everyday life helps us recognise what is normal for each individual: how it moves, eats and rests, which horses it chooses to stay close to, how it responds to people and how it recovers after activity.

These observations are part of daily care. They also help us decide what kind of work, exercise or guided activity suits each horse on a particular day.

The aim is simple: a good day for the horse and a good day for the people spending time with it.

A good experience for the guest should still be a good day for the horse.

Herd, movement and rest shape the day

The Finnhorses spend their days with familiar companions, moving through outdoor areas, eating, resting, observing their surroundings and living the ordinary rhythm of the herd.

The herd is part of a horse’s home

Horses are social animals, and familiar companions are an important part of life at Ronivaara.

The Finnhorses live in herds where they form friendships, maintain their own space and develop familiar ways of moving, resting and spending time together. Some regularly choose the same companion. Others prefer a little more space.

Watching the herd also helps us know the individual horse. When we know how a horse usually behaves with its companions, changes are easier to notice.

The horses use paddocks, forest areas and pastures, and the way these areas are used changes with the season and conditions.

The Finnhorses live outdoors year-round, with access to shelters, wooded paddocks and open areas. In summer, seasonal pastures become part of their everyday environment. The different areas give the horses opportunities to move, rest, explore their surroundings and choose where they want to spend time.

“The horses come first and I loved this about the place.” – tourist

Movement is part of everyday life

Movement does not begin when a rider arrives.

The horses move as part of their ordinary day: between feeding and resting places, around their outdoor areas and together with their companions.

Different ground and terrain give them reasons to walk, turn, balance and choose where to go. In summer, pasture changes the rhythm of the day. In winter, snow, frost and changing surfaces affect both the horses’ movement and the activities planned with people.

The environment is used according to the season, the conditions and the needs of the horses.

Care follows the individual horse

Daily care is planned around the individual horse.

Feeding, health care, hoof care, equipment and other routines are considered together with the horse’s age, condition, activity and changing needs. Feeding is adapted individually, and the horses have access to clean water throughout the day, including during Kuusamo’s cold winters.

Appetite, body condition, movement and behaviour are part of the everyday observations made around the horses. Each horse has equipment selected for its own body and the work it does, and the fit and condition of the equipment are followed as the horse and its needs change.

The important question is not simply whether a horse can do something, but what suits that horse at that point in its life.

Rest and recovery belong to working life

Riding, driving, groundwork and guided encounters are part of life for many of the Finnhorses at Ronivaara. Rest and recovery belong alongside them.

Age, fitness, health, previous activity, the day’s conditions and the individual horse all affect what kind of work is suitable.

A horse that needs more recovery can have a lighter day or rest. Changing snow, weather or ground conditions may mean changing the route, pace or activity.

Adjusting the plan is part of normal horse care.

The programme lasts an hour or two. The horse’s life continues before it and after it.

Knowing the horse means noticing the small changes

Movement, behaviour, appetite and recovery become familiar through everyday life. When something changes, the day’s plan for the horse can change too.

Ruska Laukan tallilla suomenhevosia Ruka-Kuusamossa

We listen to what the horse is telling us

A horse communicates through its behaviour and body.

Interest, relaxation, uncertainty, tension, tiredness, discomfort and the need for more space can all be visible in the way a horse moves and responds.

We observe the horse before, during and after activity. What we see is considered together with what we already know about that individual horse.

If a horse needs a lighter day or more time to recover, we take that into account. With several Finnhorses at Ronivaara, another suitable horse can take its place when needed, allowing the experience to continue while respecting the needs of the individual horse.

The horse is part of the decision.

“If the horse needs a different kind of day, we change the day.” — Sanna

Horses keep learning throughout their lives

Young horses learn everyday handling, herd life and new tasks gradually.

More experienced horses continue to develop their skills, while the work of an older horse can change as its needs and abilities change.

Clear handling, repetition, familiar people and enough time help the horse understand what is being asked.

The role of an individual horse can therefore change during its years at Ronivaara.

Welfare is followed every day

Knowing the horses personally gives us one kind of information. Systematic follow-up gives another.

Health, behaviour, appetite, movement, body condition, rest, herd relationships, workload and recovery are followed as part of everyday horse care.

Information about care, feeding, hoof care, work and other individual needs is also recorded when needed so that changes can be followed over time.

This helps us notice both small changes in an ordinary day and longer-term changes in an individual horse’s life.

External standards support the work

Our welfare and responsibility work is supported by external quality and sustainability systems.

Ruska Laukka has the Sustainable Travel Finland (STF) label, is an SRL Laatutalli stable and has achieved HyväTalli Silver level.

These frameworks support continuous development, but the most important work happens in everyday choices – in how the horses are cared for, how activities are planned and how their individual wellbeing is taken into account.

Read About Sustainability & Responsibility

Read Our Sustainability Commitment

Ruska Laukka talli, "Helmi", suomenhevostamma

Welfare also shapes the guest experience

Horse welfare and a good visitor experience belong together.

The horse you meet has its own skills, character and needs. The route, pace, activity and horse–guest combination are chosen with the horses, people and conditions in mind.

This may mean a quiet moment beside a horse, a steady walk through the forest, more precise riding work or a different plan when the day calls for it.

The horse–guest combination is chosen with both the horse and the person in mind. If a particular horse needs rest or a different kind of day, another suitable Finnhorse can take its place.

For a guest, this also offers a chance to meet the Finnhorse as an individual rather than simply take part in an activity.

Meet the horses behind the principles

Horse welfare becomes most concrete when you know the individuals. Their differences are the reason welfare cannot be reduced to one routine that fits every horse.

Meet Our Finnhorses

A good day at Ronivaara

The horses’ days are made from many ordinary things: familiar companions, food, movement, rest, care, changing weather and the people they know.

Guided activities become one part of that larger day.

When you meet a Finnhorse at Ronivaara, you meet a horse whose life continues before and after your visit.

Explore Finnhorse Experiences

Meet Our Finnhorses