You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'horse health care' tag.
If you’re a horse owner you will realise that keeping such animals can be an expensive proposition. You will therefore want to ensure that your horse is well looked after.
It is essential that you are providing your horse with all of the nutrition it needs to promote both good growth and healthy development. For almost all owners, a horse is something that you will invest a great deal of time and energy in, and in return it is going to be very loving and loyal to you. It is not enough to simply give your horse adequate nutrition – instead you must provide it with excellent nutrition.
Your particular make and breed of horse will have a strong bearing on its dietary requirements and what you will need to provide it with in terms of good nutrition. A shire-horse will obviously need a different diet to a miniature horse. Good horse fodder is essential and unless you are familiar with your animal’s feeding requirements already, you will need to do your research.
Another important factor to bear in mind is not only what the breed type, but also what their lives and routine involve. Are they working horses, pets, or even racing horses. Do you show them, or are they simply work horses fir use around the farm? All of these are important questions to ask, as the answers to will help you figure out the appropriate and best diet to give your horse.
Once you are clear on all of the above aspects of your horse, you can then go about choosing the right type of horse feed. Buying horse feed is not as simple or straight forward as buying for a dog or a cat. Make sure you find a good and reliable horse-feed supplier that can make the right decisions about the best feed for your horse and can provide you with good advice on quantities per feed.
The different seasons in the year can have an effect on your horse’s body and as a result the food requirements. It may be necessary that you change the feed or vary what you are giving them as far as amounts go, at different times of the year. This is also a question that you should discuss with your vet. Get plenty of advice and ensure you are doing what is right for your horse’s health at all times.
Finally, like any well loved animal you are likely to want to treat your horse to the odd snack now and again as a reward – particularly during training times. It is also important that you give them the right type of snack Talk to your vet about what type of snack is appropriate for your horse and keep a good supply of the snacks that you know your horse loves on hand.
Not all equestrian accidents happen while you’re riding. Routine daily horse care chores like grooming, tacking and feeding can result in an injury. Be prepared, be aware and be safe!
1. Rope Wrap: Don’t wrap your lead line around your hand (or any other body part). If your horse spooks or shys, you can get a rope burn, a sprain…even some broken bones.
2. Tack Troubles: Use caution when tacking a horse, especially an unknown horse. When you’re tightening the girth some horses will bite at anything they can reach. If the horse is in cross ties, be sure no one is standing within striking distance. If your horse isn’t in cross ties, keep an even wider perimeter.
3. Bridle Knockout: Keep your wits about you when bridling a horse. Some horses will shake their heads before accepting the bridle. If you’re not paying attention, you can get hit in the head. Hard.
4. Not So Tranquilizing: Some horses can become aggressive when tranquilized. Don’t assume your horse will be putty in your hands! Use of prescription drugs should always be under your veterinarian’s direction.
5. Eyes On The Flies: Be aware of the environment in which you’re going to work or ride. If the flies are plentiful and biting, your horse may bolt in an effort to get away from them. You can use fly sprays, but keep in mind that the sprays wear off. You may need to reapply during a long ride.
6. Try A Little Tenderness: Check your horse for injuries or sore spots before grooming. Inadvertently running a comb over a tender spot can cause a dangerous bite or kick.
7. The Trick Of Treats: Horses love treats, and sometimes they show their love by shoving and kicking their pasture mates. There is a pecking order in the herd, and horses take it very seriously. As they jockey optimum treat distribution, you may suffer collateral damage. Feed treats from the safe side of a fence, tossing some treats to the lower status herd members. For the safest possible treat feeding, just put them in their feed buckets. You’ll get fewer brownie points with your horses, but you’ll stay in one piece.
8. Fit That Tack: Poor fitting tack can cause discomfort to your horse. This, in turn, can cause discomfort to you when he tries to buck you off. Be sure your tack is correctly fitted to your horse.
9. Dress For Success: Wear appropriate footwear. A properly fitted boot/stirrup combination is also very important. Release catches are available on some saddles to prevent dragging if your foot is caught in the stirrup.
10. Plan For A Quick Retreat: Don’t enter a stall without planning how you’ll get OUT of the stall. If the stall doesn’t have stall guards (allowing you to duck under) and you must close the door, be sure someone is available to open the door quickly in the event of trouble. In an emergency, reaching over to fiddle with the stall door latch may not be feasible.
