Before you even think about purchasing your first
horse I want you to think about what kind of care a
horse needs to be healthy and happy.
Horses require constant maintenance, such as feed,
clean fresh water and plenty of it, hay or pasture,
yearly vaccinations against diseases and shoes if
you choose to shoe your horse, blankets to keep them
warm and so much more.
The list above is just a few of the basic
requirements you will want to think about if you are
considering purchasing a horse. Of course this does
not include veterinarian bills if your horse becomes
ill or needs dental care and/or a shelter plus you
will need mineral salt blocks, blankets, first aid
kit, bandages, and wormers for parasite
control. These are just some of the things you will
need to consider if you want the horse to be kept in
optimum condition for overall health and wellness.
Hay and Pasture
Hay comes in many varieties, such as alfalfa,
timothy, coastal, orchard and so on. Usually your
coastal and orchard hay is of a moderate grade,
whereas alfalfa is very rich in proteins and
nutrients and therefore should be fed sparingly. A
good quality hay should smell like fresh grass after
mowing. The amount you feed your horse will vary
depending on type of hay, the quality and when it is
cut, these are all factors to be considered. If you
are unsure, ask you veterinarian. As a general rule
of thumb a 1,000 pound horse will forage
approximately 2.0-3.0 percent of its body weight in
forage daily, this includes hay and/or pasture. Of course if you have good
quality
pasture you will need only to supplement the horses
diet with hay during the winter months.
Feed and Grains
There are many different types of gains n the market
and consist of
pellets, sweet feeds, oats, corn, barley, beet pulp
etc.
Pellet feed comes in different percentages based on
the amount of protein it contains, such as 10% - 12%
and higher for high performance horses. The
percentage you feed your horse usually depends upon
how much the horse is worked. Remember that not only
the feed your horse eats contains protein, but take
into account that hay and good quality pasture also
provides protein and should be included in there
overall daily ration. Protein is important for the
development and repair of the horses' muscle tissue
and it is great for healthy skin, hair, and hooves.
Just a note
about sweet feeds ( mixture of molasses, corn, oats,
and starches). Sweet feeds should be feed moderately
because it can cause long term health care problems
for your horse because of the high sugar content.
Treats
Lets not forget treats! Horses love their treats
just as our children do. Sweet treats such as sugar
cubes should be avoided, but horses love carrots,
apple slices, yogurt and there is a great selection
of treats at your local feed store.
Foot Care
First and Foremost- pick your horses feet every day.
Check for stones, debris and manure that can become
trapped in your horses feet. Most horses should have
there feet trimmed every 6-8 weeks, this depends on
the rate of hoof growth and your horse. You will
also want to check for loose shoes( if your horse
has shoes) because they will need to be repaired to
prevent lameness. Always be on the look out for
thrush, thrush is a fungal infection of the foot. It
is a very serious condition that if untreated will
cause lameness or worse. Thrush is distinguished by
a black tar like substance and the smell is
horrendous, not your typical manure in the foot
smell. If the thrush is attended to immediately, it
is easily stopped. If the thrush is severe it will
eat away at the horses hoof tissue and frog and
cause bleeding which will make the horse very
uncomfortable and/or lame. Thrush can be easily
treated but if you are unfamiliar with it, call your
blacksmith for advice. Thrush thrives in damp and
wet conditions, such as dirty stalls or muddy
paddocks. A clean stall will make a happy
environment for a healthy horse.
Horse Vaccinations
There are unfortunately many diseases that can
affect our horses. Horse vaccines should be given at
least once a year( sometimes twice yearly or a
booster) for Encephalomyelitis (Sleeping Sickness)
Tetanus Toxoid,influenza and the West Nile virus.
If
you have a horse that is in foal, additional shots
should be given such as the Rhinopneumonitis vaccine
which is given to healthy pregnant mares for the
prevention of abortion from a respiratory disease
that is caused by the equine herpes virus 1 (EHV-1)
The Horses Teeth
A horses permanent teeth will come in at 5-6 years
of age. Caring for your horses' teeth is essential
for the overall health of the horse. Your horses
teeth should be checked at least once a year as part
of a yearly checkup. If you notice your horse is
dropping excessive food from its mouth and/or
doesn't want to accept the bit, you will want to
call your veterinarian and have there teeth checked.
A horse is a constant eating machine and as a result
sharp points or hooks can appear on the horses teeth
which will make eating uncomfortable. The vet can
float the horses teeth( when the vet uses a file to
file down the sharp points) or pull a bad tooth,
whichever is the case. Your horse will feel better
and eat better too.
Worming Your Horse
Your horse should be wormed every 6-8 weeks. This
will get rid of any parasites he may have picked up.
I use a wormer that has Ivermectin in it and I have
never had a problem with parasites. I usually rotate
my wormer every other month, but I always get a
wormer that has the invermectin in it. Your horse
should be wormed every 6-8 weeks. This will get rid
of any parasites your horse may have picked up. I
personally use a wormer that has 'Ivermectin' in it
and I have never had a problem with parasites. I
usually rotate my wormer every other month, but I
always get a wormer that has the invermectin in it.
There are many wormers on the market in paste and
pellet form, always read the labels as all wormers
are not equal.
There is allot of horse advice out there, I have
just given you a few of the most important items
that I believe will give you an idea of what having
a horse and caring for a horse is all about. The
health and happiness of your horse is in your hands,
if you don't know something, ask, if you don't know
anyone to ask, do some research or speak with a
veterinarian.
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