Basic Care that Horses Need
Horse care is an important practice for both new horse owners and experienced ones. It is advisable that you acquaint yourself with as much information about horses as you can even before owning one. Horses need attentive care to bring out the best in them. Here are some basic care tips that you need to know about taking care of horses:
Food and Nutrition
Horses require to feed on a regular schedule. Measure the animal’s feed amount correctly and feed it in little but frequent portions. For grain feed, two portions in a day are sufficient. However, if you can manage to divide the portion into four times, do that and feed in four intervals within the day. Grazers can be allowed to eat for longer durations.
Horses have sensitive bellies so you have to ensure you get them quality hay or that the grass they graze on is good enough. The grass should be free from poisonous plants. Keep the horses watered regularly too and enable access to a salt lick.
Health
You should check on horses at least twice daily. During this inspection, you can check whether they have any injuries or are unwell. It is advisable to have them regularly checked by a vet too and keep their vaccinations and worming up to date. Horses especially those in stables need regular exercise. You can get them fit by rides, horse walkers, hand grazing, and lunging.
Living Conditions
Horses should reside in a clean environment. You need to ensure their stables are clean and also checked for any objects that could harm horses. For those in the field, the horse paddocks should be well fenced. Whichever shelter you choose for your horses, it should be secure and well maintained for the horses to live in.
Grooming
Daily grooming is essential if you want to keep good-looking, healthy horses. Their feet are the most precious. You need to learn how to pick their feet, especially after a ride or grazing. Check for any injuries, stones, or dirt. Also, check the condition of the shoes and feet. Horses’ bodies require brushing. For the face, you can use a soft brush while a coarser one is ideal to remove dirt from other parts of the body.
Equipment
To maintain a horse itself as well as where it resides and feeds, you need to get adequate equipment. This includes grooming equipment such as brushes, horses’ first aid kit and safety gear such as a body protector for yourself.
From simply reading, horse maintenance might sound like tedious work. However, it becomes easy when the routine falls in place. It is an enjoyable experience especially if you are taking care of a few horses.
