Top Horse Care Tips You Need To Know

We are going to take a look at some must know horse care tips that are life changing for you and your horse.

Horses are nomadic creatures, they roam all over walking many kilometers a day. Wild horses walk 6 to 26 kilometers a day, grazing a little and often during this roaming time. Their intestinal system is built to ingest forages continually, being able to eat a little bit but often. They are designed to process feed thats is low in nutrition but high in fiber.

Sociable Creatures

Horses are highly sociable animals that move around in herds to increase their chance of survival, yet still requiring some personal space at times. In the wild, horses tend to have their preferred grooming partners and communicate with body language. Horses are prey animals so they will instinctively run away when they perceive danger, if they cannot run away, they will fight if necessary. In a domesticated setting for horses, it’s important to be mindful of their natural environments and their instinctive behaviors so they are well catered to when caring for them.

Natural Environments

A domesticated setting for horses is being placed in a stable which is technically an unnatural setting for them, so they will not voluntarily confine themselves. The reason for this is to be able to keep them clean, track their food and amount of consumption and reduces the risk of injuries to the horse. That being said, we cannot forget their need for social interaction, so they really need to have turnout time to ensure good health and welfare.

Healthy Horse Diet

When it comes to diet for our domesticated horses, some starches have been added to give them more energy since we demand more of them activity wise. However, starch cereal diets if given excessively can cause gastrointestinal problems. As mentioned above, horses are designed to graze on low nutritional high fibre diets. Obesity is also another thing to be mindful of when it comes to domesticated horses as they have access to higher nutritional food all year round, unlike wild horses who would eat less in the winter months. Another thing to keep in mind is that naturally horses do not fast voluntarily, they instinctively eat on a continual basis. This means that horses cannot go without eating for longer than 3 hours. Confined in a stable, this can happen, particularly overnight which can have an impact on their gastrointestinal system. If domesticated horses are not cared for appropriately, poor horse care can lead to digestive upset or other health issues. It can lead to crib-biting or air sucking or a horse that is difficult to handle and manage.

Good Horse Care Management CheckList

• Insure Adequate Turnout.
• Well-Managed Pastures That Are Not Over Or Under Grazed.
• Always Have Access To Clean Water, In The Stable Provide Buckets, Using Automatic Drinkers That Need To Be Checked So That They Are Working At All Times.
• Provide Forage In The Stable, Not Leaving Them Without Access To Forage.
• Checked And Assessed On A Regular Basis For Injury Or Illness.
• Provide Natural Shelter From Trees And Hedges And/Or Purpose Built Man-Made Shelters.
• Have Rugs For Additional Protection During Cold or Wet Times.
• Provide Additional Conserved Forges During Times Of The Year When Grass Growth Is Limited.
• Good Ventilation Since Horses Are Prone To Respiratory Disorders – Recommended A Minimum Of 4 Air Changes Per Hour. Top Door Should Never Be Closed, Use Extra Rugs Instead On Cold Days.
• Provide Good Bedding With Low Dust And Kept Clean To Prevent Fungal Foot Infections. Also, Ammonia Is A Respiratory Irritant That Can Lead To Respiratory Issues.
• Making Sure The Stable Size Is Correct:

These are some very important horse care tips for you to be mindful of when it comes to your horse. Theses horse care tips will create a happy and healthy life for you and your horse to help keep the doctor away!