How to care for a horse
Horses are wonderful creatures, revered in many cultures. They seem to enjoy the company of humans, and work well with us.
There are a variety of routine measures which can be applied to most effectively provide care for a horse. They should be supplied with appropriate nutrition, handling, and preventative steps to ensure that they remain in good overall health.
Continue reading to learn more about how to care for a horse.
Feeding a horse
For the most part, it is best to provide both hay and commercially-produced feeds (like grain, corn, oats) to horses. However, an adult which does little work may find high-quality hay to be sufficient. Supplying enough hay helps to prevent them from chewing on wood in barns or fences.
If you decide to give the horse a different type or quantity of food, it should be a gradual change so adaptation will be less difficult. Keep a salt block available for the horse to optionally use. Never allow them to eat ragwort, which can poison them and potentially cause death. Also avoid giving them wheat or expired commercial feeds.
Make sure water is constantly available, and replace or replenish it frequently. An 1100-pound horse will require about eight gallons of water per day, although this may vary with the type of weather and different levels of work. Keep the water temperature at 45F or higher.
Bedding care
You can buy all manner of horse bedding. However, it's not really necessary to get anything special. Straw, cut up cardboard, or shavings of wood can be used to create bedding. Don't pay extra for anything else.
There shouldn't be moisture, mold, or dust in the bedding. Bedding that has become wet should be removed. Wet bedding should be removed at least two times per day.
Health issues
They need regular vaccination against equine influenza, tetanus, equine encephalomyelitis, rabies, West Nile virus, and equine herpes virus. All of these diseases can cause serious health problems.
Take defecation out of the stable every twelve hours, and off the field bi-weekly. Keep your horse out of the field when it is excessively wet, to avoid skin infections. Like cats and dogs, horses can be afflicted with worms. Use an equine wormer periodically to help prevent this. A veterinarian can supply wormer and provide advice on its use.
Teeth care
An annual appointment should be scheduled for horses to receive dental care and tooth inspection. It is best to schedule such appointments bi-yearly for older horses (over eleven years old).
Applying the above-mentioned steps on how to care for a horse should enable it to live a healthier and longer life, while preventing injury to both you and the horse. If you are not sure how to address a different problem it may be experiencing, be sure to contact a veterinarian.
