| Horses are amazingly beautiful and sensitive creatures. | | | | horse's stomach is a highly sensitive bio-reactor that |
| Horses require not only understanding and patience to | | | | maintains a delicate balance of the organisms that |
| have a horse as a pet, it also requires a whole lot of | | | | digest food in your horse's digestive track. |
| care. | | | | Visitors should not feed a horse that you do not own |
| Herd Mentality: | | | | without the owner's permission; no carrots, no apples, |
| Observe horses in the herd system, each horse's | | | | no treats, nothing. The horse could potentially, get sick if |
| welfare in the wild depends upon an instinctive | | | | they have an allergy or sickness. |
| submission to the discipline of the herd. The instinct is | | | | Pay attention to everything that goes into your horse; |
| for immediate action. To the horse, action is survival. | | | | that means all feed, all hay, all water, all treats, all |
| When horses live in an herd environment, they often | | | | supplements, all pills, and all shots. This knowledge could |
| take turns sleeping and standing guard for any | | | | save your horse's life in an emergency situation. Post |
| predators. When the leader of the herd signals danger | | | | this information on your horse's stall door so that it is |
| they take flight. | | | | available to a vet if you are not around in an |
| Learning respect and ascending to authority starts on | | | | emergency. Make sure that your horse gets |
| the first day of life for the foals, there is a distinct | | | | high-quality feed and hay. Your horse's health and |
| pecking order in herds of horses. | | | | soundness depends on the nutrition that you provide |
| It is important to keep a quiet profile around horses. | | | | for them. Take good care of your horse. A rider |
| Horses naturally do not like unnecessary noise | | | | without a horse is no rider at all. |
| because in the wild their survival depends on detection | | | | Vet Care: |
| of predators with their hearing. Extraneous noise | | | | Make sure that you have a good equine veterinarian. |
| interferes with this predator detection. This predator | | | | A good vet will save you money in the long run and |
| detection is tightly coupled with a horse's flight reflex. | | | | may save your horse's life some day. An ounce of |
| Due to these survival genetics, horses have a | | | | prevention is worth a pound of cure. Make sure your |
| physiological wiring in their brains that predisposes them | | | | horse has all the vaccinations that are normal for your |
| to prefer quietness and to become bothered by | | | | geographical location. All horses should be on a good |
| unnecessary noise. Many horses can get startled | | | | worming program to control intestinal parasites. A |
| easily from abrupt noises and this could result in injury | | | | horse should be wormed by a vet at least twice a |
| to the horse, the rider, or people around the horse. Talk | | | | year. |
| to your horse in a quiet, reassuring voice. | | | | Horse Flies: |
| Relationship With Horses: | | | | In the summer spray your horse trailer down with fly |
| A horse will love you if, first and foremost, you treat it | | | | spray about 10 minutes before you load the horses. |
| fairly, and secondly, if you allow yourself to develop a | | | | The flies should leave, and your horses will be without |
| relationship with it in the same way you would a | | | | those pesky flies! |
| human partner. There are too many who will look after | | | | Cooling Horses: |
| the horse's material needs but put nothing back into the | | | | Never spray a hot, sweaty horse with cold water |
| partnership itself. The horse born in captivity will identify | | | | immediately after working the horse. This can cause |
| with an alternative provider and companion, resulting in | | | | muscle spasms and binding, or shock that can lead to |
| a healthy relationship from the beginning. A healthy | | | | death. Wait until the horse is breathing regularly, and |
| relationship with your horse requires: trust, coupled with | | | | use warm water if it is available. If a horse has heat |
| respect, fondness with compliance, and a desire to | | | | shock, consult your vet and the vet may instruct you |
| please. | | | | to cold hose the horse, even if still hot and sweaty. |
| Check Your Horse: | | | | Never put a horse in a stall or confined area while |
| Examine your horse every day and especially prior to | | | | sweaty or while they are still breathing heavily. This |
| riding the horse. Carefully examine the horse's legs and | | | | can result in shock and/or colic that can lead to death. |
| back for any unusual heat or lumps. Make sure that | | | | Walk the horse until the horse is cooled out and the |
| the horse's eyes are alert and not glazy. Listen for any | | | | breathing is normal. |
| excessive noise or gurgling sounds coming from your | | | | Shoeing: |
| horse's stomach. Catching problems before they | | | | Horses' hooves generally grow approximately 1 cm in |
| become serious is critical to keeping a show horse | | | | a month, and take nearly a year to grow from the |
| sound and alive. | | | | coronet band to the ground. Horse's hooves need to |
| Exercise caution and discretion when around stallions | | | | be trimmed regularly (about every 6-8 weeks). |
| and mares when they are in heat. They are dealing | | | | Shoeing a horse does not hurt them. If you were to |
| with hormones on an order of magnitude that you | | | | grow out your finger nail, you could put an earring/pin |
| probably can not comprehend. Stallions typically bite | | | | through it without causing discomfort; however, if you |
| and some may be easily triggered into violent behavior. | | | | pushed the pin through the part of your nail that is |
| Grooming Horses: | | | | attached to the soft tissue of your finger, it would hurt. |
| Keep your horse clean. Keep your horse's entire coat | | | | When horse shoes are nailed in, they are nailed at an |
| free from dirt, mud, sand, and sweat. Brush your horse | | | | angle so which the horse doesn't feel it. |
| every day. Pick out your horse's feet every day. | | | | Make sure that you have a good farrier, especially if |
| Wash out any sweat residue from the saddle pad or | | | | you show your horse over jumps. The concussion |
| girth every day. Wash out any dirt or sand residue, as | | | | from landing from jumps amplifies any problems in a |
| from the riding arena, on your horses legs every day. | | | | horse's shoeing. If a horse gets sore feet or legs from |
| A number of different problems can result if a horse's | | | | bad angles or bad shoeing, the horse can not just take |
| coat is not kept clean. | | | | his shoes off, sit back on a couch, and rub their feet, or |
| Barn Care: | | | | find another pair of shoes like you can. Bad shoeing |
| Keep your horse's stall clean. Make sure that your | | | | can result in your horse becoming lame due to a |
| horse's stall is cleaned every day. Be sure that any | | | | number of problems including: bowed tendons, popped |
| wetness is removed with the manure. Replace the | | | | splints, or shoulder/back soreness or spasms. Bad |
| removed bedding with fresh, clean, dry bedding. Water | | | | shoeing can ruin a good horse, so don't be penny-wise |
| should be dumped from buckets every day without | | | | and pound-foolish where shoeing is concerned. A |
| exception. Unhealthy dirt and bacteria can build up in a | | | | laid-up horse is far more expensive to maintain than a |
| bucket if it is not cleaned on a daily basis. Clean water | | | | good farrier. And remember not all horses need to |
| is essential to maintaining a healthy horse. Make sure | | | | have shoes, only if they are competing, walking on |
| your horse always has clean, fresh water available. | | | | hard/rocky surfaces, or have hoof problems. |
| Training A Horse: | | | | Sleeping: |
| The intelligence of the horse increases rapidly with | | | | Horses do lay down to sleep, but only if they feel |
| education. An intelligent trainer can make an intelligent | | | | completely comfortable in their environment. It is not |
| horse. A kind but firm trainer will result in a disciplined | | | | enough to provide a dry stable, food and water. |
| but pleasing horse. | | | | Horses will often sleep standing up by locking their |
| Horse Feed: | | | | knees. Horses are one of the few animals that can |
| Feed your horse(s) at the same times every day. A | | | | put one half of their body asleep while the other half is |
| horse may get upset and colic or injure themselves by | | | | wide awake. Emotionally and mentally, all horses need |
| kicking the stall or pawing, if not fed when feeding is | | | | to feel they have and be comfortable in their own |
| expected. You should not make radical changes in a | | | | space! |
| horse's feed program. If you must make a change in | | | | To fully enjoy a horse's finer qualities you must treat |
| the feed program, make the change gradually. Drastic | | | | them with both kindness and quality care. In the end, a |
| changes in a horse's feed program can cause the | | | | happy horse will mean a nicer ride and a happier rider. |
| horse to colic and in some cases, may die. Your | | | | |