| Your horse's health is important! To keep your horse in | | | | and resume normal behavior, call your vet.o Check |
| good health, it's a good idea to get into a routine of | | | | your horse's legs. This is a good thing to do every day, |
| doing a daily health check. Don't worry--a good health | | | | even if you haven't ridden your horse. Horses can |
| check takes just a few minutes! In order for it to be | | | | injure themselves just about anywhere, including their |
| meaningful, however, it's important that you know the | | | | pastures and their stalls. Run your hands down each |
| signs of a healthy horse, as well as the signs of an | | | | leg, looking for wounds, heat, bumps, and swelling. It |
| unhealthy horse. Go down this checklist every day, and | | | | may take a while, but at some point you should know |
| keep your horse in tip-top shape!o How is your horse | | | | the difference between your horse's normal leg |
| standing? Horses who are relaxing often stand with | | | | temperature and an elevated temperature. If you |
| their heads down and one hind leg resting. This is a | | | | notice anything abnormal, trot your horse out and look |
| completely normal posture! However, if your horse is | | | | for signs of lameness. If your horse seems stiff, limps, |
| standing in his pasture or stall with a front leg resting, | | | | or bobs his head when he moves, call your vet.o |
| further investigation is probably needed. Trot your | | | | Check his appetite. Most horses love to eat! If your |
| horse out to see if you see any signs of lameness. If | | | | horse falls into this category, you'll know something is |
| you aren't sure, call your vet and have him do an | | | | wrong if he leaves his food alone. A horse who isn't |
| evaluation. As a general rule, horses don't stand with | | | | feeling well may lose his appetite, and may also stop |
| their front legs resting.o What is his expression? You | | | | drinking. If you notice that your horse's eating patterns |
| can often tell if your horse is feeling under the weather | | | | are off, observe him for a few feedings. If he doesn't |
| just by looking at his expression. You see your horse | | | | regain his appetite, call he vet.o Check your horse's |
| every day, and you know what to expect. If your | | | | manure. Your horse's manure is a good sign of his |
| normally alert, curious, ears-forward horse is hanging | | | | health. You most likely know what normal manure |
| his head with dull eyes, then he probably doesn't feel | | | | looks like. The balls are well formed but easy to break |
| well. Watch him carefully, and if his expression doesn't | | | | in half. If the balls seem extremely dry or hard, suspect |
| improve, call the vet.o How is your horse lying? All | | | | that your horse is not drinking enough water. Loose |
| horse lie down sometimes. Sometimes it is to rest, and | | | | manure can mean a couple things. Either your horse is |
| other times it is just to bask in the sun. If your horse is | | | | eating a diet that is too rich for him, or he has some |
| sunning himself with other horses peacefully in his | | | | sort of bug that is giving him diarrhea. And always look |
| pasture, then leave him be. Chances are, he's just | | | | for worms. Worms in your horses manure mean that |
| enjoying some down time. And while every horse | | | | he is carrying dangerous, sometimes even deadly, |
| enjoys a good roll now and then, if your horse rolls | | | | parasites. Time for a deworming! |
| repeatedly and seems agitated or restless, it's possible | | | | :: Looking for more great equine discussions? Then visit |
| he has a tummy ache. Restless, agitated rolling is a | | | | our equine forum by clicking this link ,We always leave |
| sign of colic, so if he doesn't stop within a few minutes | | | | the door wide to open. |