| It is often the little things that make a big difference | | | | simple. |
| when it comes to horse health care. | | | | #4 - Space to Roam |
| Have you ever noticed how some horses who have | | | | Wild horses travel up to 25 miles per day in search of |
| been doing poorly start to thrive when one or two little | | | | food and water. Horses are meant to be on the move, |
| things are tweaked in their management program? | | | | all the time, so if at all possible give your horse plenty |
| Horses are relatively simple creatures and their needs | | | | of room to run. If you keep your horse in a stall, |
| are not complicated. The devil, as they say, is in the | | | | schedule as much turnout as possible. If you have a |
| details when it comes to horse health care. | | | | choice between keeping your horse in a run or a stall, |
| 7 Little Things That Matter a Lot in Horse Health Care | | | | choose a run. It always amazes me that horse people |
| As a zen cowgirl who has seen a lot of horses come | | | | pay more for a smaller space (stall) than they do for a |
| and go, both performance horses and backyard | | | | larger space (a run) or for pasture care. A run or |
| pleasure horses, I've classified 7 areas of "little things | | | | pasture ends up being cheaper boarding options than a |
| that make a big difference" when it comes to horse | | | | stall, not to mention healthier for your horse. If you |
| health care. Take a gander and see if you agree with | | | | have limited room or no pasture for grazing, consider |
| me. | | | | the Pasture Paradise concept (Google it) to make the |
| #1 - Basic Nutrition | | | | most out of a small space and keep your horse |
| Horses are phenomenal creatures in that a little | | | | moving. |
| nutrition goes a very long way. Horses are | | | | #5 - Match Your Horse's Job to His Personality |
| accustomed to eating lots of food that is high in fiber | | | | Every horse is a particular personality type, just as |
| and low in nutrients, so when you add just a small | | | | people have personality types. Each type wants to be |
| quantity of power-packed nutrition to their diet, the | | | | loved in a different way. Veterinarian Dr. Madalyn |
| results are pretty astounding. Don't you think it's | | | | Ward has developed a horse personality typing |
| amazing that you can change the health of a 1,200 | | | | system that helps you determine your horse's |
| pound creature by just adding 1 liquid ounce of | | | | personality type, and understand how best to manage |
| nutritional supplements to your horse's feed? | | | | your horse. Check out the Horse Harmony Test. |
| I feed an ounce of my special horse goo, which I mix | | | | More importantly, once you've figured out your horse's |
| up on my kitchen table, to each of my 4 horses and | | | | type, see if your horse's job, management, diet, and so |
| the results are pretty amazing. The goo, which includes | | | | forth match his personality type (you can get all the |
| XanGo's mangosteen juice plus Simplexity Health's | | | | details in her book, Horse Harmony). Tweaking your |
| Essentials, is a wonderful maintenance tonic that keeps | | | | horse's management program so that it fits his |
| my horses healthy, happy, and symptom-free. The | | | | personality can go a long way to keeping your horse |
| mangosteen juice is a wonderful antioxidant and | | | | healthy and happy. |
| source of trace minerals, while the Essentials have | | | | #6 - Other Horses to Play With |
| probiotics, enzymes, and blue-green algae. Together | | | | Horses are herd animals, which means they are not |
| the combo significantly contributes to my horses' | | | | meant to live alone. Horses feel safe and secure |
| well-being, even in tiny doses. | | | | when in a herd. To keep your horse happy, he needs |
| #2 - Plenty of Long-Stem Chewable Food | | | | to at least be able to see and hear other horses. |
| To stay healthy horses need to chew on something | | | | Better still would be if your horse could interact with |
| pretty much all day and all night. To keep both mind | | | | other horses in a herd situation. Of course, your job is |
| and body happy, horses need plenty of long-stem | | | | to ensure that the herd is composed of suitable |
| chewable material, like hay. They also need to be | | | | companions for your horses so that your horse |
| walking while they eat, as this helps their digestion and | | | | emerges from a play session injury-free and happily |
| keeps them active. Since hay doesn't meet all of a | | | | satisfied. If you keep your horse where he cannot see |
| horse's nutritional needs, I view it as entertainment. | | | | or hear other horses, consider bringing in some kind of |
| Chewing on hay all the time keeps a horse occupied | | | | companion, even if it's not another horses. Horses |
| and out of trouble. It is tempting to feed soaked beet | | | | often get along with donkeys, mules, goats, or even |
| pulp pellets and a Senior feed instead of hay when | | | | llamas. |
| hay is in short supply, but this kind of diet doesn't offer | | | | #7 - Time Off to Be a Horse |
| the long-stem feeds that horses need to stay healthy. | | | | This is especially true for performance horses who |
| If you must feed beet pulp, choose the shreds over | | | | are campaigned heavily all year long. Most horses are |
| the pellets because the shred are longer-stemmed | | | | more than willing to do their jobs, but they need |
| than the pellets, which are chopped up. | | | | down-time to just be horses. If you have a |
| One thing that works very well for horses not on a | | | | performance horse on the circuit, consider turning him |
| giant pasture is Jaime Jackson's Paddock Paradise | | | | out to pasture for a month or two during the winter. |
| concept, which keeps horses walking and eating all | | | | While he may lose some of his physical condition, his |
| day long. Just Google Paddock Paradise to get the | | | | mental condition will be restored, and he will work all |
| scoop. | | | | the better for you. This is a case of "less is more," |
| #3 - Basic Body Maintenance | | | | where slightly less work equals more effective |
| Basic body maintenance is an essential part of good | | | | showing later in the season. |
| horse health care, but doesn't need to be complicated | | | | Horse Health Care - Why the Little Things Matter |
| or cost a lot. If you horse has its nutritional needs met | | | | These little "tweaks" to your horse's management |
| and is kept out of trouble by having plenty to chew on, | | | | program can matter a lot because at the end of the |
| veterinary care boils down to hoof care, dental care, | | | | day, a horse is a horse, not a motorcycle. Horses are |
| regular de-worming, possible vaccinations, and any | | | | living, breathing creatures who have adapted |
| bodywork that might be needed. | | | | remarkably well to domestication, but nevertheless |
| Depending on how much hands-on work you want to | | | | have some basic needs that date back to their |
| do, you can handle most of the hoof care, de-worming, | | | | ancestral roots. You'll be amazed how much happier a |
| vaccinations, and body work yourself. I wouldn't | | | | horse can be when his basic physiological and |
| recommend taking on the dental care. I do everything | | | | psychological needs are met. For instance, many a |
| but the dental care for my horses. It is possible to learn | | | | wood-chewing horse has been restored to normalcy |
| bodywork (massage, acupressure, Equine Touch) from | | | | by simply having constant access to long-stemmed |
| books or workshops. The same goes for hoof care, | | | | feed like hay or beet pulp shreds. Putting a round-bale |
| especially if you keep your horses barefoot. If you | | | | into your horse's pen is a simple "tweak" that can |
| don't want to handle these chores yourself, scheduling | | | | produce big results (and equal less carpentry work for |
| one visit per year with your veterinarian should take | | | | you)! |
| care of dental work and vaccinations. Then add in | | | | Got any other great "tweaks"? Leave a comment so |
| visits from the farrier every 6-8 weeks and body | | | | everyone else can benefit! |
| work as needed, and you're good to go. Just keep it | | | | |