Horse care
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There are many aspects to horse care.
Contents |
[edit] Basic requirements
A horse or pony requires a check at least once a day. It must have access to clean fresh water at all times, and grass or hay too. If a horse cannot be visited by its owner every day, there is the option of keeping it at a livery yard, where the staff will care for the horse for a fee.
The minimum requirements are that the horse/pony has plenty available to eat and drink at all times unless it has special dietary requirements, has regular farriery/dental/veterinary care and its feet are picked out with a hoof pick daily to prevent thrush or lameness. It should also have some form of regular exercise whether it is being ridden, lunged or turned out in a spacious field. If a horse is ill or injured it may need to be confined to a stable on so-called box-rest (US: stall-rest).
The horse or pony will need a field and possibly a stable. For those who do not own their own land, fields can be rented from a private land owner or a paddock and stable may be rented from a livery yard. As horses are herd animals it is advisable for the horse to have equine company. However, this is not always possible and it has been known for special bonds to be developed between horses and other species. There are sometimes exceptions as some horses prefer to live on their own as they do not get on with other animals.
[edit] Feeding
The horse/pony needs approximately 2.5% of its bodyweight in food per day. This may include grass, hay, haylage and hard feed. The weight of a horse can be worked out using a weight tape, which may be purchased from a tack shop.
Most horses and ponies in regular work will need a ration of 60-70% grass/hay and 30-40% hard feed. These ratios must be considered when increasing the horses' workload, as the hard feed ration may need to be increased or decreased accordingly.
[edit] Golden rules of feeding
- Feed only good quality hay and feed.
- Feed plenty of bulk (fibre, also known as "roughage").
- Clean fresh water should be available at all times.
- Leave at least an hour after feeding before exercising, two if the horse is to do strenuous work.
- Keep feeding utensils clean.
- Feed according to age/height/workload/breed/temperament/time of year/health condition.
- Feed little and often - two or three small feeds per day rather than one large feed.
- Feed something succulent each day. If the horse is stabled 24 hours a day, it will need something fresh, such as carrots, in its feed.[1]
- Feed at regular times. Horses like routine and it helps prevent colic.
- Make no sudden changes in the diet. Introduce new hay or hard feed over a period of two weeks so that the horses' gut has time to adjust.
[edit] Types of Feedstuffs
- Oats - may be crushed or rolled. They provide energy for horses in medium or hard work.
- Barley - is normally crushed. It is often used as a conditioning feed for underweight horses.
- Bran - must be dampened before feeding or will swell in the stomach.
- Chaff - helps to slow the horse down by making it chew, and prevent it from bolting the feed.
- Alfalfa - high in protein, also helps to make the horse chew.
- Nuts/cubes - a compound of various grasses and cereals. They are available in different energy levels.
- Course mix - a mix of various cereals. They are also available in different energy levels.
- Sugar beet - must be soaked for at least 12 hours before feeding. Approx one bucket of water per round scoop. Feeding dry sugar beet can be fatal as it swells in the horse's stomach. Sugar beet should be stored in a secure container, preferably locked, in case a horse should break into the feed room and eat dry sugar beet.
- Linseed - must be cooked for several hours to become palatable. It is toxic uncooked. Linseed can help to put weight on a horse.
[edit] Shoeing and foot care
Horses or ponies are shod every 4-6 weeks. If the horse or pony is unshod (if it is a youngster or not used for ridden work) it must have a trim and levelling every 8-10 weeks. The farrier should be qualified and registered, and should advertise this fact with a sticker in his/her van. The Farrier's Registration Council may be contacted to confirm that a farrier is qualified and registered. It is illegal for anyone else other than a registered farrier to shoe or trim a horse's feet in the UK.
In the UK: The farrier should have any one of the following qualifications, the FWCF being the most highly skilled:
- DipWCF (Diploma of the Worshipful Company of Farriers)
- AWCF (Associateship of the Worshipful Company of Farriers)
- FWCF (Fellowship of the Worshipful Company of Farriers)
In the USA:
- AFA (American Farrier's Association)
A set of four shoes and labour typically costs £50-£60 a set. This may be more or less if the horse or pony is unusually large/small/difficult or if it needs remedial shoeing. The owner or a member of staff from the yard is normally expected to have the horse caught and ready for the farrier, with its feet picked out, clean and dry, and to be on hand to hold the horse.
The feet are picked out using a hoof pick at least once a day, to remove any stones, mud and dirt and to check that the shoes are in good condition.
Keeping feet clean and dry wherever possible helps prevent thrush and/or lameness.
[edit] Veterinary care
It is sensible to register a horse or pony with a local equine vet, in case of emergency. The veterinary practise will keep a record of the owner's details and where the horse or pony is kept, and any medical details.
[edit] Vaccinations
The horse or pony should be vaccinated against equine 'flu and tetanus. Breeding animals and/or those frequently on the show circuit may also need vaccinating against equine herped.
A vaccination card must be presented at many shows.
If the horse or pony has never been vaccinated will be given an initial vaccination then a booster several weeks later, then six months later, and normally once a year after that.
[edit] First-aid kit
A well-stocked equine (and human) first-aid kit should be kept in a place where it is easily accessed. Any used or out-of-date items should be replaced as soon as possible.
The basic items any equine first-aid kit should include are:
- Thermometer (a digital one is more accurate)[2]
- Petroleum jelly (to use as lubrication for thermometer)
- Salt (for saline solution, which is used to clean wounds)
- Cotton wool (for cleaning wounds, not dressing them)
- Animalintex/poultice dressing. Even disposable nappies/diapers can be cut and used as a poultice as they draw moisture out of wounds. Kaolin clay may also be used as a poulice.
- Gamgee, to be used as padding underneath bandages
- Sharp, clean scissors, reserved for first aid kit only
- Clean bucket, reserved for first-aid kit only, for washing out wounds
- Clean sponge, reserved for first-aid kit only
- Antiseptic cream, powder, gel or spray
- Bandages - 4x stable bandages, and some rolls of self-adhesive vet wrap
- Poultice boot
- Latex/medical gloves, unused
- Clean towel
- Soap and nail brush to scrub your hands
- Your veterinarian's and farrier's telephone and emergency numbers.
- A paper and pencil
- Suitable box/container for all of the above, to keep them clean and tidy.
- If your horse will be doing strenuous or risky work, it is always good to have a leg brace/stabilizer and/or a few short planks of wood on hand, in case of a broken leg.
[edit] Worming
All horses and ponies have a worm burden, and therefore treatment should be ongoing throughout the horse or pony's life. It is normal to worm every 8-13 weeks depending on the brand of wormer. A worming programme can be obtained from a local vet.
Wormers come in several forms:
- paste
- gel
- powder
- granules
Powders and granules normally come in a sachet and the wormer is normally mixed in with the horse's feed. The pastes and gels normally come in a plastic syringe which is used to squirt the wormer onto the horse's tongue.
Removing droppings regularly from the horse's field (at least once a week) helps to reduce the number of worms.
There are several different brands of wormer, using different types of active chemical - which in turn kill different types of worm. It is often necessary to use a specific wormer at a certain time of year, to combat a certain worm (for example: redworm, which is normally treated during October and November).
[edit] Active chemicals found in different wormers
- Fenbendazole ('Panacur')
- Moxidectin ('Equest')
- Ivermectin ('Eqvalan')
- Praziquantel ('Equitape'/'Equimax')
- Pyrantel ('Strongid-P')
- Membendazole ('Telmin')
- Oxibendazole ('Multiwurma')
[edit] Types of worm found in equines
- Lungworm
- Pinworm/seatworm
- Tapeworm
- Redworm -large and small (strongyles)
- 'Bots' (bot eggs are laid on a horse's coat, and when accidentally ingested through licking their coat, the larvae hatch and mature until they can be an inch long.)
'Ringworm' found in horses is not actually a worm but a contagious skin disease and is normally treated using an anti-fungal wash.
[edit] Dental care
The horse or pony must have its teeth checked by a vet or professional qualified dentist at least once a year, as the teeth can wear down and create sharp edges which may cause problems when eating or being ridden. If the teeth are sharp, the vet/dentist will rasp them until they are smooth. This process is known as "floating".
Some horses and ponies object to this procedure and must be sedated.
[edit] Notes
- ^ When feeding a carrot to a horse by hand, the carrot should not be gripped, but laid flat in the palm to avoid bite injuries.
- ^ The thermometer is inserted into a horse's rectum to obtain the temperature.
[edit] See also
[edit] Further reading
Auty, I. (ed, 1998) The BHS Complete Manual of Stable Management. Buckingham: Kenilworth Press.
Vogel, C. (1998) Complete Horsecare Manual. London: Dorling Kindersley.
[edit] External links
- http://www.geocities.com/onlineukhorsebook/ Online Horse Book
- http://www.horseperspective.com Advice on horse care
- http://www.americanhorsecare.com American horse care has articles on horse care.
