4 Basic tips on keeping your horse healthy

When you start balling and you have a stable of horses, here is how you should take care of your stallions.

Horses need a very different routine when it comes to animal care. Compared to our household buddies that can be left lying around in the house after a few minutes of walking and feeding every day, horses need extra dedication and maintenance. Preserving the health of horses is very challenging so before you decide to become a brand new owner of a stallion or mare, make sure to educate yourself first about the basics of horse care.

Morning check up

This is something that every horse owner should do every morning. Make sure to check the horse’s entire body for swellings, bruises, or cuts. Horses run very fast and the twigs and rocks lying around in the field often scrape them. Attend to their wounds immediately with a first aid kit but if it’s serious, call a veterinarian immediately.

Before taking them out for a ride

Horses need to be groomed first before they can be taken out for a ride. They need to be , have their hooves picked, and have their mane and tail brushed.

Exercise

Horses don’t just need walks; they need to run. You may ride your horses for as long as you like but make sure to give them a break and fresh water at least every 2 hours. Be careful not to let them drink too much or they can become sick. Exercise is the very essence of a fast and strong horse, and it is what makes the horses of Paul Nicholls – a top UK-based horse trainer – winners of prestigious racing events including the Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup.

If you’re training your horse for a show or competition, Ride them within a pen more often than taking them out on the fields. If they get used to running in a bigger area, they might not cooperate well within a ranch.

If you’re riding your horse in a very hot weather, listen to the sounds it makes. If it starts heaving or making heavy breathing sounds, hose its body immediately with clean water. If your horse is afraid of the water coming out of the hose, you can use a wet sponge to clean it off.

Nutritional needs

A horse should mainly eat hay, which is already high in fiber and water. Be careful not to give them normal, human food (like what some dog and cat owners do) or they will get sick. Make sure that the hay you give them is free from molds, and don’t let them drink anything other than fresh water.

Keep your horses away from grains, especially if you’re not training them for competitions, as their digestive system is not designed to break down huge quantities of carbohydrates. Horses that are fed with a high-energy diet can develop muscle or joint problems in the future. Hay is the best food for them and they get their nutrition mainly from eating that.

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