HEALTH TIPS FOR YOUR HORSE
by Bonnie Anderson
| ABOUT THE AUTHOR |
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Bonnie Anderson has a two-year degree in Horse Husbandry and has worked at two training/breeding facilities before going on to training her own horses. She owned a small rural saddle shop a few years before getting into writing full time. |
Do you know if your horse is healthy? Your horse should appear alert and interested in what’s going on around him. He should be well muscled and have a shiny coat. But if his ears droop, and he’s listless and unresponsive, or if he’s thin with a dull looking coat, then he may need help. Spend time with your horse, observe him at rest and at play. This will help you in recognizing when he’s not feeling well. He may need medical attention, or he may need an adjustment in his diet.
Some horses are naturally built to be fine boned, but that doesn’t mean they should be skinny. When you run your hands over your horse’s ribcage, you should be able to feel the bones but not see them. One possible problem a thin horse may have is teeth that need floating. He’ll be losing the nutrients he needs if he can’t chew his food properly. Having your horse on a good worming and vaccination program is also important. If your horse is sick or has an infection, this will cause stress to his system and he can lose weight quickly. Consult your veterinarian to see if he needs supplements added to his diet. Horses that may require supplements include hard working athletes, horses fed grass hay only, horses with long-term medical problems, along with broodmares and growing foals.
If your horse is kept on pasture then proper pasture maintenance is a must. Keep weeds under control by mowing them before they go to seed. If the grass gets thin in spots, then plowing and replanting sections with a commercial seed mix for pastures may be in order. And if possible, rotate pastures to give them a chance to rest and regrow. Horses on pasture should have adequate shelter. Protecting your horse from the stress of harsh weather such as blizzards, rain storms, or too much sun is important for his health. A run-in shed is a great option. It should be well drained and large enough for all the horses in the pasture to move around in comfortably. It can be two or three sided, with the ceiling being at least nine feet high in the back and twelve feet in the front. Make sure the inside boards, known as kick boards, are well maintained.
If you keep your horse in a stable, be sure he gets plenty of exercise. Turning a stalled horse out into a pen once a day is great, but it may not be enough exercise for a horse that’s ridden only occasionally. Longing, ponying, or leasing the horse to ride are good alternatives. A horse that’s kept in good shape will live longer and remain healthier well into its senior years. A horse’s mental health can be just as important as his physical health. If he’s paid attention to, groomed, fussed over and knows he’s appreciated he’ll be eager to please in return. Bored horses can end up with stable vices like pawing, chewing, and weaving. Always yelling at them and making it seem as if they are nothing but trouble is not the attitude you want to project. Horses are sensitive to people’s moods and actions. A calm but firm manner is best when working around them. Throw in a few kind words and pats of appreciation and your horse will thank you for it by working hard and remaining honest. We need to do our part in keeping our horses healthy if we expect them to give us their best effort in whatever we ask them to do.
'Horse Tales & Tips' and 'Create Your Own Life Writings'
by Bonnie Anderson
The Judge's Choice is proud to present this article for your reading pleasure and sincerely thanks Bonnie Anderson for submitting it to our Library.
3-31-01