Total Horse Health and The Mental Well-Being Of Your Horse Depends Greatly On You!Horse health matters are a top concern for most responsible horse owners. Always remember, a healthy horse is a happy horse. There are lots of things that we as horse owners can do to take care of our horses health. Always allow as much movement as possible for your horse. Exercise is key to horse health care. If you don’t have access to pasture land, hand grazing, riding or lungeing is crucial for his mental well-being. Horses were not meant to be stalled 24/7. Horses are herd animals by nature, therefore, they must have some type of social interaction. It is crucial to a horse’s mental state to not be kept alone all the time.If it’s not possible to have more than one horse, consider getting a goat or donkey. Horses also seem to be accident magnets, or at least mine do. You wont be able to prevent all horse injuries, but you can avoid many of them. Creating a safe environment for your horses will stop a lot of common injuries to horses. Make sure there are no nails or sharp objects protruding in your horse’s stall. Walk the pasture and fences on a regular basis. Check to see that the fences are all up to par and also that there is nothing lying around that shouldn’t be there. Know Your Horse Knowing your horse will help decipher his cues of pain, fear or illness. If you see your horse in the field and something just doesn’t look or feel right, bring him in. Check your horse to see if anything is wrong or if he is ill. It is much better to be safe, rather than sorry. Routines Set your horses on a routine vaccination schedule and de-worming program. Consult your vet to see what vaccines and what type of wormer is best for your horse health program. Follow a routine feeding schedule. Horses are routine animals and anything that upsets their normal routine can cause stress or even colic. You should always keep them supplied with plenty of fresh, clean water. Horses need 8 to 10 gallons of water a day. Depending on their workload and how hot the weather is they may need even more. Plenty of water is vital to a horses health. In extreme heat you will need to watch your horses a little closer. Your horses health and life could depend on it. Dehydration, colic or even heat stroke could occur. During the summer months, I like to give my horses a good hosing during the hottest part of the day. Quick Tip: When hosing down an over-heated horse, always start with the front legs and chest. You don’t want to cool him off to fast. Make sure your horses have an adequate amount of shade or a run in shelter to escape the heat. You should also know, at least, some of the basic vocabulary of the equine anatomy. If you ever need to call the vet and describe symptoms you will be able to describe them correctly. Do you know what a horse’s poll, flank, hock or pastern is? Familiarize yourself with these terms, you never know when you might need them. Record Keeping Keep accurate, up to date, records of vaccines, diseases, worming, farrier visits, injuries and treatments. It is important to know exact dates when worming or vaccinating your horse. I like to keep a horse health care journal for each of my horses. Get your free copy of the Horse Care Journal and Horse Vaccine Record. There are many diseases and ailments that horses can suffer from. Protect your horse from as many as possible. Provide him with the best horse care you possibly can.
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