If you own a horse as a pet or if you’re a competitive horseback rider, you know how important it is to care for your equine pal. They have to stay in top condition for them to maintain their health and wellbeing. Horses are beloved creatures, and as their owner, you form a close bond with these loyal companions.There is no doubt that taking care of horses is a big responsibility. You must dedicate time and effort to care for these magnificent creatures. Riding your horse to keep it active isn’t enough to care for it. Taking care of your horse requires daily commitment, but at the end of the day, your actions pay off when you know that your horse feels loved and well-taken care of.
Read on if you want to know the essential tips to ensure the physical well-being of your horse.
1. Keep Your Horse Physically Active
One of the primary activities that your horse should do frequently is exercise. They don’t have to do heavy tasks or train hard, as long as you give them time to move around every day. Horse water walker use cases show that frequent exercise offers many physical benefits for your horse. If your horse is recovering from an injury and you’re lucky enough to have an equine treadmill in your area, consider it as a treatment option.Ask your vet or your coach how much time is recommended for your horse’s daily exercise. You can plan out some varied exercise routines for them to practice daily. Strengthening their muscles and keeping them at an ideal weight is crucial for horses of any age.
2. Know Your Horse’s Temperature and Vital Signs
Knowing your horse’s temperature is vital to monitor their condition. Especially during the summer season, when it’s hot and humid, they can suffer from the heat. Knowing what your horse’s baseline temperature is, along with their baseline heart rate and respiration rate, will help you identify if they become ill or overheated.3. Create An Appropriate Feeding Routine
Ensure you have adequate supplies of quality feed and water for your horse every day. The most common feeding ratio for horses is 1.5 to 2% of their body weight. You can use this to efficiently compute your horse’s ideal calorie intake. In addition, your horse will need 5-15 gallons of water, if not more.It’s also advisable to seek professional instruction from your veterinarian or equine nutritionist when it comes to your horse’s diet. They can advise you on the best feeding program to maximize your horse’s physical condition. They can also guide you in choosing which supplements, if any, are necessary to keep your horse healthy. Get the best horse feed in the market and match it with proper care to ensure optimal nutritional results.
Check your horse’s water buckets and troughs once or twice a day to see if they need to be refilled. Another important note is to ensure that you keep a closer eye on water in the summer months, when horses can drink more.
4. Groom Your Horse
The best way for your horse to look healthy is to ensure the good condition of their skin and coat. Put in some grooming time every day. Grooming your horse will not only improve their coat and skin, but picking out feet every day will also prevent them from contracting health problems like thrush, which is a disease that commonly affects hooves, especially in muddy conditions.
Another advantage of grooming is that it’s a great opportunity to get some owner-animal bonding time. Your horse will develop greater trust towards you, and will become more comfortable with your presence, if you groom them every day. Another point to emphasize about grooming is that this practice tends to make them feel relaxed and calm.
5. Let Your Horse Socialize
It’s natural for herd animals like horses to crave companionship. They want to be social and be with other horses, too. Socializing among their kind is crucial to their happiness.However, you might wonder how to make this possible if you only have a single horse on your farm. If your horse is on their own, consider getting your horse a companion. Ideally it will be another horse, but it doesn’t have to be a fellow horse. You can get a goat or donkey as an animal companion.
6. Allow Your Horse to Graze
Don’t leave grazing out of the must-do list for your horse. Nothing makes horses happier than when we turn them out into grass fields to enjoy their own time while nibbling on some grassy pastures. This is the perfect time for them to stretch and lubricate their joints as they walk and move around. This also allows them to have an activated digestive system.If you don't have access to pasture, you can hand graze, or spread hay rations around stalls and paddocks. This will require them to move from one pile to the next, which is similar to grazing in an open field.
