
What you should keep in mind if you want to have a horseHorses require basic care that the person or people who are going to have them must know and commit to guarantee.
At Veterpet Veterinary Clinics we have prepared a small list of the 10 essential care that horses need:
Daily grooming
In addition to taking care of their appearance, grooming horses is essential for them to enjoy good health, both physically and mentally.
Horses that live in a stable need more frequent cleaning than those that live in freedom. While those that live in a stable need daily grooming, those that live in freedom can be washed every 2 or 3 days.
To groom a horse you will need:
Two sponges and special shampoo for horses
A sponge should be used for the neck and anus and another for the lips and nostrils.
Sweat wipe
To dry the horse's coat after cleaning.
Cleaning and caring for hooves
Horse hooves are responsible for cushioning impacts against the ground and protecting the internal structure of the animal's feet.
If not properly cared for, hooves can suffer from cracks and other problems that can lead to infections. In the case of horses with shoes, it is recommended to trim the hooves every 5-6 weeks.
Items needed for hoof cleaning:
It is important to clean the animal's hoof before and after it exercises. To do this, we recommend using the following items:
Hoof cleaning tool
This is a curved hook with a round tip, which is very useful for cleaning dirt accumulated in different parts of the hoof.
It is advisable to clean from the heel towards the hoof and be especially careful with the soft areas.
Grease and brush
It is important to grease the hoof frequently to avoid cracks. There are horses that suffer from particularly dry hooves, for which we recommend applying grease after showering, to take advantage of the humidity. The most common way to do this is to apply the grease with a brush.
Regular shoeing
To keep your horse's hoof healthy, it is essential to perform regular shoeing every month or, at most, every 6 weeks. Remember that, if too much time passes between shoeings, the hoof will have grown too much and the grooves in the frog will become deeper.
Adequate nutrition
Horses usually eat two or three times a day, ingesting up to 10 kg of feed on average per day.
It is true that the nutritional needs of a horse can vary from one individual to another. However, the basic diet of a horse is made up of some basic foods,
Basic diet of a horse:
Hay (alfalfa or grass)
You must check that the hay is not in poor condition as it could cause serious respiratory damage to the animal.
Grain (sweet feed or oats)
Salt
You may be surprised, but horses need to eat salt in blocks or mixed with hay to benefit from its nutrients. Salt balances their electrolytes!
Daily hydration
On the other hand, horses need to ingest large quantities of water. Every day they drink between 25 and 55 litres. As a horse owner, you must ensure that they always have access to clean and abundant water.
Regular physical exercise
It is advisable that, before starting to gallop, the animal walks for a few minutes to get used to the activity.
Regarding the exercise time of a horse, it should be at least 4 hours a week (1 hour each day that it is exercised).
Have a day of rest
It is important for the horse to exercise, but it also needs to rest. Therefore, it is advisable to have one day a week for this purpose.
Brush the coat often
To keep a horse's coat looking healthy, it is key to brush it frequently.
Tools for caring for the horse's hair:
Scraper
Also called a root brush, it is used to remove traces of mud or grass from the hair.
Horsehair brush
Once the dirt has been removed from the animal's coat with the horsehair scraper, you can use the horsehair brush, which is softer and ideal for areas such as the head.
You should also not forget to clip it, which becomes even more important during the hottest times of the year.
Having a comfortable stable
The stable is key to the well-being of a horse, as it is the place where it is protected from the weather and is a space in which it spends a large part of its life.
For all the above reasons, it is vital that the stable maintains adequate conditions of cleanliness and hygiene, as well as having sufficient living space.
Also, remember that the stable must have beds of straw or shavings where the horse can rest.
Veterinary care
From birth, horses must undergo regular veterinary check-ups to ensure that everything is fine in their health. A very important aspect is their oral health, which It must be checked at least once a year.
Also, as with other animals such as dogs and cats, they must receive the appropriate anti-parasitic treatments and also their vaccines.
After reading this article, you will have seen that horses are animals with many needs, that require great commitment and very specific care.
If you have any questions, at Veterpet Veterinary Clinics we will be happy to assist you! Contact any of our clinics and our expert staff will guide you on equine care!
Tags
* Please Don't Spam Here. All the Comments are Reviewed by Admin.
Horses require basic care that the person or people who are going to have them must know and commit to guarantee.
At Veterpet Veterinary Clinics we have prepared a small list of the 10 essential care that horses need:
Daily grooming
In addition to taking care of their appearance, grooming horses is essential for them to enjoy good health, both physically and mentally.
Horses that live in a stable need more frequent cleaning than those that live in freedom. While those that live in a stable need daily grooming, those that live in freedom can be washed every 2 or 3 days.
To groom a horse you will need:
Two sponges and special shampoo for horses
A sponge should be used for the neck and anus and another for the lips and nostrils.
Sweat wipe
To dry the horse's coat after cleaning.
Cleaning and caring for hooves
Horse hooves are responsible for cushioning impacts against the ground and protecting the internal structure of the animal's feet.
If not properly cared for, hooves can suffer from cracks and other problems that can lead to infections. In the case of horses with shoes, it is recommended to trim the hooves every 5-6 weeks.
Items needed for hoof cleaning:
It is important to clean the animal's hoof before and after it exercises. To do this, we recommend using the following items:
Hoof cleaning tool
This is a curved hook with a round tip, which is very useful for cleaning dirt accumulated in different parts of the hoof.
It is advisable to clean from the heel towards the hoof and be especially careful with the soft areas.
Grease and brush
It is important to grease the hoof frequently to avoid cracks. There are horses that suffer from particularly dry hooves, for which we recommend applying grease after showering, to take advantage of the humidity. The most common way to do this is to apply the grease with a brush.
Regular shoeing
To keep your horse's hoof healthy, it is essential to perform regular shoeing every month or, at most, every 6 weeks. Remember that, if too much time passes between shoeings, the hoof will have grown too much and the grooves in the frog will become deeper.
Adequate nutrition
Horses usually eat two or three times a day, ingesting up to 10 kg of feed on average per day.
It is true that the nutritional needs of a horse can vary from one individual to another. However, the basic diet of a horse is made up of some basic foods,
Basic diet of a horse:
Hay (alfalfa or grass)
You must check that the hay is not in poor condition as it could cause serious respiratory damage to the animal.
Grain (sweet feed or oats)
Salt
You may be surprised, but horses need to eat salt in blocks or mixed with hay to benefit from its nutrients. Salt balances their electrolytes!
Daily hydration
On the other hand, horses need to ingest large quantities of water. Every day they drink between 25 and 55 litres. As a horse owner, you must ensure that they always have access to clean and abundant water.
Regular physical exercise
It is advisable that, before starting to gallop, the animal walks for a few minutes to get used to the activity.
Regarding the exercise time of a horse, it should be at least 4 hours a week (1 hour each day that it is exercised).
Have a day of rest
It is important for the horse to exercise, but it also needs to rest. Therefore, it is advisable to have one day a week for this purpose.
Brush the coat often
To keep a horse's coat looking healthy, it is key to brush it frequently.
Tools for caring for the horse's hair:
Scraper
Also called a root brush, it is used to remove traces of mud or grass from the hair.
Horsehair brush
Once the dirt has been removed from the animal's coat with the horsehair scraper, you can use the horsehair brush, which is softer and ideal for areas such as the head.
You should also not forget to clip it, which becomes even more important during the hottest times of the year.
Having a comfortable stable
The stable is key to the well-being of a horse, as it is the place where it is protected from the weather and is a space in which it spends a large part of its life.
For all the above reasons, it is vital that the stable maintains adequate conditions of cleanliness and hygiene, as well as having sufficient living space.
Also, remember that the stable must have beds of straw or shavings where the horse can rest.
Veterinary care
From birth, horses must undergo regular veterinary check-ups to ensure that everything is fine in their health. A very important aspect is their oral health, which It must be checked at least once a year.
Also, as with other animals such as dogs and cats, they must receive the appropriate anti-parasitic treatments and also their vaccines.
After reading this article, you will have seen that horses are animals with many needs, that require great commitment and very specific care.
If you have any questions, at Veterpet Veterinary Clinics we will be happy to assist you! Contact any of our clinics and our expert staff will guide you on equine care!
