Outline of Horse Care

1. Keep fresh water available at all times. If you are in a cold winter area, invest in a water heater that will keep the water from freezing. Horses can colic in winter due to lack of water. If you live in a warmer climate, place water tub where it will be shaded part of the day.

2. Place free choice loose salt with or without trace minerals and loose mineral supplements (not blocks) in their stall or other covered and easily accessible location available at all times - not just during hot periods.

3. Trim your horses feet on a regular basis. During the summer 6 to 8 weeks is normal. During winter months 8 to 12 weeks is not uncommon. Allowing a horse to go too long between trimmings can cause tendon stress - especially if ridden often.

4. Give regular immunizations (check within your area for recommendations) usually East/West, Rhino/Flu, Tetanus once a year - more often if you travel with your horse or go to shows/trail rides, or breed. Keep a current Coggins test and an up-to-date rabies vaccination.

5. Worm twice yearly with a boticide - once-a-day Strongid C the rest of the time. Take your horse off of Strongid C during the coldest part of the winter for at least a month. Worm with a boticide and put back on Strongid. This will prevent your horse from a possible resistance build-up (not proven) and should get incisted bots.

6. Don’t feed molasses based sweet feed. Crimped oats OR the new complete pelleted feeds will keep your horse in the best overall condition. Feed frequent small meals adjusting amounts gradually as needed for optimum overall conditioning.

7. Provide run-in stall or shelter from biting bugs or biting wind in winter. A horse sheltered from wind and wet is healthier than a horse locked in a stall where air quality is bad; usually full of ammonia and dust. A fly mist system seems to work best. I haven’t found a fly application that will last more than an hour in the sun or will combat the larger flies like dog, deer, horse and green head flies.

8. For stalled horses, allow lots of turn-out time. Their sanity and health depend on it.

Automatic Horse Feeders are Veterinarian Recommended

Our research revealed that veterinarian and equine nutritionists recommendations for proper feeding of horses for optimum care, health and conditioning are to feed as closely to grazing as forced confinement and domestication allows. Instead of two large grain meals per day break them into at least 6 small meals every 4 hours throughout the 24 hour period.

Healthy horses

Horses are designed to graze continually, not eat a large meal of several pounds of grain then stand with an empty stomach for 8 or 9 hours. When fed on a regimented schedule of a minimum of 6 small feedings spaced equal distance apart in a 24 hour period, our equine companions fared much better. Also their research has proven that horses fed numerous small meals had less tendency to chew on wood, become cribbers or develop other stall vices. By feeding less grain, especially large meals of wet molasses based feed, chances of colic, founder, ulcers and other health problems were greatly diminished. An added benefit - because most of the food wasn’t going out the other end, (horses stomachs aren’t designed to break down grains in large amounts) they maintained a more normal weight on less food - feed amounts and costs were cut in half.