Caring for animals takes a lot of work. You must feed, water, and clean them regularly while ensuring they stay healthy.
Horses require some extra effort on your part. Learning a few best practices for taking care of your horse is essential if you want them to be happy.
Check Hooves
Domesticated horses must have their hooves trimmed regularly to ensure they can move comfortably without injury. Because of their lifestyle, domestic horse hooves don’t wear down like wild horses, and owners must take the time to check them over for potential issues.
Regularly checking your horses’ hooves and trimming them down will prevent bruising and infections. If they’re dry or brittle, apply moisturizer to ensure they don’t crack or break. Good nutrition is essential to the health of your horses’ hooves.
Limit Feed
Many don’t realize that horses are incapable of regulating their eating habits. If you feed them too much, they’ll continue to eat until they become sick. Feed and medication can be expensive, so knowing their limits is essential.
The feed you give your horses can also play a role in the health of their teeth. Use these tips for feeding your dentally-challenged horse to ensure your animals don’t require a trip to the vet. Younger horses up to just a few years will require more dental attention than older ones.
Clean Living Spaces
Horses can get messy, and if not dealt with, their living spaces can become health hazards that reduce their quality of life. You should bed horse stalls with straw to keep them warm and absorb waste. Regularly cleaning manure and urine from their bedding will prevent illness and skin irritation.
Start by taking out excess hay. Then, move what’s left over to one side, removing any waste you find. Pay attention to wet spots. Urine breaks down into ammonia and can cause health issues. Once finished, you can re-bed the stalls.
Learn What Your Horse Likes
Horses are living creatures and have unique interests and tastes. Learning your horse’s personality will allow you to care for it over its lifetime.
With these best practices for taking care of your horse, you can ensure it’s happy and healthy no matter what.
