Learn More About Horses

Your horse’s digestive health is critical to their overall well-being and performance. While we often think of manure as just a by-product of digestion, it can be a good indicator of your horse’s digestive and overall health. The characteristics of horse manure can indicate important information on your horse’s diet and any underlying health problems. Thus, while inspecting your horse’s manure may not be the most fun task, it should be done daily. Features of Horse Manure that Mean Something There are many characteristics of horse manure that can indicate either if a horse is healthy or may be suffering...

There are several reasons why horse owners may want to soak the feedstuffs they are giving to their horses The horse is prone to choke and you want to slow down his feed consumption, especially grain or pellets. The horse has dental issues and you want to assist him by making the horse feed easier to chew. Horses with metabolic issues are often fed soaked hay to reduce the amount of sugar they are ingesting. Horses with respiratory issues need dust removed from hay. Some owners think soaking feed will get more water into their horse’s diet. Let’s look at...

Feeding your horse at set intervals is a critical aspect of nutritional management. Typically, most horse owners feed their animals twice daily: once in the morning and once in the late afternoon or evening. This has more to do with convenience for us, rather than what is best for the horse. For example, it would be quite labor intensive to feed a horse 3, 4 or even 5 times a day. This can even be extended to feeding them as early in the day as possible, for example waking up and feeding them at 5AM. Still, feeding practices for your...

Taking care of a horse is an ongoing commitment. Even routine horse care requires significant time and resources. Horses need secure environments, adequate exercise, social companionship and a balanced diet to thrive. They also have unique digestive systems susceptible to colic and other gastrointestinal health issues if not fed appropriate forage. Horse owners rely on a team of equine health professionals to provide regular veterinary, dental, and hoof care. Trusted practitioners such as your veterinarian, farrier, nutritionist, and trainer are your best resource for learning more about horse care and management. This article will review everything horse owners should know about basic horse care, discuss the role of...

Are you bringing an equine friend into your family, or looking to brush up on your horse care skills? Read on for tips to keep your horse healthy and happy. Nutritional Needs A horse’s digestive system is designed to digest frequent, small meals of roughage throughout the day. The basic diet for most horses should be grass and good-quality hay, free of dust and mold. Clean, unfrozen water should be available at all times along with a trace mineral/salt block. Expand to read more Vaccinations and Deworming All horses need vaccinations and regular deworming. Vaccination recommendations vary based on age,...