Posts Tagged ‘horse health care’

It’s kinda like “Singing in the Rain.” My new mantra is, “I’m feeding in the dark…”

And you might be wondering why I’m feeding horses in the dark. Good question. I’m feeding my horses early in the morning and late at night for two reasons:

1. Evenly spaced feedings more closely mimics a horse’s natural feeding patterns

2. This feeding schedule keeps my horses healthier, and lowers the horse feed bill

Wild horses spend 20-22 hours per day walking and eating. In other words, they graze. The rhythm of walking a bit, eating a bit, walking a bit, and eating a bit helps them digest their food. They don’t eat too much at any one time, and the walking keeps their digestive systems active.

Plus, the constant food intake prevents ulcers, since the fiber they eat forms a “mat” in the upper stomach, which prevents the acid from the lower part of the stomach from eating through the stomach wall. The lower stomach wall is protected from the acid, but the upper stomach is not. Without the fibrous mat formed by the constant intake of fibrous foods, horses develop ulcers in their upper stomach.

Horse Feed: Throwing Hay in the Dark

In the deep dark of winter, most people feed their horses breakfast around 7 am, and dinner at 5 pm. This is convenient for us humans because it’s a little warmer, plus the sun is usually up by then. The bad news is that it’s not such great horse health care. When fed only twice a day, horses tend to gorge, upsetting the natural rhythm of their digestive cycle. They don’t digest their food as well or as thoroughly as they should, which can lead to ulcers, mild colic, or internal adhesions.

Of course, changing this schedule isn’t an option for most people, since work often dictates their schedules or they board their horses at stables that only feed twice daily. If this is the case for you, there are several ways you can solve this horse feed problem:

Horse Feed Solution #1: Pay Someone to Feed for You

I have several friends who use this option. One friend boards her horse at a stable where the horses are only fed twice a day. She pays one of the grooms an extra monthly fee to throw extra hay to her horse for lunch and for a late-night snack. She also pays the stable for the extra hay. My other friend keeps her horses at home, but works all day. She pays a neighbor’s daughter to toss hay over the fence twice a day, at lunch and at dinner. Late in the evening, my friend goes out in the dark to give her horses a little horse feed for a snack.

Horse Feed Solution #2: Offer Free Choice Hay

If your horse doesn’t have a tendency to get too fat, offering free choice hay is another option to the horse feed dilemma. I used to do this, even when I boarded my horses at a stable. I would buy one large round hay bale per month, and deliver it personally to my horses’ paddock. They were fed regular meals of breakfast and dinner, and snacked on the round bale whenever they felt the need. This kept their bellies full… and their little naughty minds out of trouble.

Horse Feed Solution #3: Use Small-Hole Hay Nets and Other Feed Dispensers

Small-hole hay nets, as the name implies, are hay nets that have very small holes. This allows horses to eat only a few pieces of hay at a time, which means they can’t gorge, plus they stay occupied for longer. This also more closely mimics the slow grazing pattern of wild horses. They can be difficult to fill, not to mention time-consuming, but it does tend to keep horses occupied for twice as long.

I also use this great new horse toy called the Nose-It. It’s a plastic polyhedron that has a tiny hole in it. You can fill it with horse pellets, hay cubes, or any other healthy horse feed. Your horse has to tip it in just the right direction before feed comes out, which means he has to “play” with the Nose-It for a long time before he gets his full dinner. Again, like the hay net, this toy provides a way to feed your horse over a longer period of time. The only caveat with this toy is if your horse lives in a sandy environment. To prevent him from eating sand, put the toy in a large feed tub and let him play with it in there. This keeps his horse feed clean and prevents sand colic.

Horse Feed Solution #4: Feed in the Dark

This is possibly the least attractive solution if you are afraid of the dark or dislike the cold. I’m not fond of either, but I don’t find it too difficult. I work at home, online, so I have a flexible schedule. I prep the horses’ early morning hay portions the night before so I don’t have to do anything other than chuck it over the fence. Ditto with the late night dinner. Lunch, which includes a combination of beet pulp, senior feed, and hay cubes, all soaked, is prepped and fed during the day. My horses are fed around 5 am (I’m an early riser), 12 pm, and 8 pm. This spaces their meals out fairly evenly around the clock. If I’m going to be gone during the day, I use small-hole hay nets and the Nose-It toys to keep my horses occupied. This works well.

I take the same kind of care with any supplements I feed, which are syringed directly into each horse’s mouth to ensure that every horse gets what he or she needs. Some of my horses, who have been through trauma or have health issues, get a bitter herb supplement that helps them stay in a relaxed, healing mode. Others get my regulation Horse Goo, which includes mangosteen juice blue-green algae, probiotics, and enzymes. This system ensures that every horse gets the right feed and supplements.

The Good News About Horse Feed Solutions

If you use any of these solutions, especially during the winter, you’ll notice that your horse feed bill will probably go down. Horses fed more frequently or are fed over a longer period of time (as with the small-hole hay nets) tend to hold their weight more easily. Plus, they stay occupied for longer, which helps if you have “Mr. Destructo” in your herd. Finally, feeding this way helps prevent digestive health issues like colic and ulcers.

So while these horse feed solutions may not be the most convenient in the world for us humans, if they prevent a giant vet bill or reduce the feed bill, they may be worth all the hassle. I know it’s worth it to me… plus my horses love me for it!

Author: Stephanie H. Yeh
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: US Dollar credit card

It is often the little things that make a big difference when it comes to horse health care.

Have you ever noticed how some horses who have been doing poorly start to thrive when one or two little things are tweaked in their management program? Horses are relatively simple creatures and their needs are not complicated. The devil, as they say, is in the details when it comes to horse health care.

7 Little Things That Matter a Lot in Horse Health Care

As a zen cowgirl who has seen a lot of horses come and go, both performance horses and backyard pleasure horses, I’ve classified 7 areas of “little things that make a big difference” when it comes to horse health care. Take a gander and see if you agree with me.

#1 – Basic Nutrition

Horses are phenomenal creatures in that a little nutrition goes a very long way. Horses are accustomed to eating lots of food that is high in fiber and low in nutrients, so when you add just a small quantity of power-packed nutrition to their diet, the results are pretty astounding. Don’t you think it’s amazing that you can change the health of a 1,200 pound creature by just adding 1 liquid ounce of nutritional supplements to your horse’s feed?

I feed an ounce of my special horse goo, which I mix up on my kitchen table, to each of my 4 horses and the results are pretty amazing. The goo, which includes XanGo’s mangosteen juice plus Simplexity Health’s Essentials, is a wonderful maintenance tonic that keeps my horses healthy, happy, and symptom-free. The mangosteen juice is a wonderful antioxidant and source of trace minerals, while the Essentials have probiotics, enzymes, and blue-green algae. Together the combo significantly contributes to my horses’ well-being, even in tiny doses.

#2 – Plenty of Long-Stem Chewable Food

To stay healthy horses need to chew on something pretty much all day and all night. To keep both mind and body happy, horses need plenty of long-stem chewable material, like hay. They also need to be walking while they eat, as this helps their digestion and keeps them active. Since hay doesn’t meet all of a horse’s nutritional needs, I view it as entertainment. Chewing on hay all the time keeps a horse occupied and out of trouble. It is tempting to feed soaked beet pulp pellets and a Senior feed instead of hay when hay is in short supply, but this kind of diet doesn’t offer the long-stem feeds that horses need to stay healthy. If you must feed beet pulp, choose the shreds over the pellets because the shred are longer-stemmed than the pellets, which are chopped up.

One thing that works very well for horses not on a giant pasture is Jaime Jackson’s Paddock Paradise concept, which keeps horses walking and eating all day long. Just Google Paddock Paradise to get the scoop.

#3 – Basic Body Maintenance

Basic body maintenance is an essential part of good horse health care, but doesn’t need to be complicated or cost a lot. If you horse has its nutritional needs met and is kept out of trouble by having plenty to chew on, veterinary care boils down to hoof care, dental care, regular de-worming, possible vaccinations, and any bodywork that might be needed.

Depending on how much hands-on work you want to do, you can handle most of the hoof care, de-worming, vaccinations, and body work yourself. I wouldn’t recommend taking on the dental care. I do everything but the dental care for my horses. It is possible to learn bodywork (massage, acupressure, Equine Touch) from books or workshops. The same goes for hoof care, especially if you keep your horses barefoot. If you don’t want to handle these chores yourself, scheduling one visit per year with your veterinarian should take care of dental work and vaccinations. Then add in visits from the farrier every 6-8 weeks and body work as needed, and you’re good to go. Just keep it simple.

#4 – Space to Roam

Wild horses travel up to 25 miles per day in search of food and water. Horses are meant to be on the move, all the time, so if at all possible give your horse plenty of room to run. If you keep your horse in a stall, schedule as much turnout as possible. If you have a choice between keeping your horse in a run or a stall, choose a run. It always amazes me that horse people pay more for a smaller space (stall) than they do for a larger space (a run) or for pasture care. A run or pasture ends up being cheaper boarding options than a stall, not to mention healthier for your horse. If you have limited room or no pasture for grazing, consider the Pasture Paradise concept (Google it) to make the most out of a small space and keep your horse moving.

#5 – Match Your Horse’s Job to His Personality

Every horse is a particular personality type, just as people have personality types. Each type wants to be loved in a different way. Veterinarian Dr. Madalyn Ward has developed a horse personality typing system that helps you determine your horse’s personality type, and understand how best to manage your horse. Check out the Horse Harmony Test.

More importantly, once you’ve figured out your horse’s type, see if your horse’s job, management, diet, and so forth match his personality type (you can get all the details in her book, Horse Harmony). Tweaking your horse’s management program so that it fits his personality can go a long way to keeping your horse healthy and happy.

#6 – Other Horses to Play With

Horses are herd animals, which means they are not meant to live alone. Horses feel safe and secure when in a herd. To keep your horse happy, he needs to at least be able to see and hear other horses. Better still would be if your horse could interact with other horses in a herd situation. Of course, your job is to ensure that the herd is composed of suitable companions for your horses so that your horse emerges from a play session injury-free and happily satisfied. If you keep your horse where he cannot see or hear other horses, consider bringing in some kind of companion, even if it’s not another horses. Horses often get along with donkeys, mules, goats, or even llamas.

#7 – Time Off to Be a Horse

This is especially true for performance horses who are campaigned heavily all year long. Most horses are more than willing to do their jobs, but they need down-time to just be horses. If you have a performance horse on the circuit, consider turning him out to pasture for a month or two during the winter. While he may lose some of his physical condition, his mental condition will be restored, and he will work all the better for you. This is a case of “less is more,” where slightly less work equals more effective showing later in the season.

Horse Health Care – Why the Little Things Matter

These little “tweaks” to your horse’s management program can matter a lot because at the end of the day, a horse is a horse, not a motorcycle. Horses are living, breathing creatures who have adapted remarkably well to domestication, but nevertheless have some basic needs that date back to their ancestral roots. You’ll be amazed how much happier a horse can be when his basic physiological and psychological needs are met. For instance, many a wood-chewing horse has been restored to normalcy by simply having constant access to long-stemmed feed like hay or beet pulp shreds. Putting a round-bale into your horse’s pen is a simple “tweak” that can produce big results (and equal less carpentry work for you)!

Got any other great “tweaks”? Leave a comment so everyone else can benefit!

Author: Stephanie H. Yeh
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Electric Pressure Cooker

It's My Life Equestrian Music Video

Horseback riding is very pleasant but it’s important to take safety measures so you and your horse will be protected from injury. One of the things you should do when you ride a horse is wear a helmet. A helmet should fit correctly so it will stay on your head if you would fall. Equestrian helmets are specifically made to protect the back of your head. Make sure your helmet meets appropriate safety standards and is ASTM/SEI certified. The chance of head injury is much lower when you wear a proper helmet.

Well I’ll explain to you what I did starting out. The very first thing I did was go to the nearest book store & purchased 5 to 6 books to read. Everything from horse health care, stall cleaning, horseback riding, techniques and anything else that had to do with horsemanship for beginners. I read all the books I purchased & also watched a few videos. I recommend buying yourself some natural horsemanship videos, you can find them all over the internet. After doing much research I went and searched for someone that trained horses for a living. I felt I was ready and confident enough to take on the task of actually getting my hands dirty and doing some of the things I read about and watched on video.

Saddling your horse needs to be done as gently as possible so you and your horse both stay protected and safe. To protect your horses back, you need to put a saddle pad on first. Then, put the saddle in the middle of the pad so it’s directly over your horse’s spine. Your horse should feel comfortable. Putting a saddle on your horse roughly can cause him to suddenly run and injure you.

Be careful not to let the buckles hit your horse’s legs. The girth or cinch needs to be secured once the saddle is situated correctly. Do this on the off-side first and be very careful the girth doesn’t hit the legs of your horse. Watch that your horse doesn’t kick you while you’re adjusting his saddle.

Mounting and dismounting can cause your horse to respond dangerously. This is because your entire weight goes to the side of your horse and causes uncomfortable pressure on his back. The saddle may also pull to the side. It may be easier to mount or dismount if someone holds your horse.

Riding boots

Riding boots in equestrian competition are of two types:

Jodhpur boots with a lace or zip design at the front that cover the ankles and are comfortable.

Long riding boots that cover the legs and which are in various styles available to suit all riding disciplines.

Besides these, there are body protectors that are worn on top of the clothes. They are made from shock absorbing material. The BETA Level 3 standard is recommended so that you are able to compete in all competitions and in different levels. Body Protectors will help to reduce the impact in case of falling and if a horse kicks.

You should take proper care of your competition clothing, whether it is the daily wear or the one meant for the show. Your show attire should be clean, pressed and spotless. Your attire should adhere to the competition you intend to participate in. In the initial stage you need not get all the equestrian competition clothing, the riding hat, body protector and boots are the most important. However, later as you progress to be a experienced rider or competitor, you need to have access to all the required competition clothing. Clothing should always fit well and be comfortable.

It is vital to know about all the types of dress from the beginning, even if you can’t afford to buy it all at once, because each item is designed to bring you safety when you need it most. Since equestrian competition clothing is specially designed for both the safety and comfort of the rider, these clothes are a necessary expense when you start to take your riding seriously. However, for your daily chores and work in the yard you should still keep wearing your favourite hard-wearing and inexpensive clothing. You don’t have to look like you’re competing all the time

Resource Author Francisco Rodriguez H.
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