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When you are thinking about purchasing a horse, you will find that there are many things to keep in mind when you are thinking about looking after them appropriately. Far too many people purchase horses with only the vaguest idea of how to look after them and this will certainly lead to more problems down the line. If you are considering the responsibility of owning a horse, take some time and really consider what kind of care horses need. There are whole books written on the subject, but take a look at the broad outline below.
 
The first thing that you need to think about is where your horse is going to be boarded. If you have the land, you may keep your horse at home, but if you do not, you may also be able to board them at a boarding stable. There are definitely advantages and disadvantages to both sides. If you board your horse at home, you can develop a much deeper relationship with the animal. You will be the one that the horse sees on a daily basis and you will also be able to keep a much closer eye on the horse on a day to day basis. This can make identifying problems much simpler. 
 
On the other hand, you may not have the land, and you might not have the time to care for your horse as he or she needs, and in that case a boarding stable might be preferable. Some people like the idea of keeping their horses at home during summer and then boarding them at a place with an indoor arena during the winter.
 
If you are housing your horse yourself, they are going to need shelter. Many people feel that horses do not necessarily need to be kept in a stable and that living outside is healthy for them. However, even if they do not live in a stable, they do need some sort of shelter. A shelter will keep them warm in the winter and give them a place to get out of inclement weather. The size of your shelter is going to depend on the number of horses you choose to keep. If your shelter has three sides, make sure that you plan at least 64 square feet per horse, with a ceiling that is at least nine feet high. Because horses are so very hierarchical, make the shelter wide rather than deep, so that one horse doesn’t prevent the others from going in.
 
You should also think about what kind of food your horse is going to get. In most cases, the food that horses eat is divided up into pasture, hay and concentrate. Mature horses that do light work tend to do well on pasture food alone, as long as the area has sufficient grazing for them. Pasturing a horse means that they should have an area that is large enough to meet their grazing needs.   Many people will divide up their pasture land and rotate their horses through them in order to give the grass a chance to grow back. 
 
Hay is another food source that you should not overlook. Always make sure that you inspect the hay before you buy it; ask the dealer to open up a bale so that you can see that it is dust and mold free. If it feels warm, don’t buy it; moldy hay can give your horse some serious respiratory problems. If you are looking at working horses, pregnant or nursing mares or growing young horses, look into concentrates to add to the hay. Sweet feed, manufactured pellets and cubes or cracked grains all constitute concentrates.
 
Always make sure that your horse has access to clean water unless they are very hot from work. If you are cooling down your horse, give him a few small drinks instead of access to free water. Your horse will drink between five and ten gallons of water a day. Also make sure that your horse has access to a mineralized salt block. Ask your veterinarian if there are any other supplements that your horse should have. Some areas are poor in certain vitamins and nutrients, and this can mean that supplements are required.
 
Take some time and really consider what kind of care your horse needs; there are many things to think about!

http://horseridingsaddle.com

Author: Marilyn Witt
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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You may know what is best to feed your horse but that does not mean you are feeding your horse right. Sometimes we become very busy with our daily schedule and let that influence the diet we choose for our horses. The consequences of less than perfect feeding regimens are rather minor at first, maybe costing extra money but not really harming our horses. Sometimes bad choices when making feeding decisions can have serious consequences. Sometimes excesses or insufficiencies can cause health threats to our beloved animals. Some less than optimal feeding decisions may cost the horse his energy. This can result in sluggish performance when you are counting on an excellent performance from your horse.

This article will include some mistakes to avoid when feeding your horse. These are mistakes most often noted by equine nutritionists so that we can avoid them. 

Too much grain can be harmful to your horses’ health. This mistake can lead to obesity and contribute to colic and laminitis. When feeding your horse right, less grain is usually better unless your horse is working extremely hard such as a competing hunter/jumper or race horse.

If your horse does need concentrated feeds it is best if the portions are broke up into small meals. Four or more small meals per day will be better than feeding the ration once or twice per day. If you want to feed your horse right, avoid feeding a meal of more than 0.5 percent of your horse’s weight per meal. Horses’ have a very small stomach in comparison to their size. Frequent small meals are much better for them.

Feeding a horse by volume rather than weight is a common mistake. If you are feeding your horse right you must feed by weight not volume. It is easier to just scoop out the usual feed ration and feed it to the horse. When it comes to nutrition weight is what matters not volume. If you happen to change feeds the same volume in one brand may not be the same amount of nutrition in another brand. Be sure to read the feed label to understand the nutritional content per pound of ration. A kitchen scale is convenient tool for measuring the ration.

Another common mistake that is made when we feed our horses is giving the wrong feed to the wrong horse.  There are a wide variety of feeds available for many specific equine needs. There are feeds specially designed for broodmares, foals, adults, seniors and the list goes on. All are formulated for very specific nutritional needs. Giving the wrong feed to the wrong horse can cause harmful imbalances in horses. So does feeding a horse a formulated feed when none is needed. The nutritional needs of a yearling still developing are very different from the needs of an adult horse. Improper feeding in a yearling can cause abnormal growth. You must make sure you feed your horse the ration designed for his specific time in life if you are going to feed him correctly. 

Sometimes we kill our horses with kindness. We must find the balance between the horse’s natural eating needs and the demands domesticated life places on them. Feeding your horse right will help him stay healthy for many years to come.

For additional information about practical horse management please go to http://wcf-ltd.com/horse/ to learn more about how to care for your horse.

Author: Fran Mullens
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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