Horse Care / Horse Husbandry

Horse Husbandry is a rarely heard phrase these days. Horse care, horse health, horse nutrition, horse supplements, horse feed, horse tack, horse blankets (ad infinitum) are words or phrases you are more likely to come across as the market tries to sell you its individual products.

I think we need to revive the phrase "Horse Husbandry" to remind us that we have to look at everything as a whole with regard to caring for our horse in the best manner possible. There´s no point in spending a fortune on a custom saddle, because the sales pitch was so convincing, and then leaving yourself without funds to buy a quality horse feed! If you can do both thats fantastic. But in my experience the phrase "you can have horses, or you can have money - You can never have both" is more often the case.

Having said that, there are also things which you should never skimp on. Sometimes cutting corners or buying cheap can cost you far more in the long term.

On this page I will give an overview of all the basics that need to be considered from when buying a horse to maintaining the older equine. I will presume you are a competent rider with some years of experience with horses before even considering purchasing a horse. Or you wisely are going to keep the horse liveried in a knowledgeable stables. I will also presume you have considered what use exactly you expect from your future equine companion, be it to compete (and in which discipline) or just the occasional trek, and therefore considered your own physical condition and that you are ´up to the job´. Finally I will presume that you know to take a vet with you before making your final decision, if not also a knowledgeable horse friend as well. Choosing the right horse for your needs is a whole other subject! There is an old Irish saying "when selling a horse you only need one pair of eyes to see the customers face when you point out all the good things. When purchasing you need 3 sets of eyes, one listening, one looking, and one checking from behind"!!

If you are going to keep your horse on your premises there are many things you need to consider.

FENCING - is it strong, adequate. Is it safe for the horse. Old (or new) barbed wire or thin hot wire is not. There are many safe options on the market. I have listed some links below to give you an idea of the possibilities. I do not necessarily have personal knowledge of these fence systems or approve of them. I personally have concrete posts (we have a huge fire risk here) with wood bars (yes they could burn but they aren´t as expensive to replace!) and on the inside of this fence, in front of the wood bars I have a run of 6mm hot-rope. Horses can be prone to chew wood. Some of the systems listed I would install tomorrow, funds allowing! But for the time being my fencing is strong, safe, and cheap.

http://www.440fence.com/index.cfm?Page=1 http://www.fencingsolutions.com/ http://www.humetonline.com/vallados.php http://www.horserail.net/uk/?gclid=CLfbuYnJw5sCFVkA4wodrB-hDQ

WATER - your horse needs a plentiful fresh and constant supply. A horse can drink around 40 liters (10 gallons) of water a day. So you need to think how you will provide that supply. Is there water on site or will you have to bring it in buckets? Which brings me to another very important consideration - how prepared are you to be there for your horse? I mean, you can´t go off for a weeks vacation if your horse relies on you for its feed and water. You can´t even go away for a weekend if you have no assistance to help look after your horse. You also need to think what will happen if you fall ill! Having a horse is a huge responsibility. A dog can so easily be put in kennels. A horse can´t!

The next subject is SHELTER. Now you know I would prefer to see your horse living out, with a good, solid field shelter to fend off winter rain, summer sun and high winds, but if you want to stable your horse do your research. Make sure it is the right size for your horse, with a high airy ceiling, proper ventilation, electricity, running water. Consider the bedding options and the fact that you must muck out at least once a day. Where are you going to keep your muck heap? A horse produces 9 tonnes of manure a year! Depending on the set up and size, your paddock will need to be cleaned at least once a week as well.

My stables are solid wood to half height, with round galvanised posts for the top half (the horses can see each other and touch noses). The floors have rubber matting which requires only a thin coat of wood shavings to stop the ´splash back´ and absorb liquid. The matting provides the comfort and the shavings are cleaned out completely every day. Much quicker than mucking out a straw or shaving filled stall, much more hygienic and much more comfortable for the horse. After the initial cost of the matting it is also much cheaper as far less loose bedding is required. My stalls also have automatic water troughs and the barn has an over head micro spray system. This keeps the temperatures right down in the summer and completely eliminates flies. So I also save on sprays and gels!

Sometimes cheaper feeds are just that and in the long run you could be affecting the general health and even life expectancy of your horse - you know the saying buy cheap, pay twice! If you change your horses feed it is a process that should be done slowly, mixing the new feed with the old, gradually increasing the quantity of new to old.

Please remember that hard feed should be considered a supplement. Forage being the principal need of a horses diets and grain being only necessary to supplement any minerals or vitamins lacking in their hay and relevant to the work and age of a horse. Of course more important still is a constant supply of water.

Will you be keeping your horse at a yard? In full or part livery or turnout! There are a number of things you need to consider when doing this. Are the staff actual horse-friendly grooms, or just cheap ´mucker-outers´? This makes a huge difference as to how your horse is handled. Is the yard on its own property or rented? I´ve heard, once to often, of people turning up to see their horse only to find it abandoned as the staff have left, or people being given very short notice to find a new place for their mount due to the management having to give up their lease. I don´t want to alarm you, just make you aware that question´s should be asked.

If they offer turnout for your livered horse ask to see where. Turn up unannounced (within reasonable business hours!) to see if the stalls are just as clean as when you arrived at a pre-arranged time. Ask exactly what is included in the price. Be prepared to tie your horses worming schedule in with theirs. A good yard will have a schedule and require this. This will also follow for annual vaccinations. Be clear on what food your horse will received and how often. Common sense for the most part, but we often forget at the hour of truth what we really want information about, so if you´re like me - make a list! A professional yard will give you a contract and expect a deposit.

GROOMING - Please remember this is what I do and not necessarily what is correct. I don´t groom my horses everyday as they live out and need the layer of dust or mud that they have put on themselves to protect them from heat, sunburn or cold. That is exactly what they would do in the wild. But what I do do is give my horses a good scratch every day! This accomplishes various things. First it is quality time with my horses, letting them know that I don´t always want something of them (schooling, riding, competing) when I go to their paddock. It helps our relationship of mutual respect and trust. Secondly, without them realising I am schooling them - as I scratch a rump I get them to yield, as I caress a shoulder I get them to turn. Finally, and most importantly, I can check for any bites, cuts, scratches or tender spots via this process, just as you should do when you groom with a brush. Grooming before riding I do in this order.

1st I check hooves and pick or brush as necessary.

2nd I brush the mane and tail with my fingers. Why? Because all and every kind of mane brush (though I have found a rather fabulous one at last!) pulls hair and puts stress on the roots. Fingers are more than efficient and sufficient for daily riding. I do use a brush before a competition, after my fingers!.

3rd I use a plastic curry comb to loosen and bring to the surface all loose dirt on the body etc. Always brushing in a circular motion in the direction the coat grows starting at the neck, working down the shoulder and front leg, then the body working towards the rump and finally the back leg.

4th using a soft brush and a metal curry comb again starting at the neck I brush the horse twice, the curry comb once (so I´m not putting the dust and debris back on the horse). This is then repeated until the whole body is done. I only ever use a metal curry comb on a horse if he has a thick winter coat and a lot of mud caked on it.

The reason I brush the body last is it is also a process of warming the muscles in preparation for exercise.

I always carry a thermometer (a digital one from the pharmacy), a few doses of anti-inflammatory, an antiseptic ointment (Furacin), some sterile gauzes (20 cm´s wide, you can always fold or cut smaller), a couple of rolls of self-adhesive wrap (10cm´s wide), hydrogen peroxide, iodine (provedone, betadene), scissors, a gel bag kept in the freezer, an industrial sized roll of cotton wrap, electrolytes, latex gloves, tweezers, and Camrosa (we love this magic ointment).

If you can´t deal with the problem with these items it´s because you need to call the vet.

Another reason why worming is so important. I don´t mean the administering of anti-parasite pastes or powders. I mean controlling them by first doing a count to see if you need to worm and if so, correctly administering the product. Not all products are suitable for all weights and ages or for pregnant mares.

This foal was wormed, but this caused an impact in his intestines which looked, and found, the weakest point to escape - the umbilical cord. Yes, sadly he died. This owner was being careful and thought they were doing the right thing - but didn´t do a worm count before administering a chemical into his system.