Caring For Your Horse

Caring For Your Horse

The horse is a marvellous athlete and can make a delightful companion. Most Australians have a strong affection for all horses, and many people, especially young people, would like to own and ride their own horse. People should be prepared to accept the many responsibilities of horse ownership before deciding upon the purchase of a horse.

Some Advice

It is far better to avoid a problem by taking every care and precaution in your selection. Read all you can about the requirements and problems associated with owning a horse. Talk to friends who have owned horses for some time.

Check with your local veterinary surgeon about common disease problems of horses. Check the cost of professional visits, especially for vaccinations, worming, dental care, and general medical treatment. Veterinary care can often be costly.

Responsibilities of Horse Ownership

All horses have certain basic needs irrespective of the husbandry system under which they are kept:

Ready access to food and fresh water to maintain health and vigour.

Freedom of movement to stand, stretch and lie down.

Regular exercise.

Social contact with other horses and people.

Accommodation that neither harms nor causes undue strain, and provides adequate protection.

Protection from disease and regular inspection to assess the need for attention to feet, teeth and worm control.

Rapid identification and treatment of lice, injury and disease.

All pet horse owners should be fully aware of the general and specific husbandry requirements of the horse care. Many municipalities restrict the riding of horses in certain areas, prohibit taking horses to specific places (e.g. a beach or public park) and have regulations for keeping horses in their areas.

You will need to check with the local Council in your area.

Care for your Horse

Housing

The paddock should be a minimum of 1 acre, should have some natural shelter, good grass cover and adequate drainage. The paddock should be:

properly fenced (not barbed wire) and free from all rubbish and debris, especially old wire and iron.

close enough to home to permit daily visits .

kept free of droppings to discourage flies and aid worm control.

suitable for catching and working the horse.

Shelter

Horses need shelter from heat, wind and rain. Natural shelter such as a belt of trees or a hedge is good. A shed or stable may either supplement or substitute natural shelter. Old horses care need special care and in winter should have a warm waterproof rug in addition to other protection from the elements.

Water

Watering horses in winter is a little more difficult than in summer. In winter, I move my water trough up to the front of the field so the hose, which I keep inside, will reach from the house. When it's time to refill the trough, I use a hairdryer to melt the outside tap, bring out the hose and fill the trough. A stock tank heater keeps the water above freezing.

Some people believe horses care can get by on snow. "Get by" they might, but so could we. Horses require a lot of water to digest dry feed. How much snow would they have to eat to provide the 5 to 10 gallons of water they need? If you're not convinced, ask your vet about the greater risk for impaction colic.

Tethering

All horses require regular exercise and freedom to move. They should never be tethered. If, for emergency or health reasons, horses have to be tethered, it should be done in accordance with the "Code of Practice for the Tethering of Animals" available from the RSPCA.

Feeding

Good quality grass is the best and most natural feed but when it dries up, hay and hard feed must be provided. Failure to do so will result in malnutrition and rapid loss of condition. Some feeding hints:

Feed little and often (2 or 3 times daily).

Feed plenty of bulk, such as good quality hay so that, as in grazing, the digestive organs are well filled.

More info about horse care, please visit RSPCA Vic.