General Care

A horse is measured by hands.  A hand equals 4 inches.  You measure a horse from his forelegs (front legs) to the highest point of the wither.  In the US a horse under 14.2 hands is considered a pony.

Markings:

Markings are not only appealing to look at but, can be very useful to identify your horse if God forbid it should get lost or stolen.  I'm currently working on drawing some sketches with the various face and leg markings.

Here is a basic outline with description..

Bay:  A bay is a red brown or black brown horse that always has black points.   The points being the mane, tail and legs.

Black:  A true black horse has black eyes, hooves, and skin. If there are tan or brown hairs on the muzzle or flank, this horse would be referred to as a seal brown.

Chestnut (Sorrel):  A chestnut horse is a horse whose coat is basically red. The mane
and tail are normally the same color as the body. If the mane and tail are lighter in color than the body, the horse is referred to as having a flaxen mane and tail.

White/Grey:  A true white horse is born white and remains white. Greys on the other hand start out dark and turn white as they age.  They may develop dapples, or freakles too.  My horse Che Che was a Red Roan, with Black Points.   He now is 14 and is turning white, but is also flea-bitten.  I do miss his black mane and tail.

Brown: A brown horse is just that, brown. Many brown horses are mistakenly called black. A
close examination of the hair around the muzzle and lips will soon confirm if the horse is truly black or brown.

Ever hear the saying "No Foot No Horse"?  Horses hooves are vital.   Please take care of them.  I'm from the NW and I know how difficult it can be to tend to when the rain comes.  I do not stable my horses and a creek runs through my pasture.  This leads to a lot of moisture, which in turn attracts fungus, such as thrush.  My solution is to pick out their hooves daily, twice preferably.  Then twice a week annoint the sole and frog with benadine, which hardens the sole.

During the summer months it's a good idea to oil the hooves to help with moisture.   Which will help prevent cracks.

Hooves should be trimmed at least every 2 months.  Hooves tend to grow faster in the Spring and Summer months.

First off make sure your horse has free access to water and if you're not giving supplements a mineral block.  The horses digestive system is very sensitive, if you have to change it's diet in any way do it gradually.  The best guideline to feeding your horse is by it's weight. 

Your horses weight is very important to know for worming purposes too.  To determine your horses weight accurately you will need a horse's weight tape.   Available from feed stores and tack stores.  The is marked in pounds or Kgs of body weight as measured around your horse, from the girth over the wither.

If you cannot access a weight tape, use a ordinary tape.  Here is a chart that will help guide you.

These guidelines are just guides.  There are a lot of factors to consider to making sure your horse is getting enough to eat.  In a perfect world we could have our horses in a field of grass as it was meant to be.  Even if your horse does have access to pasture the nutrients during the winter and summer months aren't enough.   We got the weight factor out of the way, now you need to consider the work factor.   How often is your horse being ridden and or worked?  A horse that is worked needs more than the idle horse.  Here is a chart for amounts, with amount of use.

Daily amounts to feed per 100 pounds

*Weanlings should not be given more than 0.5 lbs alfalfa per 100 lb anticipated mature weight until after 10 mo of age.

I don't know about you but these charts always confused me in the beginning.  So let's go to layman terms.  Example, a horse weighing 1,000 lbs should be eating at least 15-18 lbs of hay a day.  How can you actually weigh hay, when each bale is different?  I guess you can put a scale in your barn, grab some hay, weigh yourself with the hay, then subtract your weight.  Doing that once will at least give you a idea on how much a flake weighs, eventually it will become second nature.  The best thing I've found for grain is a good old fashion coffee can, but that can't be completely accurate considing oats weigh less than corn. Please keep that in mind.  Also keep in mind what kind of hay or grain you are purchasing.  I wouldn't be giving my pony who weighs 800 lbs no 10 lbs of alfalfa.  Much to hot for him, he'd only end up with a bad case of diarrhea.  Sorry for getting blunt.  Like I said this is meant to get you started.  In time you will see, (especially if you have more than one horse) exactly how different each of their needs are.  You may have easy keepers or you may have ones that aren't that, you will have to feed a lot more than these charts say.

Horses have small stomachs.  It is best to feed often and in small quantities.   If you aren't careful, especially when grain is concerned, you could cause them to colic.  Check your feed for quality.  Do not feed hay if it's dusty, smelly or has any mildew at all.

Daily brushing does wonders for the coat, plus it gives you the chance to check over your horses for any cuts, bruises, or sores.  What's more is the time spent with your Equine Friend is instant bonding time.  Here are some basic materials to get you started.

*Not Pictured a sponge, to clean nostrils and face.  Though I find a soft wash rag works quite well.  There is so much you can get but this will definately get you started.

Just like humans, you should have a first aid kit for your horse.  Here is a list of some things that it should consist of.

• Cotton
• Bucket for cleaning wounds
• Kaolin
• Poultices
• Scissors
• Sterile non-stick dressing
• Salt or antiseptic solution
• Bandages or leg wraps to hold dressings in place and for dry bandaging
• Cold pack for reducing inflammation
• Antiseptic spray and powder.  I keep Stop Bleed on hand.  Hopefully I'll never use it.
• Thermometer
• A ointment of choice for minor scrapes and cuts

Other things you would find in my first aid kit would be livestock powder, big syringe, bot block, molassases to help the medicine go down.  It's always best to be prepared.

You will need to worm your horse at regular intervals, depending on where you're from.   The standard is every 2 months.  I worm every 3 months and haven't had any problems.  Some swear by alternating wormers, others use a certain brand every time.   I alter, due to the fact that you can never completely deworm your horse and I believe the parasites can become immuned to wormer if used all the time.  Not only that but some of the less expensive brands do not get rid of, example; the stomach worm caused by the Bot Fly.  So after the first freeze I will use a brand that does.   It's best to consult your veterinarian if you are at all confused about the worming procedure.  If left neglected you could cause your horse to colic.

Here are some signs of a wormy horse.

• Weight loss
• Rubbing tail and or mane can be a sign of pinworms
• If during the shedding season you noticed your horse isn't shedding it's hair on it's belly that could indicate, stongyles

Please consult your vet about vaccinations, due to the fact that each area is different and I don't want to be saying what is ideal for my area only.  It is important for your horse to be vaccinated for Tetanus once a year no matter where you're from.