Special horse care for the cold weather season usually starts in early November We here in eastern Canada (Saint-Lazare, Quebec) were pretty lucky with winter up until a few weeks ago (January 2007). Except for the missing leaves on the trees, riding conditions were similar to those in early fall.
Alas, winter is back, and with it come certain concerns on how to keep our equine companions in top shape.
Some experts in horse care say that a horse has to be exercised the same in winter as in summer. (These experts probably have never experienced real winter conditions)
Icy weather conditions in many cases makes it an impossible task without an indoor arena.
But the cold damp and dusty atmosphere of most arenas are also detrimental to the health of the horse.
Maintain a baseline of physical fitness by riding outside three times a week for an hour at a walk and trot.
a well exercised horse needs to be cooled out thoroughly then brushed to stand the hair up again before turning them back out.
Fluffy hair traps air and keeps the horse warm; hair plastered down flat or wet lets body heat escape.
Check the sole for bruising that may occur on the hard ground and ice.
Many of the abscesses that develop in early spring can be attributed to undiagnosed bruises that started in winter.
Water intake for horses in the winter is also a problem.
Much of the time a horse will not drink as much water if it is too cold.
The best method to keep a horse hydrated is to supply a heated water bucket.
A heated water bucket is akin to a warm cup of tea.
Dehydration (lack of water) is the number one cause of impaction colic in horses.
Another idea for coddling your horse in the winter is to prepare it a nice hot homemade meal.One example of a warm meal that can be offered to horses at least once a week is bran mash. Horses will love this. It consists of bran sweet feed, chopped apples, sliced carrots, and molasses. For more recipes click http://www.livingwithhorses.com/horse-treat-recipe.html
Keep your horse supplied with free choice quality hay outside. A horse needs to keep eating to produce enough body heat to stay warm in winter. Besides, eating is more fun than standing out there in the cold with nothing to do.
Access to a draft free run in shelter is very important. If a horse stays outside all winter place an ample amount of straw or shavings on the floor of the shelter. This will encourage the horse to lie down and have a more restful sleep.
The website http://www.livingwithhorses.com was born a year after we moved to our equestrian property. The first year taught us so much about what we did not know that I felt there must be others out there crazy enough to jump into a new life with little experience. Sharing my experiences as well collecting information the novice horse owner, stable manager and new rancher need to make life easier.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ronnie_Kellner
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Basic Horse Care Begins with Diet - Feeding Your Horse Right
Basic horse care should begin with the horse's diet. The normal ration for a horse should consist of mostly hay and pasture grass and possibly a small amount of pelleted feeds, grains, or sweet feeds only if they are needed. Unfortunately little importance is placed on the nutritional value of the forage we are giving our horses. We do not give our horses forage just to keep them busy. Forage is a most important calorie basis for horses that can vary greatly with the nutritional value of what horses consume. It is important that horses have hay of good quality in order to keep them healthy.
Horses usually eat greedily every last stem and leaf when they are fed good quality hay. There will not be much if any waste. Feeding quality hay is not only good basic horse care but it also will save money. Mediocre hay contains less digestible fiber so horses must consume more to obtain the same nutritional value they would receive from eating quality hay. Good quality hay normally does not go to waste. Keep in mind although you may be paying more for quality hay up front in the long run feeding your horse the right diet will save you money.
You can learn to distinguish quality hay from hay of lesser quality. Hay from different grasses will look different from each other. Developing a good eye for quality hay will take you farther in your basic horse care regimen. Look for leafiness in the hay. Most of a plant's proteins are found in the leaves. It will make up about ninety percent of the plant's total protein. Color is another element to consider when selecting quality hay. When selecting alfalfa look for darker green shades in the color of the hay. If you are selecting grass hays the shade to look for will be light to medium green. Although some yellowing is natural if the hay is sun bleached, too much yellow may suggest the grass was over mature when harvested. It will contain less digestible fiber for your horse and should be avoided if your goal is to feed your horse the right diet.
Poor quality hay will have coarse stems that may stab your hand when being handling. Good quality hay will feel soft when you squeeze a handful of it. It will feel soft and pliable in your hand. Another skill for horseman to learn for basic horse care is the feel of quality hay.
Good, quality horse hay will smell slightly sweet and fresh. Another skill that will work to your advantage for basic horse care is learning the aroma of quality hay. If the hay smells musty or pungent it may have mold and this is not the right hay to be feeding your horse. Pass up such hay. There have been instances where horses have died from such a diet.
When practicing good basic horse care one should learn to inspect the purity of the hay. Good quality hay will have no foreign matter, like sticks, dead insects or animals, or wire. It will also contain very few weeds.
Another practical skill for basic horse care is selecting hay that can bounce. If you drop a bale on its end does it bounce? If the hay is of good quality the bales should bounce. Good hay is springy and lightweight.
You can contact your state or county extension agent to learn where you can send a sample of hay to have it analyzed for the nutritional value. This way you can avoid an often overlooked, yet very important element of basic horse care and be assured you are feeding your horse right.
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.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fran_Mullens
Horses usually eat greedily every last stem and leaf when they are fed good quality hay. There will not be much if any waste. Feeding quality hay is not only good basic horse care but it also will save money. Mediocre hay contains less digestible fiber so horses must consume more to obtain the same nutritional value they would receive from eating quality hay. Good quality hay normally does not go to waste. Keep in mind although you may be paying more for quality hay up front in the long run feeding your horse the right diet will save you money.
You can learn to distinguish quality hay from hay of lesser quality. Hay from different grasses will look different from each other. Developing a good eye for quality hay will take you farther in your basic horse care regimen. Look for leafiness in the hay. Most of a plant's proteins are found in the leaves. It will make up about ninety percent of the plant's total protein. Color is another element to consider when selecting quality hay. When selecting alfalfa look for darker green shades in the color of the hay. If you are selecting grass hays the shade to look for will be light to medium green. Although some yellowing is natural if the hay is sun bleached, too much yellow may suggest the grass was over mature when harvested. It will contain less digestible fiber for your horse and should be avoided if your goal is to feed your horse the right diet.
Poor quality hay will have coarse stems that may stab your hand when being handling. Good quality hay will feel soft when you squeeze a handful of it. It will feel soft and pliable in your hand. Another skill for horseman to learn for basic horse care is the feel of quality hay.
Good, quality horse hay will smell slightly sweet and fresh. Another skill that will work to your advantage for basic horse care is learning the aroma of quality hay. If the hay smells musty or pungent it may have mold and this is not the right hay to be feeding your horse. Pass up such hay. There have been instances where horses have died from such a diet.
When practicing good basic horse care one should learn to inspect the purity of the hay. Good quality hay will have no foreign matter, like sticks, dead insects or animals, or wire. It will also contain very few weeds.
Another practical skill for basic horse care is selecting hay that can bounce. If you drop a bale on its end does it bounce? If the hay is of good quality the bales should bounce. Good hay is springy and lightweight.
You can contact your state or county extension agent to learn where you can send a sample of hay to have it analyzed for the nutritional value. This way you can avoid an often overlooked, yet very important element of basic horse care and be assured you are feeding your horse right.
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.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fran_Mullens
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