Horses are truly wonderful creatures and taking care of them can be extremely rewarding, as once you get to know them;
you will be able to understand when they are happy and when something is troubling them.
If you want to keep the horse under your care healthy and happy, the following guidelines will be extremely helpful.
Assure you can take care of the horse in question
Being a horse owner is not a simple matter.
When you buy a horse, you are committing to take care of it for the rest of its life and provide for its ever-changing needs, as adult horses have different needs than young foals.
Hence, before buying a horse, conduct extensive research on the particular horse you are interested in,
find out about common traits of its specific breed, research its bloodline thoroughly and assure you are able to accommodate all its needs.
This means making sure you have enough time in your schedule to take care of it, exercise it, groom it, and so on.
This also includes financial considerations, making sure you have the means to feed it, pay its medical bills, etc.
Keep your horse in a friendly environment
As you probably know, a horse is a herd animal.
For horses, socializing is not a nice way to pass time, it is a fundamental part of their life, essential for their wellbeing.
In order to feel safe, relaxed, and happy, a horse requires companionsa.
Consequently, having a horse kept alone is not recommended and stabled horses should at least be able to hear each other, see each other, and if possible, touch each other,
as mutual grooming is known to strengthen existing friendly relationships, and restore troubled ones.
Happy Horse
Keep your horse in a safe space
Horses enjoy being under the open sky, roaming around between paddocks, grazing whichever greenery they can find.
Although this is one of their favorite activities, as a horse owner, there are certain measures you should take to ensure your horses are kept out of danger.
First of all, to prevent your herd from wandering too far and getting lost, or entering dangerous areas like busy roads or landmine fields, fence off the area where they are grazing.
Use wire fencing or any other type of sturdy fencing that will keep them from wandering off.
Cold weather is another matter that can risk your horses, as in extremely cold weather hypothermia is possible.
To keep your horses safe and warm, prepare your horses’ stables to endure wind, rain, and snow.
Stables can also be an appropriate shelter during heat waves as they provide much-needed shade.
Be sure to supply your horses with plenty of fresh clean water and check on them to see they are not in distress.
Healthy lifestyle
A horse’s health depends on various factors, so many that it might at times seem hard to keep up and monitor all the various factors.
To keep it simple and manageable, it is best to divide all the important matters into four main topics:
Diet
A famous saying declares that “we are what we eat”.
This statement is true for all living creatures.
So, what are horses and what should they eat to be strong, healthy, and happy?
A horse’s diet should contain good quality hay alongside ample amounts of clean fresh water and occasional treats such as apples, carrots, and other fruits and vegetables.
Exercise
Standing all day in a stable is no life for a horse.
Unless the horse in question needs rest to recover from an illness or an injury do not leave it in there for more than ten hours at a time.
After that period, take him for a ride or let him enjoy time outside.
Grooming
Grooming practices have two kinds of benefits; on the one hand, they make horses look and even smell extremely good.
On the other hand, they are a necessary tool to prevent and detect injuries and illness as these sessions can be used to check your horse’s physical state.
In a nutshell, grooming your horse consists of brushing it using different sorts of horse body brushes,
and if you made it so far you clearly want the best for your horse and are willing to take the needed steps to ensure all the horses under your care are happy horses.
The good news is that a horse healthy and happy is an achievable goal if you focus on the simple necessities you read about here.
FAQ
Is it easy to raise a horse?
Being a horse owner is not a simple matter.
When you buy a horse, you are committing to take care of it for the rest of its life and provide for its ever-changing needs, as adult horses have different needs than young foals.
How to keep your horse in a friendly environment
Consequently, having a horse kept alone is not recommended and stabled horses should at least be able to hear each other, see each other, and if possible, touch each other,
as mutual grooming is known to strengthen existing friendly relationships, and restore troubled ones.
How to ensure your horses are kept out of danger?
First of all, to prevent your herd from wandering too far and getting lost, or entering dangerous areas like busy roads or landmine fields, fence off the area where they are grazing.
Use wire fencing or any other type of sturdy fencing that will keep them from wandering off.
Cold weather is another matter that can risk your horses, as in extremely cold weather hypothermia is possible.
To keep your horses safe and warm, prepare your horses’ stables to endure wind, rain, and snow.
What's a good diet for your horse?
A horse’s diet should contain good quality hay alongside ample amounts of clean fresh water and occasional treats such as apples, carrots, and other fruits and vegetables.
What's the importance of exercise for horses?
Standing all day in a stable is no life for a horse.
Unless the horse in question needs rest to recover from an illness or an injury do not leave it in there for more than ten hours at a time.
After that period, take him for a ride or let him enjoy time outside.
Why grooming is so important for horses?
Grooming practices have two kinds of benefits; on the one hand, they make horses look and even smell extremely good.
On the other hand, they are a necessary tool to prevent and detect injuries and illness as these sessions can be used to check your horse’s physical state.
