5 Ways To Keep Your Horse Healthy

Ensure your horse’s health with our 5 essential tips. From nutrition to exercise, we have everything you need to keep your horse healthy.

If you want to have a pet that can support you in living an active lifestyle and spending time outdoors, opting for a horse is a sound choice. Owning a barn or enough land space is usually required to tend a horse. You can ride with them, explore nature, and brush up on your equestrian skills. Horses are great pets because they’re tranquil and can improve your state of mind. Being around them will help you relax but stay fit simultaneously.

However, like all the other pets, you need to know the most effective ways to fulfill your role as a pet parent. Aside from tender loving care (TLC), horses require time, effort, and skills to keep their condition at their best. As a horse owner, you want them to be healthy and happy. 

Here are more viable ways to ensure the health of your horse:

Keep Your Horse Hydrated 

This tip is probably one of the most crucial ones to make your horse healthy and happy. Like food, your horse needs as much water to survive. Providing water to your horse is vital, so make sure plenty of water troughs are distributed around the field if your horse lives out with others. This will prevent them from battling against each other to access water. Your horse will need to drink water as often as possible, so ensure to monitor its content and refill it when necessary. 

Aside from feeding them enough water, another way to keep your horse constantly hydrated is to cool them down after exercise sessions. You can also spray cold water on the horse’s back, head, neck, and legs to cool them down. You may also pour some water into their hay when they’re grazing so the liquids absorbed by the hay can contribute to their required fluid intake.

Give Your Horse Enough Space To Move Around 

The first thing horses need is spacious stables. This is their habitat where they sleep and lounge during idle times. However, you mustn’t restrict them to their stables all the time. Some horse owners are still confused about whether horses should be left inside or outside field shelters. The best tip is to allow them to roam freely in spacious vacant lots. Additionally, animals need exercise every day, and standing in a stall isn’t the best way to meet this need.

If their stable is far from access to pasture, you can bring your horse to a nearby field. Find a spot closest to your horse’s location and allow them to spend enough time there at least every day. These trivial things can affect your pet’s mental and physical condition. Remember that grazing animals need to be one with nature, which goes the same for your horse. It would be best to ride them, spend enough time with them, or visit different fields to keep them happy and excited. 

When you’re going to the nearest pasture, train them to accelerate or slow down their speeds. Please take advantage of these times to bond with them and teach them to follow your commands. Overall, ensure that their muscles and bones are put to good use through different exercises. 

Care For Their Teeth 

One of the essential parts of your horse’s health is its dental hygiene. Regularly checking your horse’s teeth can help ensure that they are healthy. Since they feed on hay and horse feeds every day, their teeth must be perfectly well. 

Since horses’ teeth are prone to imperfections and misalignments, it’s best to inspect them regularly. You can visit the vet and schedule a dental session for your horse. This is crucial since a horse with unhealthy teeth won’t be able to eat well, leading to a decline in their health. 

Allow Them To Socialize 

Horses crave companionship because they are herd animals. Therefore, allow them to socialize with their fellow horses or other harmless farm animals. This regular activity can develop and boost their social skills. Young horses usually look up to and learn from their seniors regarding skills and behaviors. 

To do this, find a farm that nurtures other horses and lets your horse visit them once in a while. If this is not possible, the best alternative is to adopt another horse, so they’ll enjoy each other’s company. 

Feed Them Quality Horse Feeds 

The quality of feed that a horse consumes determines its health. Hence, it’s crucial to choose the best quality for your horse. Combine hay and horse feeds to ensure that your horse acquires a good balance of vitamins and nutrients necessary for their growth. 

Your horse will become healthier from the inside out when you feed him quality feed. The key is to seek advice from a vet and determine which horse feed brand is most recommended for your horse breed. Aside from the quality of feed, emphasize the preparation and contamination of their foods. Moreover, make sure that no insects and bacteria can penetrate their meals.  

Horse owners need to make sure their animals are in good health. Keep your horse calm and healthy by giving it the appropriate amount of exercise and eating habits. Ensure to keep them hydrated and allow them to socialize with others. As a horse parent, it’s best to follow through with the tips mentioned in this article so you’ll be with your horse for the longest time possible.