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Tips on How to Care for Your Horse

Just as there are many different types of horse breeds and occupations for the horse, there are several different tips for horse care
If you have a show horse and are concerned with show day dilemmas, tips vary from using baby oil to help keep freshly cleaned hooves clean to using mayonnaise to buff out scratches on leather.
Tips for last minute care for copper and silver bits include using every day items such as ketchup for soaking and pencil erasers for buffing.

Just about every horse owner and aficionado has their own tips for specific problems
Preventative care tips include using natural antibiotics such as colloidal silver as a supplement. Ground flaxseed can be added to feed or hay to insure a glossy coat. (Only ground flaxseed should be used!)
Lavender oil rubbed on the riders hands will help soother a nervous horse. Peppermint can be used to train a horse that is reluctant to take a bit.
A few other simple tips that use every day items for horse care is using a sturdy plastic storage container as portable trough to help insure that your horse is getting clean water, and using a discarded, clean tire to keep a horse from over spreading hay. The tire should be secured so that this tip won’t backfire on you.
A few common sense tips that are easy to forget or just take for granted is to clean your horse’s grooming supplies before you groom your horse so you won’t actually be rubbing in new dirt, etc into your horse’s coat as you are trying to clean it.
Many people use a mild vinegar rinse to help clean off any excess residue and to enhance shine. Using vinegar in the rinse water for a horse will also work in a similar fashion and has the added advantage of helping to discourage flies.
There are many fly sprays to keep your horse comfortable during the fly season, one good way to cut the amount you use on your horse during transport is to spray the inside of the trailer, let it sit for a few minutes then load your horse. There will be a significant reduction in the amount of flies in the trailer and on your horse.
If you are looking for specific health tips, please consult a professional. While every horse owner has tips for everyday and show grooming, plus tips for keeping stalls clean and water from attracting mosquitoes (keep a few goldfish in the water tank, this is safe and they eat mosquito larvae!) only a horse health care professional can give you medical advice for the specific needs of your own horse.

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Tips to Train a Horse for Riding

Horses have a different psychology from humans, and have to be trained accordingly. They have a natural instinct to run from danger. They also tend to be timid, and can shy away from unfamiliar sights or sounds. However, with proper technique, their psychology can be used to train them to trust and obey a human leader.
Horse training is best started at an early age, to accustom the young horse human interactions. Introduce the halter while it is still a foal. If the horse is familiar with human touch and sounds, then it will be less reluctant when being trained for riding. Depending on the breed of the horse, it will be ready to take on a rider when it is about 2 to 4 years old, and the leg plates have developed fully.
The horse must first go through a phase of groundwork to prepare it to accept a rider on its back. For this, a round pen is an ideal training location. Use a rod or stick to give the horse directions, so that it learns to stop, slow and turn when touched gently with the stick. The horse learns that the human is the leader at this point, and will become obedient.
Once the horse learns the basic commands, the saddle and bit should be introduced gradually, for a few minutes at a time until the horse accepts them. Introduce one object at a time so that the horse is not overwhelmed. Always stroke your horse and reassure it so that it feels calm when you bring something unfamiliar near.
The horse has to be mentally prepared to take a rider. Do not attempt to mount the horse directly. Rather, first accustom the horse to have weight on the stirrup, and then place your foot in the stirrup in the next lesson. The horse can be mounted when it allows you to do this without reacting. It is best to have someone help hold the horse to prevent injury to yourself or the animal. Instruct the horse to move and steer as in the groundwork, and it should respond. A well-conditioned horse will not buck when mounted, as it learns to trust the human handling it.
These basic tips will help you to train your horse to be an obedient animal and to respect humans. Always handle the horse calmly, as it takes physical cues from the human leading it. It is a good idea to warm up the horse before training and cool it down afterwards. The horse should never be trained until it is frustrated or tired, and the ideal time to stop is while the training is going smoothly. All of these will enforce the trust of the human in the mind of the horse, and he will be an eager learner.
A horse that learns to trust the trainer will not react unpredictably. To foster a healthy relation between humans and the horse, it is ideal to train the horse gradually from an early age. This will augment the respect of humans in its mind, and lead to a long healthy relationship between the owner and the animal.

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Diet

One of the primary tenets of horse care is making sure your horse has the proper diet. It stands to reason; no animal can survive without being fed.
A common mistake that is made is the assumption that horses can digest anything. Although horses are grazing animals and eat grass, they do have delicate digestive systems. Contrary to their large size, horses have small stomachs and can only process a small amount of food. This is why they graze frequently.
This need is difficult to understand but important to remember since horses are usually fed large amounts infrequently to best meet the schedule of their human.
The amount of food a specific horse needs is dependent on many factors such as age or breed and the amount of regular activity he is exposed to. The horse’s health condition should also be taken into account.
Even though a horse has a delicate digestive system and a small stomach, the system itself is designed to process a large amount of grass and hay. Grass and hay make up the basic diet of most horses. This sounds simple enough; however the hay needs to be of good quality and free of dust and mold. Fresh, clean water should always be available. Constant access to good water is vital even if the horse only drinks a few times a day.
Generally, horses should have access to grazing as much as they want t. This is to avoid the too common occurrence of ulcers. Ulcers are a high risk factor for horses trained for racing and sporting. A good rule of thumb is to keep in mind that horses should eat between two and four percent of their weight in hay and other feed. A horse’s weight should be monitored to make sure it is staying consistent with what is appropriate. If you are unsure as to what the proper amount for your horse is, consult your veterinarian.
A common myth is that horses should be fed grains. The average horse does not need the extra calories found in carbohydrate dense grain. An abrupt change in a diet caused by the sudden exposure of your horse to grain can result in severe abdominal pain.
A horse’s diet is actually very simple. A horse needs access to the grass found in good quality pasture. Horse’s that generally does light work can get an adequate amount of nutrition from sufficient grazing alone. A horse owner should make sure the horse has a large enough area of pasture for the horse population they are serving.
A consultation with your veterinarian can help determine if your horse’s grazing diet should be supplemented with hay or special nutritional concentrates.

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Guidelines for Good Horse Nutrition

A healthy horse will live upwards of 20 years, and will give many years of service and pleasure. To keep a horse healthy, the nutrition requirements should be fulfilled with a balanced diet and plenty of minerals. Horses instinctively eat much of what they are offered, and the owner must make sure that the horse is offered the right blend of foods.
Firstly, instead of measuring the amount of food the horse intakes, note the composition of the foods and how much protein, starch, minerals etc the horse is eating every day. The basic diet of a horse is a mix of fruits, hay, grains and supplements. Feed the horse on basis of the weight of feed and not by measuring the volume of the feed.
A young horse requires a high protein and low starch diet. The horse will also require minerals to grow well and this is met by adding supplements to the diet. The amount of protein can be increased as the horse grows. A grown horse should be fed with a diet of a maximum of 12% protein per day under normal circumstances, and higher if the horse is breeding or is a racing horse.
High quality hay such as from grass or legumes should be provided as the staple diet. A horse requires at least 1% of its body weight in hay per day. Grains are fed in a lower proportion. The best combination of grains is to mix corn, oats and barley, and feed a portion of this.
Molasses and cod oil are two supplements that are added to the horse diet to provide a boost of energy and the required vitamins and minerals. Sometimes corn oil is used as well, a few tablespoons a day. These will keep the energy level of the horse up and maintain the hair. The proportion of these can be increased if the horse is very active.
A horse should always have access to clean water and a salt lick. Salt licks are blocks of salt formulated especially for horses to maintain their mineral content in their diet. If a horse does not have enough minerals, it may resort to licking sand.
Horses may suffer from colic if they have problem with digestion. Horses have a single stomach, and are unable to regurgitate food. This can result in colic if there is something wrong in the digestive tract. Hay can be before grains, with a short gap in between to prevent this problem. Roughage, such as oat husks or beet pulp can also provide fiber to prevent colic.
Finally, watch the horse for signs of disease, as these may indicate that the horse is not getting proper nutrition. It is best to feed the horse at the same time every day, and to avoid sudden drastic changes in diet. Any change should be done over a period of 10 days to avoid illness. By following these guidelines, your horse will have a long productive life.
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Horse Care

When it comes to horse care, there are many things to consider. Many people are intimidated by a horse’s size and because of this, a novice horse owner may shy away from proper horse care.
A horse should be treated like any new member of the family and like any guest in a home; special attention should be paid to specific needs. Horse care includes providing adequate housing for your animal. A box stall or straight stall is generally adequate provided that your horse is exercised and is spends time outdoors with other horses every day. Time spent with other horses combined with regular exercise provides essential elements of horse care; mental stimulation and companionship. Improper care can lead to behavioral problems in your horse.
The stall should have room for the horse to lie flat to achieve the proper amount of sleep. Just like any other creature, a horse requires shelter, food and rest to live a productive life.
Among the many things to consider about horse care is hoof care. A horse’s hoof must be kept healthy. Good hoof health does not necessarily mean shoes. Given proper care and the chance to strengthen naturally, horse’s hooves may not need shoes at all. The decision to shoe or not to shoe can be made with by consulting with a veterinarian.
On the other end of the spectrum of horse care, a horse’s teeth require special care. A horse’s teeth continue to grow throughout the horse’s life and should be checked regularly for uneven wear. The teeth can be smoothed down by a veterinarian or equine dentist to prevent the horse from suffering the problems caused by uneven wear or sharp points in the mouth.
Bad teeth can lead to severe problems such as rot, colic, choke and weight loss, all of which are bad for the horse.
Good horse care also includes regular vaccinations and de-worming. Both of these are vital to the health of your horse. A horse with worms will show weight loss, poor coat and colic. Colic can be deadly to a horse.
De-worming is important, but cutting down your horse’s risk of exposure to parasites is also key to good horse care. This involves keeping the horse’s stalls and stables as clean and free of waste as possible and by making sure that the pastures and open areas aren’t too crowded with other horses. Rotating the pastures and grazing areas that your horse uses is a way to cut down on this risk.
Preventative measures also include being aware of plants that are poisonous to horses. Your veterinarian can provide you with seasonal lists.

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Horse Health Questions

The average person does not realize how many horse health questions there are. A horse owner can tell you that there are so many horse health questions that it is mind boggling.
Because so many people are intimidated by a horse’s size, they do not realize that a horse’s health is actually huge concern. A horse’s digestive system, for example is very delicate. Unlike cows, horses have only one stomach. Since horses graze constantly to get the right amount of nutrition because they can only digest a small amount at a time, relative to their size, maintaining a horse’s health through nutrition is one of the primary sources of horse health questions.
A big concern in horse care is keeping the horse from getting colic. Colic can be deadly to a horse and is very painful for the animal. Horses cannot vomit, so special care should be taken when keeping the horse healthy.
Nutrition is just one concern addressed in horse health questions.
Proper grooming and hoof maintenance is also important. This stands to reason because not only does a horse have to support its own huge amount of weight, often times the horse is carrying a rider or working. Split hooves and diseased hooves are not only painful but also dangerous to both the horse and the horse owner.
Horse breeders have their own set of horse health questions. There are so many things to consider including feeding to provide the right nutrition for the horse and foal, pregnant horse should be monitored carefully at the end of the gestation period.
Day to day care also creates more horse health questions. What should a horse owner do if their horse has a minor injury? How do you determine what is a minor or major injury? Can horses become allergic to different products that they encounter every day?
Other topics for questions are related to specific types of horses. A show horse is going to have different health concerns than a mature horse that spends most of its time in the pasture grazing. The more active a horse is, more varied are its health questions.
There are problems that are regularly encountered by horse owners. These can include nutrition problems and problems related to insects and parasites. Overall, horses have as many health issues and concerns as any other creature. Their huge size does not mean they are low maintenance. Most people wouldn’t maintain a car or themselves by simply filling it with fuel and hoping for the best. A horse is a living creature with many complex needs and issues that should be taken into consideration before someone decides to own a horse.

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Nutrition

Horse nutrition is basically as simple as human nutrition. It is a system of calories in and calories out. Just like people, there is also some fine tuning necessary. And just like with human nutrition, correct and balanced nutrition is a vital part of caring for a healthy horse.
Like humans, horses only have one stomach. That is where the similarities end. Horses have to digest the kind of plant fiber, cellulose that is found in grass and hay. Because of this, horses prefer to eat small amounts constantly throughout the day. This is how horses have eaten for decades because it is natural to get their nutrition that way. This is not always possible due to the schedule of the horse owner and the modern practices of stabling.
Something else to consider when thinking about nutrition is that horses have a delicate digestive system, they are unable to vomit, and so special care should be taken to make sure the horse doesn’t overeat or can accidentally ingest something poisonous. Their delicate stomachs and complex intestinal system leave the horse prone to colic, which is the little known leading cause of death in horses.
Keeping your horse safe from colic is the main reason that special care should be taken when selecting feed and keeping the horses’ diet consistent. Hay should be checked for mold and excessive dust and horses should never be fed grass clippings.
One of the main classes of nutrients needed for proper horse nutrition is water. Horses need access to adequate amounts of fresh clean water every day. A horse’s body weight is 68 percent water. The average horse needs at least ten gallons of water each day. Water helps a horse digest its food. Proper digestion is key to proper nutrition.
While most horses can get sufficient nutrition from grazing, most horse owners supplement the horse’s diet with hay and alfalfa. Most horses do not require the extra calories that are in grain.
Proper nutrition is needed to help the horse maintain an appropriate weight for its work load and life style. A professional can help the horse owner determine if the horse needs vitamin supplements or additional help with maintaining a horse’s proper weight
The addition of hay and alfalfa to the horse’s diet to aid nutrition should be carefully monitored to make sure that the hay is fresh. It is not unheard of that hay may become infested with vermin or parasites. It is vital that this is not the case with hay that is being fed to the horse.
Essentially, horse nutrition is based on water, grass, hay and supplements when needed.
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The Goals and Basic Information About Horse Training

Horses are very intelligent animals and can be trained for easy day to day management as well as for specific tasks such as horse racing and horseback riding. Special training can be done to train the horse of specific types of riders, including riders with handicaps.
Training horses has a long history. Horses have been trained for work, for sporting events, and for transportation. Many horses were trained to go to war, faithfully and loyally serving their masters. Modern day horse training is generally geared towards recreational activities. Many horses are still trained to work in specialized areas, but now this includes for the police and for stunt work for the motion picture industry.
One of the primary goals of horse training is to build good and effective communication between a horse and its rider.
Although there are a variety of techniques for training based on the goals and objectives of the needs of the rider and there are endless debates both for and against different techniques.
Horse training involves the basic elements of most of the concepts of animal training. But there is some need for specialized training if the horse is to be used for a specific job.
Most training is done so that the horse that is safe and well behaved around humans and is easy to handle for whatever task it is being trained.
One of the tenets of training is to remember that safety is the most important things. Because horses are so much larger and stronger than a human being, training is necessary so that the horse will not injure the rider or anyone else.
Proper training for safety is very important because many people do not understand the basic psychology of the horse. A horse does not have the same kind of thought processes and abilities to reason as a human, or indeed, any other animal. Good training can lead to a level of trust and understanding between the horse and rider. When properly trained, a horse will respond positively to a human leader. Because a young horse easily adapts to the humans around them, special care should be given to the horse at an early age.
Horses, like other prey animals, have a strong instinct of fight or flight, and if trained properly early on can be taught to take their cue from their rider. Conversely if a horse is not well trained and comes to fear humans, they can become dangerous. This is why special care should be taken when one is around a young horse.

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