How to Take Care of Your Horse

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Horses need lots of care and a focus. This guide can assist you learn the way to care for a horse by giving straightforward steps to keeping a horse happy and healthy!

1.   Every day that you just leave to ride your horse .They need to be tidy. 1st check them over from head to toe to create certain they need no swellings or cuts, slightly scrape is ok as long because it isn't too deep or huge.

2.   When you are done checking him or her over start your grooming routine. They would need to be curried, have their mane and tail brushed, have their hooves picked, and they need to be brushed with a Hard brush and then a soft one.

3.   Next comes the saddle and bridle. First get your needed tack, then put the saddle pad on your horse. Next comes the saddle. Tighten the girth and check to make sure the saddle fits. Then put the reins over your horse's head and put the bit in their mouth. If they toss their head up either get an older taller person to help you or place your hand over their forehead then bridle them. Check all the straps and lead them to your riding area.

4.   Next check the girth again, some horses like to puff out their chest when you put the girth on. Roll down the stirrups, both of the stirrups (individually) should be as long as your arm. Mount your horse!

5.  Exercise is important! It is how horses stay in shape.You may ride your horse as long as you would like but gradually increase the time so it does not become sore, If you plan to ride more then 2 hours make sure you stop to give it a drink and breaks.A horse is okay to ride in an arena all the time, But if you ride/show all the time then stick them in a stall they will become ring-sour.

6.  Then take the tack off them and give them a drink. Never let them drink too much or they can become sickly. If they are still wet consider hosing them off if it is above 52 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do hose them off use a sweat scraper to get rid of the excess water. If your horse is afraid of the hose use a wet sponge to rinse them off. They will most likely roll, That's okay, it's normal!

7.  Make sure that once you take off the saddle and blanket, you brush under the chest were the girth is. It is very important that you brush there because horses can get a sore if not cared for properly. Push your body against the horse just like you would if you were picking their hoof. Lightly scrub the girth. (the should usually be a mark there) Don't scrub too hard, It could hurt your horse.

8.  Their stalls will also need to be tended to. Use shavings, straw, or what works best for you. Get a pitchfork and a bucket and empty all the manure into the bucket. Get the wet spots also. Make sure you get all of the wet spots as they can smell terrible! But your horse doesn't need a stall to survive, they live just fine in the pasture!

9.  Check that your horse has fresh water and their water bucket is clean. Feed them as necessary. Talk to the previous owner(s) about how much you feed them, what you feed them, and how often. Try to keep their diet as simple as possible (remember, all wild horses have is grass!), stuff like grass hay and clean oats is good for them and can reduce the chance of colic. Make sure it has a good sized field for them to go eat grass.
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