The Simple Things

Whilst reading my most recent magazine from the British Horse Society I came across an article about the work their welfare officers do.  Surprisingly, to me at least, they still find that people DON'T check on their horses every day!  Although, I doubt very much that anyone reading this comes into that category I thought a reminder of the simple basics might be useful to pass on ...

Daily (or preferably twice daily) visits are essential to check at a minimum:

·         Water supply - is it available, clean, not frozen (in the winter) ?

·         Food availability - is there grass, if not is there hay (or an equivalent) ?

·         Check for wounds, swellings and any sign of lameness - treat it!

·         Check feet and pick them out to remove any stones.

·         Remove, check over and reposition rugs.

Don't forget

·         Weekly check for poisonous plants or any hazards in the field eg: cans, balloons, broken fence

·         Farrier visits for a trim by a qualified farrier (every 6-8 weeks)

·         Worm counts and worming if necessary (every 8-10 weeks)

·         Teeth checked and rasped by a vet or trained technician (at least annually)

·         Vaccinations - at a minimum for flu and tetanus (annually)

There are obviously a lot more things to be done ideally and especially if the horse is stabled but these are really the minimum that is needed to care for them when at grass.

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Until next time!   

Jo