Five Tips for Horse Health!
Five Tips for Horse Health – with the year kicking off strong, one thing you might hope for is to make it to the end of the year with your horse, hale and hearty, because your hoofed friend matters to you.
This means that you will need to make some commitments as it pertains to the health of your horse. To help you, we have compiled a list of tips that can help keep your horse in perfect health:
- Make Sure Your Horse Gets a Break
Keep a close eye on your horse and make sure he does not burn out. To avoid this, ensure that you build breaks into his schedule so that he gets enough rest and sleep time.
Deep rest and sleep are critical parts of development and recovery and should be a crucial part of your horse’s schedule. The amount of break and rest a horse gets could determine how good his performance gets. For deep sleep, your horse will need to lie down and let his nose touch the floor at least once every day. This will provide energy rebound, support joints, and improve blood flow.
- Hydrate
As important as hydration is for humans, it is just as critical for horses. Hydration helps with thermoregulation and digestion in horses. The amount of water your horse needs depends on things like the kind of hay he eats or what his exertion level is like.
If your horse eats good quality grass, then the moisture from the grass can act as a water supplement. An idle horse will need about 8 gallons daily. Other factors may also affect how much water intake is necessary for your horse.
- Go for High-Quality Hay
It is important to be picky when it comes to shopping for hay. To get the best hay, you should find a grower that is trustworthy and reputable, one who consistently produces high-quality hay.
This is important because stemmy hay may lead to colic. Of course, high-quality hay costs more, but you should be willing to pay more for the health of your horse.
- Don’t Overfeed Grains
Grains are great and horses enjoy grains, but it may become an issue if your horse keeps gorging all that grain and yet is not physically active or training.
If your horse gets heavy, you need to cut down the grain consumption, not the hay. The appropriate amount for inactive horses is one cup of grain alongside whatever supplements you have.
- Keep Horse Physically Active
It is unhealthy for your horse to be physically inactive, with no physical stimulation or training. Making sure your horse stays physically active keeps the joints and overall body fit enough to deliver expected results.
This is not an exhaustive list, but we hope you take our advice and put in a lot of effort to make sure that your horse stays in good shape throughout the year. That 4-legged friend needs your complete care and attention.
