Health & Care
From HelpWiki
Contents |
Wound Care
Horses are animals that live outdoors most of their life and because they love to play in the pastures and fields it's not uncommon to see they have scratches, scrapes, bumps and other injuries to various parts of their bodies.
Cuts/Scrapes & Scratches
Cuts, scrapes and scratches are typically superficial wounds that heal in a few days time. These wounds aren't deep and are usually treated by the horse's owner or caretaker without the assistance of the vet. These can appear on almost any part of the horse's body with the exception of their hooves. If these start to get infected you will often notice heat, redness or swelling around the injury. With proper care this can typically be remedied by washing the cut and treating it with some kind of wound salve. However if the swelling, redness, or heat gets worse or spreads the owner should consult with a veterinarian who may prescribe shots or antibiotics to treat any infections.
Swollen Joints & Limbs
Please write some information here!
Deep Cuts & Stitches
Please write some information here!
Hoof Care
Proper hoof care is essential to keeping your horse healthy. A horse's feet are like your fingernails, they grow a little bit every day and need to be trimmed and filed so they don't break, tear or crack.
Trimming
Typically your horse should have its feet trimmed every 6-8 weeks. Most people use a farrier, or someone who has gone to school to learn how to trim and care for a horse's feet. However some people know enough about horses to do basic trimming themselves.
Shoeing
A horse that is being actively ridden typically needs to wear horseshoes on it's feet to protect them from the rough terrain it travels through. Once a horse is shod it will typically remain shod for most of it's life. Some people leave their horse's unshod when they aren't being ridden much or in the winter time. The transition from the horse wearing shoes to going without shoes often makes the bottoms of their feet sore for a few days.
Cracks & Common Problems
Please write some information here!
Picking A Horse's Feet
Every time you ride a horse you must pick it's feet first, even if the horse isn't wearing shoes. By picking the horse's feet you remove dirt, rocks and other debris that may cause it to go lame otherwise. Think of a time when you've had a rock in your shoe but no way to get it out. If you walk around with it in your shoe all day your foot gets sore. The same this is true of horses. Picking their prevents tenderness, lets you evaluate their feet for problems and encourages good health.
To pick a horse's foot you use a tool called a hoof pick. The hoof pick is placed at the corner of the horse's foot, with the point facing away from you, and then is pressed in and the dirt and rocks are lifted out. When a horse's foot is clean you should be able to clearly see your horse's frog, a triangle shaped piece in the middle of their foot, with space all the way around it.
Grooming
Grooming your horse keeps it's coat healthy, encourages good blood circulation and can sometimes prevent common skin rashes, infections and other skin-conditions.
Types of Brushes
There are six different classifications for grooming brushes.
Soft Brushes
Soft brushes are used over areas of the horses where there little fat or only skin covering the horse's bones. These brushes have soft bristles for cleaning your horse's face and legs.
Medium Brushes
A medium brush can be used over any part of the horse's body and has firmer bristles than a medium brush. When using it over sensitive areas like the head and legs you shouldn't apply as much pressure as you would over the horse's back or stomach. A medium brush is never pulled against the direction the horse's hair lies.
Hard Brushes
A hard brush has stiff coarse bristles and should only be used on the least sensitive areas of your horse's body like the saddle area, stomach, haunch and butt. A hard brush is never pulled against the direction the horse's hair lies.
Curry Comb
A curry comb is made out of plastic or rubber. It's typically circular in shape and has evenly spaced plastic or rubber bristles. It's used in a circular motion to remove caked on dirt and mud. It can be used on any part of the horse's body but it should be used lightly over sensitive areas like the horse's head and legs.
Mane & Tail Combs
These are plastic and metal hair brushes and combs used to straighten out the tangles in a horse's mane and tail.
Bathing Brushes & Gloves
These are rubber or plastic brushes specifically designed for bathing your horse. Some of them have a hose connector piece so you can put soap directly on the brush and then apply the brush and running water to your horse's coat. Most of these are designed to slip over your hand like a glove.
Feeding
Please write some information here!
Types of Feed
Please write some information here!
Horse Treats
Please write some information here!
Molasses Ginger Horse Cookies
Molasses Ginger Horse Cookies
Here are some horse treats you can make yourself and they smell wonderful when they're done. One pan will make about 25 cookies.
Ingredients
1 Cup Sugar 1 Cup Molassas 2 and 1/2 Cups Sweet Feed 2 Egg Whites 2 Cups Flour 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cloves 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger 1/2 Teaspoon SaltCooking
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. It should be fairly dry, you can add a little water if needed to make mixing easier. Spray a 9 x 12 glass pan with non-stick cooking spray. Press dough evenly into the pan. Bake at 375 degrees (190 degrees Celsius) for 20 minutes or until the treats are firm all the way through. Take out and let cool for another 20 minutes. Slice and then serve to your four legged friends.
WARNING DISCLAIMER! It's possible your horse may be allergic to one or more of these ingredients even though all of these ingredients are commonly found in store bought horse treats. Feed them at your own risk. For best results let your horse try just one or two at a time until you know they don't have any kind of allergies to the ingredients.
