Horse Wellness

Horses need constant access to a dry, safe, comfortable shelter to protect them from rain, wind, and snow. In warm and sunny weather, the shelter you supply will provide your companion with much needed shade.

At a minimum, you should have a well-constructed, three-sided shed into which your horse can retreat at all times. You will need to remove manure from the stall or shelter every day.

horses need exercise. To supplement the exercise your horse will get when you ride him, he should have a paddock or pasture in which to relax and stroll.

No horse should spend all day confined in a stall, except on a vet's recommendation. The pasture should be bordered by safe, sturdy fencing that will keep the horse safe and secure. Barbed wire is not an acceptable fencing material it has been the cause of many serious injuries.

Straw is sometimes used for bedding but it's not the best choice. Some horses may try to eat the unsanitary material.

Rubber floor mats with shavings on top can be used for bedding. But a dirt floor with a sand base for drainage and shavings on top is more comfortable.

Roll on fly sprays that are specially designed for the eye area and face should be used if you don't have a fly mask.

Consider blanketing during wet, very windy, or frigid weather. A wet coat looses its loft--like a wet down jacket, and won’t hold body heat. Windy weather pulls warmth away. Some horses are comfortable during very cold weather; some will be more comfortable in a warm winter blanket.

Rubber buckets are easier to knock the ice out of if they become frozen. Plastic buckets used as water buckets can shatter when they freeze. This can create a hazard and wastes money when replacing them. Rubber buckets may cost more initially, but last longer.