EquiSecrets Horse Health Guide

Your horse's health and wellbeing plays a large part in the success of your horse training. If your horse is not fit & healthy, well nourished, comfortable and free from stress they will not respond well to any training programme, however gentle.

To provide the best possible care for your horse, you need a good basic knowledge of horse health requirements, some practical experience, and lots of time and commitment!

In addition, you may need to provide additional care for horses that are of a particular breed, age, or have a demanding work routine.

Basic Equine Needs

The basic needs of all horses and ponies are the same;

• Freely accessible water and an appropriate diet
• Protection from disease, parasite infestation and injury
• Shelter from the elements
• Freedom from stress and fear
• Freedom of movement and the ability to exercise
• The opportunity to behave naturally, like the herd animal they are...

As a horse owner, you should be aware of your horse's normal healthy behaviour, and be able to recognise the signs that your horse is not in good health.

To maintain good horse health, you should inspect your horse regularly - particularly feet and body condition.

Other things to look for include: alertness; good appetite and firm droppings; good condition of body and coat; no obvious injury or lameness.

If your horse appear to be 'off colour', you should try to identify the ailment and then treat appropriately. If you are unsure of the cause, or your horse appears to be in pain or ill (as opposed to 'off colour'), or if their condition deteriorates after initial treatment - then you must obtain professional Veterinary advice.

Any delay in consulting an equine professional may prolong the problem or make it worse - if in doubt, speak to your Vet.

The British Horse Society have some great free Horse Welfare leaflets - download the Essential Horse Health Care Requirements for more valuable information.

Your Horse Health Care Programme

1) FEEDING REQUIREMENTS

Your horse is naturally a grazing animal and is anatomically designed to eat little and often. In the wild, horses may spend between 16-18 hours each day eating, and their digestive system is designed to process large amounts of fibrous material.

Forage (grass and hay) is the essential foundation of your horse's diet and, for most horses, will provide for all their requirements nutritionally. Horse feed such as cereals, coarse mixes or nuts are used to supplement forage, according to work level or special conditions (e.g. mares in foal or older horses).

When planning the best approach to feeding a horse, you should also take into account their current body condition. You should assess whether your horse is underweight or overweight, or if there are any obvious health problems (poor teeth or worm burden).

2) INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PARASITES

All horses and ponies will have a parasite burden, therefore you must include regular treatment of internal and external parasites in your health care programme.

There are some basic steps that can be taken to reduce the amount of parasite infection, including; regularly removing droppings from the areas that your horse inhabits and breaking up droppings in grazing areas by harrowing; removing any bot eggs that are stuck on your horses coat.

3) TREATMENT OF COMMON AILMENTS AND INJURY

Even with the most diligent care, your horse may suffer from occasional injury or ill health.

If you are aware of the most common horse ailments, and can recognise the signs that you horse is unwell or injured, you should reduce the risk of these ailments occurring.

If your horse suffers an injury, while being ridden, in their stable or in the field - you should be prepared to administer basic first aid or calmly deal with an equine emergency. A comprehensive first aid kit for horses should be readily available.

Your horse should be checked thoroughly for signs of injury as part of your daily care routine, to ensure injuries are identified and professional Veterinary care received.

Always make sure that your horse receives the appropriate treatment - if in doubt consult your Vet for a diagnosis of the problem.

4) MORE SERIOUS EQUINE CONDITIONS AND DISEASES

Among the more serious equine conditions and diseases to look out for are; Strangles; Colic; Laminitis; Lymphangitis and lameness.

You should familiarise yourself with the symptoms to ensure that, if recognised, you get prompt veterinary attention for your horse.

5) HOOF CARE AND SHOEING

Whether your horse is shod or barefoot, horse hoof care is an essential part of your horse care programme.

Horses living in the wild do not need hoof trims because they can travel as much as 50 miles (80 km) a day in dry or semi-arid grassland in search of food, a process that will wear their feet naturally. All domesticated horses need regular hoof trims however, as they rarely get the opportunity to travel such distances and their feet grow faster than they can be worn down.

Without regular trimming, your horse's hooves will get too long, eventually splitting, chipping and cracking, which can lead to lameness. Your farrier will advise if your horse requires any specialist shoeing.

6) DENTAL CARE

To avoid equine teeth problems, you should get your horses teeth checked regularly by a qualified equine dental technician.

Regular dental care is essential to ensure healthy teeth and gums, to promote normal chewing and good digestion, and acceptance of the bit and rein contact when ridden.

Neglecting your horse's tooth care could potentially lead to discomfort, loss of condition and unwanted behaviour when ridden.

7) VACCINATIONS

Ensuring your horse has their correct vaccinations will give them maximum protection against specific diseases by stimulating their natural immune system.

The two most common vaccinations are equine influenza and tetanus, and this should be included in your horse health care programme. Other vaccinations include; Equine herpesvirus (EHV), recommended for competition horses; Equine viral arteritis (EVA), recommended for breeding stallions and Equine rotavirus, recommended for pregnant mares.

If you are thinking of competing in any equestrian disciple you will need to provide evidence that your horse is up-to-date with their influenza vaccinations. Also, most good livery and training yards will insist on a current vaccination record.

8) GROOMING

Regular grooming of your horse will help keep their coat and skin healthy, and help promote good circulation. In addition, the time spent grooming will allow you to check for small wounds or areas of dry skin or hair-loss (sometimes a sign of underlying health problems) - and will give you valuable time to get to know your horse and build trust.

Ideally you should groom your horse daily. At the very least, you groom your horse before riding - this is to prevent rubbing or chafing from dried dirt, which will cause discomfort and soreness. Also, you will prolong the life of your tack, as dirt & grit will damage both leather & synthetic material.

If your horse has a health problem and you would like some advice on the options available to you please complete our Contact Form so we can discuss your specific requirements