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Equine Maintenance
- 1. By Brenda VanWyck
- 2. Slide 1: LivingArea Slide 2: Living Area (Continued) Slide 3: Feeding Management Slide 4: Water Management Slide 5: Grooming Slide 6: Grooming (Continued) Slide 7: Training & Exercising Slide 8: Training & Exercise (Equipment) Slide 9: Health Watching Slide 10: Budget Sheet Slide 11: Bibliography
- 3. As a horseowner, I would make sure my horse lived at my home so I could be with it and wouldnāt have to spend unnecessary money on boarding fees. Next, I would make sure that the stables were under a covered roof, and, unlike most barns or stables; have access to a lot of light because it is easier for the horse to see and they arenāt constantly straining their eyes. Every day I would clean out the horseās stall using a pitch fork, and a wheel barrow. I would keep the manure pile far away from any place that animals could get to it to keep good hygiene. Then I would replace the stall with fresh straw or shavings. I would check that the stall was still in good shape and make repairs to anything that might be broken. I would clean any messes made on the walls, doors, or ceiling of the stalls for optimal hygiene. 1
- 4. I would havea hay bag feeder that would be hanging in one corner of the stall, and a water bucket on a hook near the door in the stall. I would also have a prepared fenced field for my horse to graze in for most of the day. At the end of the day when I put my horse back in its stall, I would go out into the field and clean up any manure and put it in the manure pile. In the grazing pasture, I would a covered roof/ shelter area where my horse could escape the weather. 2
- 5. I would feedmy horse top quality alfalfa hay. I would like to feed square bales instead of rounds or anything else because square bales are easy to keep fresh, mobile, and easy to track how much the horse is actually eating. I would feed my horse in a round Tarter hay basket feeder. These feeders are plastic, adjustable feeders that are chemical and rust resistant and they donāt have sharp edges. Link to website: http://tarterusa.com/tarter-products/equine-hay-basket/ I would have proper hay storage (in a hay barn) so that it couldnāt mold, rot, or be exposed to the weather. I would feed my horse 3 times a day (morning after noon and lunch) in a metal hay feeder. I would feed 1 full square bale a day. I would have a salt/mineral block available in the grazing field so that my horse could use it as needed. I would have the mineral block in a rubber tub to prevent it from touching the ground and getting contaminated. I wouldnāt feed my horse grain or molasses because that could lead to obesity, but I would use alfalfa pellets as treats. 3
- 6. For my horseāswatering system, I would have a galvanized steel watering tank in the grazing field so it couldnāt rust or grow algae. I would top up the water trough every day with fresh cool water and at the end of the month I would dump the water out, clean the tank with a scrubby (no soap or product) and refill it again for optimal health standards. I would also have a rubber watering bucket in horseās stall which would be refreshed every feeding and cleaned once a week. I would only give my horse well water, not filtered, creek or rain water because of the possible sicknesses from the other sources. 4
- 7. For grooming myhorse I would have a grooming area just outside my barn where I can tie the halter and brush my horse. The grooming area would have access to running water so I could wash my horse. Before I would wash my horse, I would brush it thoroughly with a curry comb to get hard dirt off. Then I would go over the horse again with a hard bristled comb to get any dust off. Then I would finish with a soft brush comb to smoothen the hair and keep it healthy. I would also have mane a tail brushes to keep their mane and tail brushed and healthy. I would also have a clean, sharp pair of scissors dedicated to the horseās mane and tail. I would have a box of fragrance free baby wipes to clean the inside of my horses ears, around eyes, and nostrils. I would also have a hoof pick and a hoof hard bristled brush. I would first take the hoof pick and dig out all the dirt from itās hoof. Once the dirt is removed I would go over it with the hard bristled brush in order to get any dust from crevices that the pick couldnāt reach. I would also have a hoof file, and a hoof clipper to clip their hooves and file them into shape. I wouldnāt shoe my horses hooves because itās easier to clean a horses hoof without a shoe on. 5
- 8. I would groommy horse once every 3 days or after every riding session to ensure maximum health. If at any point I saw my horse was dirty (even in one spot) I would groom it again, especially in the winter (no bathing in the winter). I would also buy fly repellent whips because where I live the flies are bad in the Summer and I wouldnāt want my horse getting irritated or sick because of the flies. I would take care not to get any fly repellent in my horses eyes ears mouth or nose. I would only wipe the forehead, cheeks, and belly. I would also have shampoo and conditioner for my horse to when I groom it, I can wash its main and tail. I would also make sure that I wouldnāt get any product in their eyes, and I would buy that L'Oreal kids shampooing gel that doesnāt hurt when it comes in contact with your eyes. I would clean all tools (used or not used during each session) after each grooming session with my horse to make sure that the tools do not get contaminated to spread sickness or create sicknesses. 6
- 9. I would trainand exercise my horse 4-5 times a week in intervals (one day train & exercise, next day rest). I would train my horse for an hour to two hours each session in the morning and an hour session before dinner (4:30pm). I would train my horse to be easily haltered, friendly, easily saddled, easy to ride, and other vocal commands (e.g. āhereā āstayā āwhoaā, etc.) I would also exercise my horse on a lunge line so it can get used to its gaits and vocal commands. I would train and exercise my horse with this schedule because I would want my horse to stay in shape, stay healthy, and be a well trained horse. 7
- 10. ļ For trainingand exercising my horse I would have a multitude of equipment available to use. ļ First of all I would have a round pen to use for training and exercising. ļ I would a halter and a lunge line to lunge with. ļ I would also have a saddle (Western only) with all the attachments except for saddle bags. ļ I would have orange traffic cones for weaving in between and around. ļ I would have logs set up around like an obstacle course to practice my horseās technique and edging around corners. ļ I would have a bridal with a good clean bit. ļ I would also have a good quality saddle blanket so my horse wouldnāt be irritated by it and it would always be clean so dirt doesnāt get trapped in it and irritate my horse. ļ I would clean and oil the saddle, bridle and any other leather equipment for optimal usage and performance. ļ I would clean the bit on my bridal with water and a cloth (no soap or product) after every use to prevent disease 8
- 11. During every feedingI would watch my horse for 5 minutes to make sure that it is in good health and is eating normally. I would check my horses dropping (while cleaning) to make sure that they are solid nuggets and not liquid. I would also check that their urine is normal. I would make sure my horse didnāt sleep on its side or back for an elongated amount of time because its not good for their organs. I would watch my horses hooves as I clean them to see if their getting foot rot or if the horse it having trouble putting pressure on them. As I groom I would check for bruises, sore spots or cuts. I would treat cuts with an antibiotic spray that cleans and stops infections. If my horse was acting lethargic, or looked to be in any pain in the slightest I would call my local vet for advise and treatment. 9
- 12. Buildings Feed WaterGroom Health Extra Barn rent (parents): $10 per day Hay: $5/bale Rubber water bucket: $12 Hoof pick: $5 Ivermectin (horse wormer): $20 per 2-3 months Saddle: $250 Field Shed: $1,000 Mineral / salt block: $8 Galvanize -d water tank: $150 Soft brush: $6 Ferrier fee: $15 per treatment Bridle: $39 Hay Barn: $1,000 Alfalfa Pellets: $14/ per bag Hard brush (x2): $8 Halter: $20 Field Fence: $1,500 hay feeder: $349.75 Mane & tail brush: $7 Lunge line: $15 Round Pen: $5,000 Hay bag: $15 Hoof file: $10 Bit: $28 TOTAL: TOTAL: TOTAL: TOTAL: TOTAL: $35 TOTAL: 10
- 13. ļ http://tarterusa.com/tarter- products/galvanized-stock-tanks/ ļ http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/health /behavior/eqzzz629/ ļhttp://horses.about.com/od/basiccare/u/basich orsecare.htm ļ https://www.google.ca/search?q=steel+watering +tanks&es_sm=122&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X &ei=Npt3U5CdII- zyASjzILIDg&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih= 709#q=grooming+horse&tbm=isch&imgdii=_ ļ http://www.jupiterhay.com/products.html ļ http://www.horseforum.com/horse- health/deworming-shoeing-costs-6215/ 11