Pampered Pets

Have you ever thought about purchasing a horse before, but questioned whether or not you possessed what it took to adequately care for one? Quite a few caring pet owners ask their selves this question prior to deciding to purchase an animal. This question is usually a fantastic question to ask, and it ought to be carefully considered before any acquisition is made.

In this write-up I’ll attempt to make clear everything that goes in to taking care of your horse. As soon as you’ve completed reading this write-up, you should have a good understanding of what must be done to effectively own and take care of a pony.

To start with, an equine must have lots of space to live a well-balanced and happy life. Even though we have all come across videos of unique ponies that like to live indoors with their owner’s, all of these ponies still have very large back yards to move around and workout in. If you reside in a city or even a suburban area, then purchasing an equine is most likely not for you. This is assuming you are gonna be living with your equine however.

One option for families with out a lot of room is to get a horse and board it someplace. This approach can be expensive, nevertheless it will cut down on a whole lot of the work. You may even get the boarders supply your pony with exercise, meals, bedding, and health care.

Yet another matter to take into account is just how much time you’ll get to groom your horse. A horse has to frequently go through equine grooming. You will want to get a horse grooming kit together with a hoof pick, dandy brush, and proper horse shampoos.

You will also want to consider the cost of having a pony. Ponies are a lot more costly than say a puppy or a kitten. Besides thorough consultations with a animal medical practitioner, you’ll have to obtain horse food, horse bedding, and a horse stall for your horse to stay in. Remember that these pets are really big and need to consume a lot more than your typical 50 pound canine or 10 pound feline.

Another consideration is your power to teach your equine. Without proper training a horse is often a very unsafe animal to have. You’ll need to train your horse yourself or you will need to find a skilled horse trainer to aid you.

Ideally this article has given you some issues to consider before buying a horse. If you do choose to make a purchase, just be sure you know about horse training, horse grooming, horse health, and horse care before you get your new horse home.

Internal parasites – out of sight, out of mind – can kill your horse. While they may be out of sight, they are doing extensive damage internally. At a minimum, bugs can nab nutrient elements from your pony and cause stomach irritation. The bad news is, rash they could cause colic, abdominal ruptures and death.

The three top things you must provide for your horse for his good health are clean water, high quality feed and a good de-worming program. And this may make you stop and think. Did you realize that are more than 150 parasites that infest horses? The most common are large stronglyes (aka bloodworms), small stronglyes, ascarids, pinworms, bots, tapeworms, threadworms and lungworms. And think about that, a number of these species lay up to 200,000 eggs a day. Those numbers are staggering.

The thing with all of these bugs is they may all be present in your pony simultaneously, just in different lifecycle stages. So yes, while your horse may look healthy and happy, you don’t know what is going on inside. These silent killers can damage tissues and vital organs, major blood vessels, cause obstructions and ulcerations in the digestive tract. Pinworms can really irritate horses and cause intense anal itching.

Some indicators of infestation may ( and may is the operative word, since you will not always see indicators of issues outwardly ) include dull, coarse coat, weight management, tail rubbing ( baldness ), colic, depression, coughing / nasal discharge, loss of appetite for example. The best action to take if you see a few of these signs is talk with your Veterinarian about getting a fecal examination.

Will not I see them worms in the dung? Answer’s no, you will not, but the eggs will be visible to the Vet under a microscope. By counting the types and number of eggs, the Vet can then tell you which de-worming programme will work. This test in combination with a good worming program will keep your horses protected from the ravages of pests.

You can give wormer 4 ways, oral paste syringe, oral liquid syringe, nasogastric tube and as a feed addition. In several cases horses won’t eat something they smell in their feed, so if you can work with the other 2 strategies, you’d attain worming efficiently. Nasogastric tubes are best left for a Vet to administer wormer. Ensure you give the right dose and at the correct time – customarily each six to eight weeks.

All three methods are effective. The key is that the deworming product must be given in the correct dose ( given by weight ) at the correct time, and they essentially swallow the wormer. To make sure they do swallow the dose, you can do one of two things – insert your thumbs into either side of their mouth to make them open their mouth and swallow the paste or liquid they were holding in their mouth, or put your hand under their chin and tip their head up so they must swallow.

For the best worming schedule, talk to your Veterinarian. The requirements of the herd may vary if you have all ages and stages of equines from foals to old campaigners.

Have an older horse companion in your pasture? Bless their hearts they have such stories they can tell. Vis being considered a senior pony, if your equine is twenty or older he’s a vet or campaigner. This age incidentally would make him about a 60-year- old human.

Your horse’s ageing process will vary, and will also depend on his breed, workload, conformation, medical history and the care he receives. Each pony is a person. So how they age will be totally different. The thing you need to pay the most attention to as your horse ages, are his teeth.

Horses naturally are grazing animals, and their mouths are set up ideal for that angled neck hanging down to graze, nip and shear grass off and grind and gnaw it. Over the years this constant grinding wears the tooth surfaces down, and they fall out. This makes eating complicated for your horse and also suggests if he is unable to eat correctly, he’ll start to lose condition. And that brings with it a whole host of other problems.

The best thing you can do for your older equine is to have the Vet check his teeth twice a year for any abnormal wear, waves, hooks, or sore gums. Dealing with these things quickly will keep your horse able to eat for a long longer. In expectation, start him on mashes slowly so if he reaches the point where he wishes them often, he’s already used to them.

Between visits, take a look at your horse’s mouth and watch for issues with eating, like quidding, head throwing, choking or difficulty drinking. Older horses frequently have problems eating long fiber food. You can decipher this issue by swapping to shorter cropped hay and / or add high fiber cubes as mash or straight. If you keep on top of dental problems, you are able to save your horse a lot of grief, and you can save money and problems in the future.

While maintaining your horse’s hooves, you need to know how their feet work, clean the hooves regularly (with a pick), trim the hooves, keep the correct horseshoes on the horse, and make regular visits to the farrier.

The adage that goes, “No foot, no horse,” aptly conveys the importance of looking after the hooves of your horse. Improper hoof care can cause an animal to experience pain and discomfort and even become lame. Diseases and infections can also the effects of hooves that are not properly cared. You should invest in products such as horse hoof supplements that are meant to promote the health of your horse’s hooves and be aware of the hoof care routines that you can follow to keep your horse healthy.

You need to be familiar with the horse’s feet

If you are unfamiliar with the characteristics and anatomy of a horse’s foot, then you might want to do a bit of research. General knowledge and background information will aid you understand how your horse’s feet should look and will help you find if the feet are healthy and normal or whether they have abnormal characteristics. The frog portion of your horse’s foot should normally feel like a brand new rubber eraser. But, during your horse’s shedding period, it is very normal for the frog to look dry. This will use bad smells, debris, and cracks on your horse’s hooves.

Have a regular examination of your horse’s feet

If you see any stones and/or debris wedged into your horse’s feet you can pick them out yourself. Regular picking will keep the hooves clean and free from any foreign objects and will allow you to closely inspect them for any signs of injuries and damage. This will help prevent more serious health problems in the future. Picking debris from the horse’s feet prior to exercise can reduce soreness. Any stones, mud and other debris that might have accumulated must gently be taken out with the help of a hoof pick. You can tell if the frog has a bacterial infection by checking for odd secretions or a bad smell.

You should be able limit hooves of a horse

Whether your horse is wearing horseshoes or is allowed to walk barefoot, you must make sure that you trim and level hooves regularly.

Be certain to get horseshoes that fit properly for size. For horses that wear horseshoes, it is important that the shoes are not loose, as these can give discomfort and even cause lameness. Be sure that the nails are holding the shoes tight to the hooves in order to be sure that no stone or other type of debris gets caught between the shoe and the rim.

Take regular visits to the farrier

Farriers are experts on horse hooves and will be able to answer your questions. Be sure to schedule routine visits. Farrier visits should take place monthly in the summer, but visits can be spaced a little farther apart in the winter months. If your horse is wearing corrective shoes, more frequent visits may be needed.

The hooves of your horse will affect the overall welfare and health of the animal. The right products, and paying attention to the hooves, can greatly improve the horse’s health.

If you are interested in learning more about horse hoof supplements, please visit http://www.e3liveforhorses.com/.

Yes, horses have a language of their own, and unfortunately many of us are not as aware of it as we should be. It is a huge mistake to not to understand their language, as it may mean issues for us in the end. Every swivel of the ear(s), hip movement, tail flick and facial expression means something. This is the language horses use to speak to other horses and to us – if only we would listen.

We need to know what OUR body language says to them first before we can understand them. Flapping arms while trying to get the halter on will cause concern. Running at them in a pasture rather than walking up to them calmly can make them think – predator chasing me. We’ve all heard about bombproof horses – sorry, there isn’t any such thing. Something, a little time will spook your pony – any pony.

In the meantime, keep your body language quiet, slow, easy and calm. If you’re calm, this helps your horse remain calm.

Horses speak to us with all body parts and that includes the front and back end. Both ends can cause us untold grief if we do not pay attention to what they are saying. As an example, many of us know that when a pony has both ears pinned back flat something is actually wrong. Chances are that they are either scared or angry. Mostly it is hate. So watch the rear and front terribly fastidiously. Caution is best regardless of if you suspect the horse might be listening to something behind them or bored. Once you really know your horse well, you will know what the ears are saying.

Ears perked up and forward mean they’re targeting their attention on something and are either up to some mischief or they’re on high alert about something that they see, hear or smell. Remind your horse you need his attention, especially if you are riding and the ears whip forward.

Brushing and caring for your horse is THE major bonding experience between humans and equines. Don’t ever underestimate how powerfully you are communicating to your horse about YOU when you brush him.

Did you realize your horse could have allergies? It makes sense if you consider the type of environment they live in. If they’re not outside ( and in some examples whether or not they’re ) they can have an allergic response to dust, molds, smoke, and other air borne allergens like burning smudges, bug spray and scents or medical odours.

The name for this condition is Allergic Respiration Illness ( ARD ) and it shows up with flu-like symptoms instead of sinus or nasal difficulties. The horse’s lungs will get inflamed, making them far more susceptible to virus and bacterial infections. This manifests as a repeating problem your pony never really gets over. You’ll also likely see coughing, excessive eye discharge and discover they get tired easily.

It seems the most common cause of ARD is several types of mould spores and weeds in hay or straw. This is a seasonal thing, so you can only see the issue turning up in the spring and the summer. Problem is, winter and fall feed come from the same source, so what happens is the horse builds up sensitivity over time and their reactions increase.

You can keep them outside in unpolluted air to try reducing the symptoms. If however your horse needs to be stalled, store your hay in a different location and ensure the airflow in the barn is good. Soak your hay before feeding if there is a dust problem.

If your at home solutions aren’t helping much, call your Vet and have her take a look at the fluid and cells in the horse’s lungs to figure out how severe the allergy is. There’s also a new blood test that can tell the Vet precisely what the horse is allergic to. Exciting news, because that implies customised treatments for each pony. Other treatments include corticosteroids ( cortisone ) and bronchodilators.

Working out what the problem is to begin with is 1/2 of the battle and after you have that in order, your horse is well on his way to making a good recovery.

When looking after a horse, you should always make sure that their stable and field are safe and have no edges or nails which could potentially injure your horse. However, we all know that accidents happen and even the most cautious horse owner can still end up with a horse that gets cut. Treating a cut on your horse as soon as it has occurred is important as the longer it is left the trickier it becomes to take care of it.

If your horse injured itself, the first step is to examine the damage. If the wound is deep or large in diagonal it is essential to call a vet. If the cut is fresh your vet will be able to stitch it but older wounds will have a risk of getting infected under the stitches.

Whether the cut is treatable by you or not, it is important to take some immediate action. Catch the horse and bring him to his stable. When a horse become injured, he or she may not act in the same manner as a healthy horse.

If possible, shave the hair surrounding the wound. Doing so will make it easier to treat the wound and will help keep it clean.

Wash the cut with running water and an antiseptic solution. Do not use normal shampoo to clean the area.

Once the wound is clean, apply some antiseptic wound cream on top of it. Make sure you ask a veterinarian which product he or she recommends for cleaning out horse wounds. Aloe Vera and tea tree oil is very commonly used on small shallow horse cuts. Natural creams are less likely to irritate a horse’s wounds.

Depending on the size and type of the cut it might be advisable to cover the wound. Veterinarian wraps along with cotton wool is the usual method for covering up large horse wounds. It is absolutely crucial to change the wrap, wash and re-treat the wound every day.

As with other health care issues, if you are unsure about treating a cut on your horse, always ask your vet for advice. Properly treated cuts heal faster and leave a smaller mark. Badly treated cuts can lead to a worse infection.

When it comes to horse fencing, making your decision about which material you should opt for is not always going to be easy. With so many things to take into consideration, like the durability and safety, the horse fence you choose is a long-term decision. Of course, you don’t want to have to replace your horse fence on a frequent basis.

Making the horse fencing purchase decision as simple as possible, lets take a look at what the different types are that you can buy

1. Wood

This is the traditional type of fence that people are used to seeing. Not only has it been used for horse fencing it is also the preferred choice for garden fencing too. It is a very likeable choice for horse fencing, but it does have its downsides. First and foremost, it is bad for the environment. Frequent replacement of the traditional wooden fence means that more wood has to be used and this is contributing to the environmental damage.

2. Plastic

This is a popular modern-day choice for those looking for horse fencing with a difference. You can do so much with plastic horse fencing and it is much better for the environment overall. If we all stopped using wood as much and opted for plastic instead, we would all help the environment. Unfortunately, it may take some time to convince everyone that plastic horse fencing is the way forward, but those in the know are already using it.

3. Barbed Wire

This is less common these days but it is still an option. Animal lovers would argue that this is not a good horse fencing choice as the horse could wander up to the fence and hurt themselves on the barbed wire. Young children would have to be kept away from the fence so its worth looking at plastic horse fencing instead.

Remember, there are still alternative horse fencing options such as electric fences, but when you have done your research you will probably find that the plastic fence is the most suitable solution as it is safe and great for the environment.

Wales, the United Kingdom was the place the Welsh ponies were bred. There are several different variations of the Welsh Pony, and they are popular for a number of reasons, for everything from horse riding and shows to pit pony and work horse.

These ponies were historically used mainly as work horses. They were used by the British government in times of war to carry heavy guns and other equipment in areas that were too rough for vehicles to handle, and were even occasionally used as mounted infantry.

The jobs found for the Welsh ponies were numerous including, working on the farm, pulling coal from the coal mines, and helping the mail carrier in their postal route. So traditionally, these horses were thought of as mostly useful animals for everyday tasks.

However, as time went on, it was recognized that they had a number of traits making them outstanding competitors in competitions, shows, and jumping events, and are gentle enough even for small children to mount.

A solid color with no spots is a trait of the Welsh ponies. Varieties of this pony most commonly seen include black, bay and chestnut.

Sweet, loyal, gentle, having a strong spirit, are all traits that make most people love these animals. A Welsh pony can outlast many other larger and seemingly stronger horses in stamina. The Welsh pony is quick to train and quick to learn. The person just learning how to train horses would do well in getting a Welsh pony.

The one of a kind, beautiful, bold, and free Welsh ponies are great and gentle to carry children, and are fast and can jump as high as any other breed. This Welsh pony even handles unfavorable weather, and harsh conditions do not affect this type of pony.

What do you think, the perfect pony?

It can be great fun to buy a horse. Many people however end up making mistakes as they are so eager to own a horse. This article will give you some tips you can use to ensure your horse buying goes smoothly.

Firstly, it is important that you know what type of horse you are searching for. Horses can be used for breeding, hacking, sporting, and many other uses, so you should have a clear understanding of what you want the horse for. If you don’t know what type of horse you want, you may want to get something that is a jack of all trades of sorts.

You can find your new horse in a multitude of venues. You can easily find them at riding schools, livery yards, and from private breeders. Markets can be a cheap way to buy a horse but can be risky as you do not get to spend much time with the horse before you have to make a decision.

Don’t be afraid to ask a more experienced friend or professional trainer how to buy a horse. They will give you an objective view on the horse and make sure that you are not being scammed in any way.

There are a few tasks you must complete before you purchase your chosen horse. Inquire as to the number of owners the horse has had in the past since this a large number of owners is a red flag. Also asking for documentation of birth and breed is a necessary pre-sale task.

Buyers should make sure that a full medical examination is carried out by a respected vet. Underlying conditions such as bad bone structure may lead to expensive vet bills or even worse, you having to put down the horse.

Any proper seller should let the buyer to take the horse for a trial of one to two weeks before making their final decisions. This will ensure that you buy a horse that you know you will get along with.

Satisfied that this is the right horse for you, it is time to negotiate the price. Equipment such as saddles, horse blankets, and horse shoes may come free with the horse.