Horses - Caring for your outdoor animals
Many people love horses and would love to have one of their own. When I was a child, I dreamed of owing a horse. Alas, it was just a dream, a short-lived one at that. It wasn’t practical for me to have one, plus my family and I would not have been able to give it the time and attention it would deserve.
When you decide to buy horses, it is important to know how to care for them. If they are going to be kept outdoors, they may get muddy and wet and will require daily grooming. There should be a sheltered area available to them, especially over the winter months. It is also important in the hot summer months to shield them from time to time from the sun and heat. Shelters can be man-made or provided by trees or tall hedges.
Allowing the horses to graze is a more natural environment, which can lower the occurrence of behavior problems and accidents. They can feed on the grass alone during the summer months; however, the field where they will be grazing should be checked periodically for poisonous plants which could harm them. During the colder months, horses should eat additional feed to compensate for the lack of grass. During very dry summers, you may also have to supplement their diet with additional feed.
During the spring when grass is plentiful, some horses may eat too much and actually be prone to obesity. You may need to restrict their access to the grass or muzzle the animals from time to time.
During the summer months, some pale horses with white on their faces, can get sunburn. You can prevent this by applying equine sun cream in the morning. Flies are also a problem during the summer, although their tails do help to shoo them away. You can also apply daily repellents to further relieve the problem if the flies are excessive.
Water should always be available, so check it regularly, especially in the summer. In the winter, replace any water that has become frozen.
Make sure that all fences are safe and will keep the horses enclosed. Natural hedge fencing is good because it provides shelter from weather conditions; however it may become less effective over time due to the horses damaging it. Post and rail fencing is effective, as is electrical fencing. Do not use barbed wire fencing as this could cause cuts and scratches or possibly more serious injuries.
Before deciding to become the owner of horses, consider all these factors, and talk to an expert who can give you further advice on caring for them. You can also find more information online or through a local stable.