The more you get involved in the horse world, the more you'll see that there's almost no sure fire way to perfect horse health because there are thousands of opinions on what to do based on what works with that one person's horse. I've found that the best way to navigate through this mess is to follow the basics that hold true for everyone or are simply fact with a horse's nature and then mold it to what fits my horses and my (as well as their) lifestyle. So, I'm going to provide these basics that will start you on the path to a healthy horse, then I'll tell you what I do and explain why. Take from it what you will.
The Basics
Water: Automatic or fill buckets? There are benefits to both. If you decide automatic, check it daily to make sure it's working properly, and occasionally turn off the system to take the water out and scrub it thoroughly. What's the problem with them? You have no idea how much your horse is drinking. That makes it harder to gauge how hydrated your horse is, or if it's feeling well because you won't notice its water drinking habits change. That's a plus side to buckets, but you must fill buckets EVERY day. If they're smaller buckets, they should be dumped at least once a day (more if, say, a bird dies in it, then it should be bleached and cleaned thoroughly) and scrubbed every week. The larger black rubber or metal tubs should be dumped once a week and scrubbed every month. More if you find urine, manure, or an animal in it. A general rule of thumb to follow is that your horse's buckets should always be clean enough that you'd willingly take a drink from it.
Food: I'm not going to advocate or slander different types of grains and hay on this page, that's up to your own research, but there are a few rules that should be followed. First, grain and supplements should be stored in containers in an allotted feed room. Make sure the containers allow air flow to prevent molding, but make sure rats and mice can't get into it, otherwise the grain should be thrown out. If you notice a musky, sickly sweet scent, the grain is going bad. Pitch it. If it's dusty, rinse it off right before feeding. The addition of water is also great for hydration. Monitor your horse's weight to make sure you aren't giving too much or too little feed. As far as hay goes, horses are born grazers. They are designed to eat all day every day, and much into the night as well. Make sure your horse has access to grass or hay 24/7. If you notice your horse is getting fat, I recommend a slow feeder or a slow feeding hay bag. It's enrichment for the horse, and it also forces them to slow down their eating. Store your hay in a shaded, dry place, on concrete (ideally) with no wood in sight. That way, it won't get rained on and moldy, if it catches fire, the fire is less likely to spread across the barn, on concrete so no animals can make homes under it (I got rid of pallets after finding three rattle snakes within a month of each other), and with no sun, it won't bleach and lose its nutrients. Finally, provide them with salt blocks everywhere. That way, if they need more salt in their diet, they can get it. Just, a tip from me, make sure it's not left in a place open to the elements... they melt.
Space and Enrichment: Imagine living in your bathroom. That's about the same body size to room size ratio as a horse to the average stall. The bathroom is generally a touch larger. That would probably drive most people insane to live day in and day out in that, and we aren't even designed to move as much in a day as a horse.I understand not everyone can keep their horses turned out all day, or even in a large stall, but there are things you can do to make it more bearable for them. Try to turn them out for at least 30 minutes everyday. If you see them running like madmen, let them because they're expending extra energy as well as getting the most of being turned out as they can because they don't know when they'll get the chance to be a horse again. Also, for the penned horse, I recommend lick-its, jolly balls, exercise balls, slow feeders, etc. It's not perfect, but it makes life a bit more entertaining.
Exercise: As a whole, horses enjoy work. They should be at least taken out and, at the very least, walked, five days a week. Fitness makes them healthier, too. It burns calories, it exercises their mind and muscles, it strengthens their bond with you, and it helps with arthritis or other stiffness issues. A horse that's in good shape will look and act "younger" far later into life and will live much, much longer. Did you know that a lot of Grand Prix or even Olympic horses don't even reach their peek until they're about 18-23 years old?
What I Do
Water: I went with the old fashioned bucket filling method. I suck it up and fill them every day. This way, I can see how much my horses drink every day. I know what their average is, and if I ever notice them drinking more or less than usual, I can take their TPRs and make sure they're feeling okay. I dump every day and scrub every week. In my turnout, I have three twenty-fifty gallon buckets, and my two horses will drink at two of them down to the bottom every day (unless it's cooler out, then they drink less), so lots of water is key! But, you might wonder, if they only drink two down, why the third bucket? As they drink less when it's cool out, they drink more when it's hot. Plus, every bucket is a different color. Red, blue, and purple. They drink from the blue during the day because the water is cooler, the red over night and once the blue is empty, and the purple once the red is empty or on a cold day. This has to do with how the colors hold the heat. I also have large buckets ready to go in the stalls, just in case one of them needs to be shut in for some reason.
Food: This might take a while, but, IMO, I have good information on this subject. I spent years researching what my horses should be fed depending on where I live, whether or not they get turned out, and their activity level. First off, I mix my own feed. The reason for this is store bought feeds are generally laden with molasses, sugar, and chemicals that make the horses love it and also prevent it from expiring. Have you ever looked at the ingredients? Are the ratios right for where you live, what forage your horse gets, what your water supply has, or what horses get from eating dirt (they find trace minerals they need in dirt)? What I came up with for my sport horses living in the desert in a large 2 acre paddock 24/7 is this: timothy pellets to provide different levels of protein and fiber as well as additional forage and a taste that the horses like in the grain; beet pulp pellets to provide forage, excellent hind gut digestion (it keeps the intestines clean and working properly), and a carrier for the supplement; a dash of oats so the birds pick the manure apart, thus making it dry out faster, thus cutting down flies (Oats do nothing for a horse. about 98% of the oats will pass straight through the body, providing nothing); and Arizona Regional Mix. ARM is a supplement designed for horses living in the desert and eating Arizona grown Bermuda Hay. It is designed to provide the nutrients lacking in the hay including: Magnesium Oxide, Salt, Flax Seed (AMAZING for the coat!!), and more (I'll look up the label on my bag later).
Hay is a simpler issue than grain for me. I make sure my horses have hay all day, especially since there is no grass here. They get six loose flakes morning and night in tubs to keep it off the ground so they don't ingest dirt and risk sand colic. Then the rest is in slow feeders. I custom made two slow feeding bins that I use, and I always keep three slow feeding nets in the paddock. Since my horses don't wear shoes, their hooves can't fit through the extra small holes, so I hang the bags low on fences to simulate grazing and a natural eating position to prevent choking. Before you freak out, I also cut off the hanging strap that a horse could get stuck on and use a carabiner to close the bags and clip them to twine on the fence. I only feed Bermuda (other than the timothy pellets) in part for cost and in part for nutrients. I used to feed alfalfa (scientifically, alfalfa does not make a horse "hot," rather, check sugar and chemicals in your feed plus the space and exercise your horse gets), but I stopped because it is all becoming extraordinarily protein rich for cows to eat and get fat. That much protein can make a horse colic... and get fat. Young horses need more protein, all others do not.
My horses also have three types of salt blocks: iodized, mineralized, and Himalayan. They all provide different nutrients the horses can choose from.
Space and Enrichment: As you might have gathered from above, my horses are turned out all day, every day. We have our property set up in such a way that the paddock connects to the stall's runs, and so if it looks like rain or its so hot we need the fans in the stalls, I can open up connecting gates, and the horses can go in and out as they please. The paddock also connects to the arena with a gate, so I usually leave it open to give them more room, or I just have a larger riding area, or close it for lessons, and so on. The paddock is also stuffed with trees and shady areas. I call one spot The Oasis because it's super sandy, has a water thing, clustered trees, and frequently gets some grass. The horses love it. They seem pretty content with their lives, so they don't use their enrichment objects often, but they do have a large exercise ball, a jolly ball, and a lick-it. They prefer to carry around a branch...
Exercise: My horses are ridden six times a week. One of them has had a lot of time off, so he mostly gets trail rides in the wash (dry riverbed) or through neighborhoods, but the other gets two trail riding days, two dressage days, a jumping day, and an endurance day.
Hooves: People really get at each other with this one. All I have to say is that those who firmly believe shoes are the answer to everything are wrong. People who firmly believe barefoot is the answer to everything are also wrong. I've seen horses' lives get saved by going switching from shoes to bare or the other way around. My horses are barefoot and do lovely. They're both Eventers and are expected to go over all kinds of surfaces and jump. They rarely take a sore step, and they both used to be in shoes. The key thing is trimming the hoof right, whether or not the horse is in shoes. No, don't make it like a mustang foot. Nothing we do with our horses is close to natural, and they are so far removed from mustang ways of life that having a mustang hoof would be the end of their soundness. Your horses hoof needs to be the correct shape for your environment and moisture level, and it should be the same whether or not your horse is in shoes. So, my horses are barefoot and doing lovely. They move well, and my older guy's arthritis has been helped by just trimming his hooves right.
Grooming: I, at the very least, pick my horses' hooves every day. It lets me inspect them from rocks, cracks, and proper balance. I try to groom twice a day to make their coat more luxurious and healthy. Brushing pulls up the natural oils in the coat. I also use lanolin in their tails... the growth and conditioning effects it has are AMAZING. I highly recommend using it over MTG. I personally never noticed a difference with MTG...
I think it is lovely. Its very informative post. Thanks for sharing.
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