Introducing horses into your family can be fun and exciting if you understand the basic care needs of these beautiful animals. Being a good owner also means appropriate health and nutrition.

Your Horse at Home
If you are considering keeping your new horse at home, then think about:

• Feeding, watering and cleaning stalls: Is your family willing to help?
• Depending on the quality of your fencing, the structure of your feeding program, and the layout of your facility, consider if you will be using home care vs. boarding.

If you decide to board your horse, shop around and look for the following:

• Clean stalls. Find out how often each week they are cleaned.
• Training. Does the staff have enough training to be able to handle a horse without resorting to physical discipline?
• Multi-breed experience. Some breeds can be tougher to work with than others. Is the staff experienced and knowledgeable?
• Feeding program. Again, experience matters – overfeeding and improper watering can cause significant health problems for your horse. Also, look at the quality of the hay that is being fed. Ask how often the horses are fed/watered?
• Policies and safety rules. Are horses removed from their stalls for stall cleaning? It’s safer if they are. Are there safety rules for boarders? (There should be. Look elsewhere if there aren’t.) If the facility offers lessons, what is the barn policy concerning boarders riding during lessons? What about farriers and veterinarians? Ask if you can select your own farrier or veterinarian.
• Hours of operation. Do they work for your schedule?
• Exercise routine. Ask how often your horse will be turned out each day and if that will be included in your monthly board or is it an additional charge? Will your horse will be turned out alone or in a pack? (If en masse, be sure to be present the first couple times in case of fighting.)
• Secure storage. Is there a safe place to leave your tack?
• Happy horses? Do the other boarded horses appear to be healthy and calm? Avoid facilities with poorly conditioned horses.

Source: Bonnie Marlewski-Probert

Your Horse’s Health

Horses are exposed to a number of internal parasites that may result in inefficient feed utilization and could debilitate a horse. Visit BayerEquineConnection.com for more information.