Horses

• A Lifetime Commitment
  The decision to adopt a horse should not be made lightly. Make sure you consider the commitment before you bring a horse into your family!
• How to Care For Your Horse
  Sharing your life with a horse can be a very rewarding experience. Learn more about the basic care and responsibilities you will have as a horse owner.
• Disaster Preparedness & Preventing Barn Fires
  Like all animals, horses require consideration when it comes to preparing for disasters. Learn more about what you can do to prevent and prepare for disasters and prevent barn fires.

• Protect Your Horse
  To keep your horse safe, follow these tips!
• Treat Recipes for your Horse
  Looking to make your own horse treats? Try one of these recipes!
• Cold Weather Tips for Horses
  It’s cold outside! Here are some tips to keep your horse safe in cold temperatures.

• Even routine horse care is a significant and ongoing expense. In fact, the cost of purchasing a horse is often much less than the cost of maintaining one for a year. Make sure you are realistic about your ability to afford quality care before you adopt an equine companion.
• Horses need a regular supply of food. In most cases, they need to have hay or pasture throughout the day, with additional grain feedings as needed. An average-size horse will eat about 20 lbs. of food a day and drink at least eight gallons of water. Because their stomachs are relatively small and their digestive systems surprisingly delicate, horses need to nibble or graze throughout the day, rather than have one or two meals a day.
• Horses need regular hoof care. Plan to hire a farrier every six to eight weeks for routine hoof trimming or shoeing.
• Horses need regular veterinary care. At least once a year, your horse will need to be vaccinated against tetanus and other diseases. The veterinarian will also provide routine dental care. Keep in mind that medical emergencies, which are always an unfortunate possibility, can cost several thousand dollars to treat.

• Since horses are constantly exposed to intestinal worms from the ground they graze on, they must be wormed according to vet recommendations. Carrying a heavy burden of worms can cause serious illness or death in equines, so regular and timely treatment is crucial to your horse’s health.
• Horses need constant access to a dry, safe, comfortable shelter to protect them from rain, wind, and snow. In warm and sunny weather, the shelter you supply will provide your companion with shade. At a minimum, you should have a well-constructed, three-sided shed into which your horse can retreat at all times. You will need to remove manure from the stall or shelter every day.
• Horses need exercise. To supplement the exercise your horse will get when you ride him, he should have a paddock or pasture in which to relax and stroll. No horse should spend all day confined in a stall, except on a veterinarian’s recommendation. The pasture should be bordered by safe, sturdy fencing that will keep the horse safe and secure. Barbed wire is not an acceptable fencing material it has been the cause of many serious injuries.

Disaster preparedness is important for all animals, but it takes extra consideration for horses because of their size and their transportation needs. If you think disasters happen only if you live in a flood plain, near an earthquake fault line or in a coastal area, you may be tragically mistaken. Disasters can happen anywhere and can take many different forms, from barn fires to hazardous materials spills to propane line explosions, and train derailments-all of which may necessitate evacuation. It is imperative that you are prepared to move your horses to a safe area.

During an emergency, the time you have to evacuate your horses will be limited. With an effective emergency plan, you may have enough time to move your horses to safety. If you are unprepared or wait until the last minute to evacuate, you could be told by emergency management officials that you must leave your horses behind. Once you leave your property, you have no way of knowing how long you will be kept out of the area. If left behind, your horses could be unattended for days without care, food, or water. To help avoid this situation, we have prepared information and suggestions to help you plan for emergencies.

Preventing barn fires and being prepared in the event of a fire can mean the difference between life and death for your horses. Knowledge of the danger of fires and how to deal with them are of the greatest importance and should be an ongoing concern to horse owners.

• Prohibit smoking in or around the barn. A discarded cigarette can ignite dry bedding or hay in seconds.
• Avoid parking tractors and vehicles in or near the barn. Engine heat and backfires can spark a flame.
• Also store other machinery and flammable materials outside the barn.
• Inspect electrical systems regularly and immediately correct any problems. Rodents can chew on electrical wiring and cause damage that quickly becomes a fire hazard.
• Keep appliances to a minimum in the barn. Use stall fans, space heaters, and radios only when someone is in the barn.
• Be sure hay is dry before storing it. Hay that is too moist may spontaneously combust.
• Store hay outside the barn in a dry, covered area when possible.

• Keep aisles, stall doors, and barn doors free of debris and equipment.
• Mount fire extinguishers around the stable, especially at all entrances.
• Have a planned evacuation route for every stall in the barn.
• Familiarize employees and horse handlers with your evacuation plans.

• Keep proof-of-ownership documents in a secure place. Photos, registration papers, and health records will help identify your horse and prove ownership in the event your horse is missing. The photographs should be clear and current and show your horse from all four sides to highlight his identifying marks.
• Have your horse permanently identified. You can have your horse permanently identified by microchip or freeze brand. If you have your horse microchipped, be sure to register the microchip with a national registry.
• Don’t leave a halter on your horse. Halters make it easier for thieves to catch horses. This is a safety issue, too: A halter might get caught on something and cause your horse to be trapped. Also, do not leave halters hanging near gates where thieves might enter.
• Lock gates and barn doors. Locked gates and barn doors often will deter a thief, but be certain that they do not create a fire hazard.
• Erect sturdy fencing around your property. Wire fencing is easily cut by thieves.
• Restrict access to your property. To prevent easy access to your horse by unauthorized vehicles, block farm lanes and driveways that are in remote areas or far away from your residence.
• When possible, move your horse to an area where she can be seen from your residence or the roadway. This is particularly important at night, when theft is most likely to occur.

• Install motion-activated lights to illuminate the areas where you keep your horse at night. Mount the lights on barn buildings or fences so they will turn on if anyone approaches the barn or field.
• Consider purchasing monitors or alarms. Video monitors and alarm systems can be wired to your residence.
• Inform your local animal control agency and police department of any suspicious activities. Be sure to write down a description of the people and vehicles involved, including the vehicle license plate number. Encourage your neighbors to watch for suspicious activity, too.
• Immediately report a horse theft or disappearance to the appropriate law enforcement agency in your area. Also, provide a written description and photographs of your horse to livestock auctions in your area and in surrounding states.
• Post flyers offering a reward for information leading to the safe return of your horse.
• Contact local media with your story.
• Finally, consider visiting horse slaughterhouses in your state and in neighboring states; there have been several cases of horses being recovered at these facilities when owners have acted quickly.

Provide access to protection from the wind. Your horses will need access to a barn, run-in shelter, or a wind break to shield themselves from the wind. A barn or run in shelter would provide horses protection from the rain and snow when the temperatures drop.

Keep an eye on water. Providing horses access to water that is clean and not frozen is a challenge in the winter. Tank heaters are essential in your tool box of winter gear for your horses. If possible, place water in an area out of the wind and elements and provide a salt block to encourage hydration, even when it is extremely cold out.

Give your horse increased forage. Horses regulate body heat by constantly eating hay and foraging. Your horse’s intake will vary depending on the temperatures and shelter access. It is always best to consult with your vet to determine a feed plan that is best for your horse. If possible, provide hay in an area sheltered from the wind, rain, and snow.

To blanket or not to blanket? Not all horses require blanketing, but when the weather is extreme, it can provide extra protection from the elements. Horses that could benefit from blanketing would be horses with health issues, older horses, younger horses, thin horses, or horses that lack a heavy winter coat. If you choose to blanket your horse, ask your vet for recommendations on blanketing, blanket fit, and how often you should check your horse’s condition under the blanket.

Learn to recognize the signs of hypothermia. Hypothermia can show in many ways such as reduced appetite, reduced water intake especially during cold temperatures, shivering, and muscle quivering most easily seen in the flank and hindquarters. Your vet can inform you on other ways to note hypothermia in your horse.

Remember that each horse is an individual. Each horse will require care specific to them and their needs. For example, older horses may be more susceptible to hypothermia and need more time in their shelter. Pay close attention to your horse and consult with your vet to determine what steps to take this winter.