How to groom a horse at home for beginners

Many people are interested in how to care for a horse. For an animal to grow and develop, it should provide optimal conditions. At the same time, it is necessary to follow the rules of hygiene, choose a balanced diet, and engage in disease prevention. Communication and training of the animal is also important. Only an integrated approach will help to achieve success in keeping a pet.

What you need to know before purchasing a horse

Beginners are advised to consult with a veterinarian before purchasing a pet. In this case, the doctor should definitely inform the purpose of the purchase of the animal. You will have to carefully examine the pet in the stall, ask the seller about diseases or health problems. When buying, you need to ask the right questions. There are many things to consider to ensure proper horse care.

Be sure to ask about the reason for the sale, the intensity of training, the availability of vaccinations. Bad habits, ease of cutting, cleaning and other care procedures are also important.

Planned maintenance costs

Keeping a horse involves significant costs. Novice horse breeders should familiarize themselves with feed costs:

1. Oats - 90 kilograms of the product will cost 500 rubles.
2. Bran - a bag can be bought for 400 rubles.
3. Hay - 350 kilograms of the product costs 350 rubles.
4. Vitamin feeding - will cost about 1,500 rubles.
5. Straw - will cost about 3,000 rubles.

According to rough estimates, keeping 1 horse in a stable will cost 10-11 thousand rubles. This amount does not include veterinarian services, medications, vaccinations.

Basic rules for keeping animals

In order for the animal to develop normally and not get sick, it is worth studying the instructions for keeping it in a private house.

Requirement for the premises and maintenance of the stable

As a rule, it is recommended to keep the horses indoors in winter, and outdoors in summer. For this, a barn and stables are used. The barn is a warm and dry room suitable for 1-2 animals. It is quite possible to build it in the country. Stables are needed to keep a large number of animals.

In the stable, a stall is made, which is intended for cleaning, feeding and resting the pet. Also stalls can be provided in the room. They are compartments for the permanent residence of horses.For racing breeds, the minimum size should be 3.6 x 3.6 meters. Mares with foals require more free compartments.

The walls in the stalls must be made of durable materials. Their height should be up to 1.5 meters. This allows the animals to see each other. Also, this option for organizing the room will provide full ventilation and a sufficient level of illumination. Doors should be sliding or swing doors. Their width should be 1.2 meters. You should definitely use latches. Stable walkways must be at least 3 meters wide.

The floors are recommended to be made of concrete. They can also be made from paving stones or stone. In the absence of drains, it is worth providing the pet with thorough care. This will help to avoid the ammonia smell. Hard floors are easier to disinfect, but have a negative effect on the feet. To prevent increased loads, rubber mats are placed under the litter. The litter is recommended to be made of straw, wood pellets or coniferous shavings, which is free of dust and mold.

Ceilings must be at least 2.5 meters. This will enable the animals to raise their heads normally. Protect the wires from rodents. For daylight, it is important to provide windows. They will also provide natural ventilation.

Choosing the best option for keeping a horse

There are various ways of keeping horses at home. In this case, it is worth considering the peculiarities of the climate, feed and other options. The most popular systems include the following:

1. Tabunnaya - it was also used by nomads. The method is considered the most natural, since it is close to the natural environment. The method is considered cheap and environmentally friendly. For feeding it is worth making awnings.
2. Stables - in this case, the horses live in special rooms. From time to time they are released for a walk, using fenced areas.
3. Herd and pasture - suitable for regions with cold climates. In the summer, the horses should be kept for a walk, and in the winter - transferred to the stable.

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Feeding

For horses to develop normally and not get sick, they should provide a correct and balanced diet.

Basic diet

The horse's main food is grass. On good pastures, animals can get everything they need. Deterioration of weather conditions or soil characteristics negatively affects the properties of the grass. Therefore, it is worth introducing other feeds into the horse's diet.

It is recommended to give the animal hay. It eats, on average, 15 kilograms of this product per day. It is important to use high-quality, rich green hay. It should be free of dust or mold as it can lead to lung disease.

Recommended supplements

The horse's diet may contain oats or corn. It is also permissible to give him concentrated mixtures. They include cereals, bran, mineral components. It is recommended to introduce such feed into the diet of working or weakened animals. Horses need salt. This product is sold in the form of blocks that have different colors. White ones include table salt, brown ones - mineral components, blue ones - iodine and cobalt salts.

Drinking regime

It is recommended to water the horse 2 times a day. The need for water depends on health, size, load, feed used. It is also influenced by the seasonal factor. Dehydration is very dangerous for the animal and can even be fatal. To water the horse, you should use fresh water. It is best to use a flowing liquid. Dirty water can cause infection by viruses or bacterial microorganisms.

On the street, it is recommended to supply water in troughs or install automatic drinkers. The containers should definitely be cleaned and rinsed.If the animal drinks from a natural source, it is important to have confidence in the quality of the water. Automatic drinkers are installed in the stable. Buckets are also acceptable. Do not give your horse water immediately after work or training - it is recommended to wait 1 hour after exercise.

Manure cleaning

It is recommended to remove manure every day. If this is not done, the pets will quickly get dirty. The presence of manure in the stable increases the risk of pathologies and causes discomfort in horses. You can remove manure with a pitchfork, brush, shovel, stretcher. Before cleaning, the animals should be taken out of the room.

Care and hygiene

Proper horse care includes strict adherence to hygiene rules. Therefore, it is recommended to systematically clean and bathe the animal.

Daily cleaning

It is recommended to clean horses outdoors. In this case, the pet should be tied. It is recommended to brush the horse from the left and from the top. First, it is worth treating the head. It is better to clean your feet at the end. After finishing work with scrapers and brushes, the horse should be wiped with a rag.

Haircut and maintenance of mane and tail

As the mane becomes dirty, water procedures are performed. For this it is worth using special shampoos. It is also necessary to use conditioners. After washing, it is recommended to comb the mane and leave to dry.

We clean the hooves

After work and training, the hooves are worth examining. After exertion, the legs of the animal are recommended to be watered with cool water and treated with fat-containing compounds. Cleansing hooves from soil and manure is also important. It should be crocheted as carefully as possible. If necessary, the horse should be shod. This procedure must be carried out by a specialist.

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How to care for your teeth

A specialist should check the condition of the teeth. It is recommended to call it with an interval of six months. The presence of problems can be suspected by the following signs:

• food does not hold in the mouth;
• the animal bites the bit;
• the horse is slowly chewing food;
• straining your back.

Bathing

It is recommended to bathe the animal in summer, using warm water for this. If you have a fear of water, it is recommended to wash the horse with a hose. First, you should use a low head, then make it stronger. First, wash the horse, then brush and sprinkle with warm water to wash off the foam. Finally, dry the animal with a terry towel.

Communication and training

To make friends with a horse, you should treat it as respectfully as possible. It is forbidden to raise your voice, shout or beat at her. Animals are considered to be very shy. Therefore, entering the stable, it is worth talking to them.

It is forbidden to do the following:

• go around the horse from behind;
• go to the right;
• bring your hand to your teeth;
• trying to crawl under the belly;
• release the reins when removing the pet from the stable.

Grazing and walking

The walking rules depend on the purpose of keeping the animal. If the animal is kept for agricultural work, it is recommended to walk it more often. In this case, hard training for the pet is prohibited.

When walking an animal, it is recommended to follow these rules:

1. Let it get used to the temperature. Otherwise, the horse may catch a cold.
2. To avoid muscle atrophy, it is worth walking the horse at least 3 times a week.
3. The duration of the walk should be at least 2 hours.
4. After that, it is recommended to clean the animal, check its hooves, and examine the legs.

It is recommended to graze the horse in a pasture with a lot of succulent grass. At the same time, there should be no tough bushes or weeds on it.

Observation by a veterinarian: vaccinations and veterinary treatments

In the absence of adequate care, there is a risk of developing various pathologies - infectious, dermatological, parasitic. Horses suffer from glanders, anthrax, tuberculosis. There is also a risk of tetanus, rabies, and leptospirosis.These are the most dangerous pathologies that can cause death.

To avoid problems, pets should definitely be vaccinated. Twice a year you will have to deal with the prevention of helminthiasis.

Features of winter keeping horses

In the cold season, caring for animals has certain characteristics. In winter, it is especially important to monitor the health of pets. Drafts, dampness, cold water weaken the immune system. If the horse is a sled horse, it is recommended to ride it for at least 4-6 hours per week. Thanks to this, she will not wean herself from physical exertion. It is permissible to drive in the field, under a canopy. At the same time, walking on ice or frozen areas is prohibited. If the horse slips, it will provoke dangerous consequences.

Food and water should be at room temperature. It is not recommended to feed the animal too cold or icy food. The bridle and other devices should be warmed up. It is recommended to use a blanket outside in frosty weather.

Horse grooming has a number of features. In order for the animal to develop normally and not get sick, it needs to provide suitable conditions in the stable and choose a balanced diet. It is definitely recommended to walk and graze the animal. Timely vaccination is of no small importance, which will help to avoid the development of dangerous pathologies.