carepage

This page covers only some aspects of horse care and welfare. The CSIRO book Horse Sense: The Guide to Horse Care in Australia and New Zealand (2nd edition)(of which I am a co-author) covers horse care and management in detail.

Horses require access to fresh clean water on an ad lib basis (i.e. as much as they want, all of the time). It is an outdated myth that you should withhold water from horses after work. If a horse has just completed very fast work (i.e. finished a race) it should be allowed to drink small amounts, then be walked for a short while, then be allowed to drink again. This procedure should be carried on until the horse has drunk its fill and the heart rate has returned to normal.

Clean water is essential to horses who will usually refuse to drink substandard water. Water in yards and stables must be changed daily (if not twice daily) as contaminants such as dust, fungal spores and harmful bacteria are more common in these environments. Water troughs in paddocks should also be kept clean. They should be checked daily to make sure that they are full and that contaminants such as dead birds are not present.

Still water such as small property dams etc. are not usually clean enough for horses, especially in dry periods when algae can form on the surface. Horses 'walk' silt into waterways and manure from the paddock gets washed into them when it rains, these contaminants help the algae to form. It is a better practice to fence off waterways and reticulate the water (if allowed) than allow access. Fencing off waterways allows vegetation to grow around the outside which helps to filter the water entering the waterway resulting in cleaner water (see also the pasture and property management page).

Horses are herbivores. This means that they eat only plant matter. Plant matter is far bulkier than the feed of a carnivore (meat) which is much denser in energy. This is why your dog spends all day sleeping while your horse spends all day eating (or should do). Horses have evolved to spend a huge part of their day and night eating. If they are prevented from chewing for long periods and do not have fibrous food passing through the gut on an almost continuous basis they are prone to developing behavioural problems (such as 'cribbing') and gastrointestinal problems (such as colic and ulcers). There are several reasons why a horse does not get to chew for long enough.

For most horses pasture is a great source of feed. If there is not enough pasture available the next best alternative is to feed hay on an 'ad lib' basis. This also allows the horse to chew for long periods of time. Grass hay is often better than Lucerne hay because it is usually less nutritionally dense and therefore more of it must be eaten which fulfils the chewing requirement. Lucerne hay that is stemmy is better than very leafy green Lucerne as again it is more fibrous and less energy dense. Feeding horses hay on an ad lib basis reduces the risk of colic and gastrointestinal ulcers by keeping a supply of saliva flowing and keeping the gut moving. If a horse is working hard then it can also be supplemented with higher energy feeds (concentrates) in the form of grains or specially formulated mixes/pellets for horses. Again the horse must still be allowed constant access to hay. Most horses require the addition of a mineral supplement, especially if they are only eating hay or grass (rather than adequate amounts of a formulated feed which has been 'balanced' for horses).

Horses are a herd animal and are therefore not designed to live alone. Horses if allowed, have a rich social life and will not thrive if deprived of contact with other horses. Many horse owners separate horses in paddocks believing this to be the safest way to keep them however this often leads to more fence injuries as horses walk the fence line or stand next to each other on either side of a fence because they have a strong need to be together. Some horses will even charge straight through a fence to get to a mate (see behaviour page). Keeping horses in 'herds' also allows you to manage your pasture better as this way paddocks can be rested for periods between grazing periods which allows the pasture to re-grow (see pasture and property page). If building stables aim to build horse friendly stables (rather than fully partitioned cages) so that the occupants can still socialise when confined.

Horses need either a man made shelter or natural (trees/bushes) area that they can retreat to from the sun or inclement weather and flying insects. Natural shelter also has the advantage of providing habitat for other animals some of which perform very useful functions such as eating flying insects by the hundreds! Building paddock shelters in each paddock is not usually necessary if there is shade available from bushes and trees but if there is no natural shade this must be provided. A simple roof often works best as buildings with solid sides can mean that horses get trapped by other bossier horses.

Not all horses need to be shod however they all need regular hoof care. Hooves that are allowed to grow long are not just unsightly - the internal workings of the foot, the tendons and ligaments of the legs and ultimately the movement of the horse are all affected by an unbalanced hoof. Shod horses need to be re shod every four to six weeks irrespective of whether they have worn out the shoes or not. Horses hooves grow continuously and when shod the hoof cannot wear down as it may ( in the right conditions) with an unshod horse. Unshod horses also need regular trimming depending on the surface on which they live. Soft surfaces such as grass and stable bedding do not wear the hoof down sufficiently and these horses need to be trimmed about every four to six weeks. Horses that are wearing their feet down on more abrasive surfaces are usually fine with less frequent trimmings.

Horses require regular dental care from a qualified equine dentist or veterinarian if they are to get the maximum benefit from their feed and perform well. A domestic horse can quite easily live to be 25 or 30 years old (or more) compared to the average life span of a wild horse which is around eight years. This means that the teeth have to last the domestic horse for much longer than a wild horse. The horse's diet, mainly tough fibrous material, requires a lot of chewing and grinding. This causes the teeth to wear down and often creates problems such as sharp edges and uneven wear. If the horse's ability to grind down food sufficiently is compromised for any reason, the enzymes and microbes of the gastrointestinal tract have a hard time continuing the digestive process and the result is a drop in condition. Also teeth problems can cause behavioural problems as the horse attempts to alleviate any pain.

Some of the signs of dental problems include weight loss, loss of coat shine, irregular chewing pattern, quidding (dropping balls of food out of the moth while chewing), unresponsiveness to the bit or head tossing, excessive salivation, bad breath, swelling of the face or jaw, lack of desire to eat hard food and reluctance to drink cold water. Some horses though can have very sharp teeth but not show any outward signs so don't think that a horse's teeth do not need attention just because he or she is not showing any signs.

The teeth of a mature horse should be checked at least once every 12 months if it is grazing. Horses that are yarded/stabled or fed concentrates should have their teeth checked every 6 months. Young horses (between the ages of 2 and 5) require 6 monthly inspections to remove any caps (milk teeth that have not shed properly) and should always have their teeth checked before being mouthed (a bit placed in the mouth) for the first time. Old horses also usually need more frequent dental care than every 12 months. Horses with mouth abnormalities such as parrot mount (where the incisors are out of line) need extra dental care. In these horses the back molars are also out of line and large hooks form that must be filed down.

The major parasitic 'worms' that affect horses are the large and small strongyles, roundworms and pinworms. Stomach bots are another type of parasite being the larvae of a type of fly. Bots are not as harmful as worms however they still require regular control. The common signs of worm infestation are tail rubbing, pale gums, ill thrift, colic and poor coats. Worms can also cause diarrhoea or sudden death. Horses can have worms and show no outward signs especially before the infestation becomes large.

Parasitic worms rely on a specific host to complete their life cycle. The cycle of most equine worms involves eggs being passed out in the dung which then go hatch out as larvae, the larvae attach themselves to grass, are ingested by the horse. Once in the horse the larvae migrate through the organs of the body (different worms have different behaviours) causing damage as they go. Eventually the larvae, after becoming adults, end up in the digestive system of the horse and deposit eggs which pass out with the dung. Thus the cycle goes on.

Bots are often thought of as worms when in fact they are the larval stage of the bot fly. The flies are active in summer, laying eggs particularly on the lower body of the horse. The eggs are pin sized and yellow coloured. Although a tedious task, it is possible to remove bot eggs from the horse by scraping or clipping, but this should be done in a yard, and not where horses graze. Horses should be given a 'boticide' in early winter when fly activity has ceased and the larvae are in the stomach. Boticides are included in certain worming products. Check the product that you are planning to use to see if it includes one.

Controlling worms and bots is best done from several angles. Some of the things that you can do to minimise the worm burden of your horses are: -

Any rugs used should fit well and should be appropriate for the climate and time of year. Over rugging or even rugging at all in the heat is a welfare issue. Rugs should be checked frequently to make sure that they are not rubbing the horse and that they are not letting in water. Horses that are permanently damp underneath rugs can develop skin problems. Horses that are rugged actually need more grooming than unrugged horses because rugs prevent the horse from shedding dead skin (which the unrugged horse does by rolling and by being exposed to the elements such as wind and rain).

Horses that wear rugs must be checked more frequently than horses without rugs, especially if they are out in a paddock. Rugs can get caught and/or slip and become dangerous to the horse. At least twice a day, morning and night is recommended. Horses that wear anything on the head need to be checked even more frequently due to the danger involved with hoods and neck rugs. Neck rugs and hoods can make a horse's life a misery if they are not fitted properly. Hoods have been known to 'blind' a horse by slipping causing the horse to seriously injure itself. The eye and ear holes of a hood should be large enough to enable the horse to stretch its head down without impairing its vision or having its eyes or ears rubbed. The hood or neck rug must be fastened to the rug in such a way that the horse can put the head down without having to pull against the rug. Some rub the mane out if worn all the time.

Rugs must fit well. You only have to think of how you feel when you are wearing an article of clothing that does not fit, rides up or is too tight. How quickly do you want to get it off? This is how a horse feels with an ill-fitting rug that it has to wear all day, every day. Out door rugs should be slightly roomier than indoor rugs. You should be able to run your hand from the chest, up and over the withers without it feeling tight. The leg straps should cross through each other. That point should be roughly between the hocks and where the buttocks meet. Never use a tight strap around the girth area to keep a rug in place, it does not work and the horse will be very uncomfortable.

You can make a better assessment of the severity or cause of the problems your horse has if you can make a basic clinical examination of a sick horse. The findings of a clinical examination can be discussed with your veterinarian over the phone and can be used to help determine the need for a visit. If the vet is going to visit it is better if he or she knows a little about the case beforehand and can prepare. To appreciate changes, you need to know what the normal vital signs are for your horse, so you should examine it when it is problem-free to be ready for the day when problems do occur

Coat: the coat of a healthy horse lies close to the body and shines. Some colours of horses appear to shine more than others e.g. bays and blacks as opposed to greys and roans. A healthy grey or roan's coat will 'sparkle' at the ends if you look carefully. If the coat is staring (standing up) then this usually means that the horse is ill and/or cold. The coat hair stands up in an attempt to trap air and warm the horse. A horse should not be sweating unless there is a reason for it, for example if it is hot and/or the horse has just worked. In the short term the condition of a horse's coat is not really affected by illness however in the long term it is. A horse that has been ill for a long time and/or has very little body condition will have a very poor dry coat.

Nasal discharge: it is quite normal for a horse to have a trickle of liquid in the nostrils, however this should be clear and not sticky. In the unhealthy horse there may be yellow or green sticky mucus in the nostrils.

Eyes; the eyes should be clear, not running and the horse should be alert when awake (a relaxed horse may doze even when you are near).

Manure and urine: a healthy horse will pass manure 8-12 times a day. The colour will vary depending on what the horse is eating. Urine should be either clear or cloudy, again the colour varies with the diet. Urine and manure should be passed without straining or signs of discomfort. Mares urinate more often when in season.

Behaviour: the behaviour of individual horses varies enormously so it is again important that you know what is normal for each particular horse. A healthy horse should be alert, interested in what is going on around it, sociable with other horses and forward going when being ridden. Other signs of good health are a good appetite, lying down to sleep in the sun and interacting with other horses. You should know what is normal for your horse so that you notice when it is displaying abnormal behaviour. Some of the signs of a sick horse are:

Basically any changes in normal behaviour should be investigated. If you think there is a problem and you do not know what it is, call a vet.