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Horse Ownership - Responsible Sustainable Ethical©

Responsible horse care

Everyone who owns or cares for horses should understand at least the basics of horse care. Correct horse care is essential for the well-being of a horse - by owning a horse you take on a duty of care. The basics are introduced here and are expanded on in articles.

Domesticated horses rely on us totally for their well being. By keeping horses in captivity we take away their ability to change their situation for the better. For example – wild living equines can move around to find more feed, shade and shelter if necessary. They can move to higher ground when it is wet, they can move to lower ground when it is dry. Domestic horses are unable to do anything about their situation if their living conditions are not suitable. If a paddock or stable does not provide what the domestic horse needs the horse is trapped in that situation. This then becomes a welfare issue.

Welcome to the horse care page. Make sure you put yourself on our free mailing list (subcribe) so that you receive notification about updates to this page and others on the web site via an email every one to two months.

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Remember that horses are entitled to the five freedoms as are all animals. These are listed on the Horse welfare page.

The main issues that horse owners and carers need to be aware of are:

Feeding and watering – Horses need clean fresh water ad-lib (as much as they want – when they want). Feeding is more involved but not necessarily as complicated as it is often made out to be. Horses have evolved to eat a high fibre diet so this should be the main component of any feeding regime. On top of that depends on what extra nutrients the horse needs (if the hay or grass is deficient) and what extra energy the horse needs (if it is working hard).

See the articles How essential is clean water to horses?, What is essential feed for horses? and What weight should my horse be?

Exercise - Horses are naturally active animals - or should be. Modern management systems often ignore this important point. Lack of proper exercise leads to behavioural problems, obesity (and therefore more risk of Laminitis), circulation problems, hoof problems etc.

See the article What is essential exercise for horses?  

Rugging – Domestic horses may or may not need rugging. They may be unable to move around as much to keep warm. Older and thin skinned horses often also need extra warmth. Rugging in hot weather however can be a welfare issue.

See the article Is rugging essential for horses?

Grooming – A domestic horse is often prevented from doing the things that would help them to take care of their own skin. Rugging prevents mutual grooming and slows skin shedding among other things. Separating horses obviously prevents mutual grooming. Even though you may not think of this as grooming, your horse certainly does!

See the article What is essential grooming for horses?

Hoof care – for shod and barefoot horses. Irrespective of whether horses are shod or barefoot, they all need good regular hoof care. Again, the domestic horse is unable to wear down their hooves as nature intended. Shoes prevent that wear from occurring at all. Lack of proper movement prevents even barefoot horses from wearing their hooves properly, they too need regular trimming.

See the article How essential is hoof care for horses?

Dental care of horses. Domestic horses usually eat different quality food to their wild living cousins. This causes them to wear their teeth differently. They also tend to live a lot longer, so they need their teeth to last longer. Poor teeth is one of the contributing factors to wild horses living for less time than domestic horses. Good dental care is an essential part of horse care.

See the article Is dentistry essential for horses?

Gear fitting – the correct selection and fitting of gear is very important if you want your horse to work for you without being in uncomfortable or in pain. It is not always a case of the most expensive being the best. Good gear will last you a lifetime and serve both you and your horse well.

See the article What are the essentials of correctly fitted gear?

Parasites/worming – this subject is one that (along with feeding) is very confusing for horse people. There is so much conflicting information out there. Primarily you need a good worming program and this needs to be backed up by good paddock management.

See the article How do parasites affect my horses?

Assessing health – all horse people should know how to do a basic health assessment of their horse so that they know when to call a vet. Learning how to check the hydration status of your horse, take the temperature, check respiration and other vital signs is fun to do and gives you peace of mind. It is also very useful information to be able to give a vet over the phone.

See the article What are the essential signs of ill health in horses?

Companionship – this is very important for horses but modern management systems often try to disregard the fact that horses need other horses. We also need to keep in mind that wild equines can (to some extent) choose who they spend time with and are not penned in by fences and can escape from bullies.

See the article Is companionship essential for horses?

Shade and Shelter – in hot countries shade is at least if not more important than shelter. Most of the time they are one and the same (i.e. a simple roof will do both as will vegetation). Horses spend a significant amount of their time utilizing shade and shelter, it is very important to them, yet often horses are kept in paddocks with neither. This is definitely a welfare issue.

See the article Is shade and shelter essential for horses?   

Other titles in the Equiculture Essentials Series are:

Should I breed from my horse?

What are the essential horse behaviour facts?

When is the right time to buy a pony for my child?

What is essential care for a horse with Queensland Itch?

Can I feed my horses on lawn mower clippings and other garden waste?

See the more care info page for links to more articles about horse care, other websites, recommended reading etc.

The correct care and welfare of horses is essential for their well-being. As a horse owner or carer you are responsible for the correct care and welfare of any horses in your charge.

Put yourself on our free mailing list - subscribe - for lots more information on the above subjects and others that will help you to care for your horse. We are now on Facebook with pages for both Jane Myers and Equiculture