Interacting with horses is one of the most surefire activities to relieve stress. If you have a field that is overgrown with grass, have free time, and have enough energy then you can feel the joy of raising your own horse on your property. Horses are intelligent and emotional animals that can change the life of a person who keeps them. The emotional bond that develops after some time between humans and horses is unparalleled.
Horses can be loyal friends because they have a fairly long life. The average lifespan of a domesticated horse is 30 years. The average horse reaches its reproductive period at the age of 5 years. Before that age, horses should not be ridden, since their skeleton and bones are not yet fully developed.
For those of you who want to have your first horse, follow these tips for maintaining horses.
Cage Preparation
Stables needed to raise horses there are two stables that need to be prepared, namely indoor stables and outdoor stables. The stall in the room is the place where the horse rests (from 8 pm to 7 am). The average area is 16 m2 for each horse. Sawdust is usually used as bedding on the floor. In this stable, horses should have continuous access of dry grass and fresh water. This cage should be well ventilated and kept clean. These stables usually have a main door, the top half of which opens like a window so that the horse owner can look inside without letting the horse out.
The enclosure on the outside is a simple three-sided shelter with a solid roof. These stables are where the horses take shelter when it rains or during very hot days. This is also where horses find clean water and dry grass. The area is about 16 m2 per horse for the stables outside.
A special electric fence is needed to surround the horse play area so that the horse will not run away. However, a professional is required to install this electric fence so that the safety of people and horses is guaranteed. A professionally constructed electric fence will give the horse an instant but safe electric shock, acting as a physical, visual and mental barrier.
In addition, one or two rooms are needed for storing and preparing food of various types, and a room for storing medicines and P3K equipment. You will also need a dry and dark room, where dry grass will be stored and a room for storing the manufacturer’s feed.
Buying Your First Horse
If you want to buy or adopt a horse for the first time, then you should make friends with members of the horse-loving community in your area. Experts in the community will advise on the type of horse that suits your needs and other considerations before buying a horse. Be sure to ask as many experts as possible.
You will be lucky if you get an adult horse that is good, healthy, soft, and strong. In general, before acquiring a horse, be sure to ask about its general and medical history, places where it was bred, history of attacks on people, documentation required by local laws, etc. Although horses are social animals that are born to live in herds, for the first time you can buy only one or two horses, perhaps together with other calm and friendly animals such as sheep.
Horse Feeding
You can take your horse out to pasture to eat. Kudah have survived for centuries by eating grass and drinking water in the wild. However, the average lifespan of horses in the Wild is much shorter than that of domesticated horses. Therefore, in order for your horse to be healthier and live longer, you need to provide additional feed in the cage in the form of dry grass and manufacturer’s feed. Certain horses (older, hardworking, injured) need high levels of protein and vitamins that can only be found in the manufacturer’s feed. Primarily, horses should have 24-hour access to clean water and dry grass.
The horse’s stomach is relatively small compared to its large size. Thus, horses ideally eat small but frequent meals. However, just before and after hard training (e.g. riding), you should not let the horse eat because they will most likely suffer from an upset stomach.
Horse owners often place chunks of salt inside the inner stables. In this way, horses will lick the salt free and they will be able to meet their sodium and chloride needs. However, keep in mind that they also need other minerals. Most horses get enough of that mineral from commercial feed or vitamin supplements.
First-time horse owners should consult with local experts, local veterinarians and/or agronomists to form a suitable annual feed program and be informed about poisonous plants and shrubs commonly found in the region. Veterinarians and horse owners should also check the horse’s physical condition and teeth. Under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian, the breeder can introduce some vitamins into a particular horse feeding program.
How To Keep A Horse
You need to have an organized and neat place, a place to store certain medicines and medical aids for your horse. Sooner or later, you’re going to need some of those products. You should always have the phone number of the nearest veterinarian on hand.
You need to have a dry and clean glass cabinet, where health aid kits and medicine pills will be stored. You also need a refrigerator, a place to store certain medicines.
Iodine povidone (antiseptic), bandages of various sizes, painkillers of various types, hydrogen peroxide, penicillin and cortisone are the most commonly used products in case of injury or illness. You should consult your veterinarian to make a list of products to buy before raising a horse.
You should also do a survey of 2-3 horse transport agencies located in your area, if one time your horse needs emergency transportation to the hospital/vet.
You should regularly check the horse’s fitness. The most common abnormal conditions that appear in horses are constipation, abdominal pain, and dehydration. Constipation is the inability of a horse to defecate (produce feces). If prolonged, constipation will result in even greater health problems. Horses usually defecate many times per day. If you notice that one of your horses hasn’t pooped for several hours, check to see if it’s constipated. Normally, when a person puts his ear on the stomach of a healthy horse, he will hear digestive sounds that sound like a small mill. So, if our horse eats normally during the day, but does not poop and we cannot hear its digestion, call the veterinarian immediately to check it. Another common symptom of horse disease is not being able to stand up, sleep all day, and not eat or drink water for several hours. In general, horses should be vaccinated and dewormed by a licensed veterinarian on standard timescales and in emergencies (e.g. local outbreaks).
You also need to keep your horse clean. Brushing her body is a necessary way that improves skin health while encouraging the bond you and your horse have. There are no rules regarding the frequency of brushing horses. In addition, in hot climates, during the summer, it is very beneficial to bathe the horse once a week with a special shampoo.
As horses get older, their teeth will probably grow unevenly. If left unchecked, older horses will usually have health problems due to poor dental condition. Therefore, it is highly recommended to hire an expert who can monitor and file horse teeth at least once a year.
Horse hooves should also be cut with a special nail trimmer to prevent infection. You should check their nails every 2-3 days, but trimming should be done normally every 4-5 weeks. There are special shoes for horses that help them walk while preventing various infections.
Horses are often plagued by flies and various insects that often approach the area near their eyes. In horse supply stores, you can find horse glasses of various colors and sizes. Wearing horse goggles allows the horse to have full visibility and provides adequate protection for his face and eyes.