🐎 Stuff Every Horse Owner Should Know: Training Guide

A prey animal's world

Horses are prey animals. Their first reaction to something scary is to startle and run away. Expect a sudden jump or bolt and stay alert.

A horse can see almost all the way around its body, about 340 degrees. It has small blind spots directly in front and behind. Its nose is also in a blind spot.

A horse can turn each ear on its own to pick up sounds from different directions.

Horses are herd animals. They feel safest with other horses. Being alone or kept in a stall can cause stress.

Body language and stress

A horse lays its ears flat back against its neck as a warning. It may act aggressively. Pay attention to the whole body before touching the horse.

Weaving is a stress behavior. A horse sways side to side in a stall when it is stressed, often from being confined or away from the herd. More turnout and company helps.

Cribbing is when a horse bites on fences or stall doors. It is linked to stress or confinement, but cribbing horses do not swallow air.

Growing teeth

A horse's teeth grow constantly throughout its life. Chewing wears them down, and uneven wear can leave sharp points.

All permanent teeth are usually present by the time a horse reaches 5 years of age.

Because teeth keep growing and wearing, horses need regular dental checks. A vet can file down sharp points.

Know the normal numbers

A resting adult horse has a temperature of 99 to 100.5 F. It is about a degree higher in the afternoon than in the morning. Know your horse's normal.

A resting adult horse has a heart rate of 30 to 44 beats per minute. Press two fingers on the jaw to feel the pulse, not your thumb. Your thumb has its own pulse.

A resting adult horse breathes 8 to 12 times per minute. Count one rise and fall of the ribs or one puff from a nostril while the horse is calm.

Press a horse's gum until it turns pale, then let go. Color should return in 1 to 2 seconds. Healthy gums are pink and moist. Slower return can mean dehydration or shock.

Vaccines and disease prevention

The AAEP core vaccines for all horses are rabies, Eastern and Western equine encephalomyelitis (EEE/WEE), tetanus, and West Nile virus. Every horse needs these, even if it never travels.

Rabies is almost always fatal once a horse shows signs. It spreads through the bite of an infected animal. Yearly vaccination protects horses.

West Nile virus spreads from birds to horses through mosquito bites. Horses are dead-end hosts, so they cannot pass it to other horses or people.

Eastern equine encephalitis is found in the Eastern United States and Canada. Annual vaccination helps prevent disease.

Equine infectious anemia has no vaccine and no cure. It spreads now mainly through reused needles, syringes, or blood products. The Coggins test checks for it.

Risk-based vaccines protect against strangles, equine influenza, and equine herpesvirus (EHV) at horse shows. Ask your vet which fit. Vaccines take several weeks to protect, so plan ahead.

Parasites, teeth, and isolation

A fecal egg count helps decide if an adult horse needs deworming. Over-deworming can make worms drug resistant. Treat only when the vet recommends based on egg count.

Foals should start a deworming plan targeting roundworms around 2 months old, before weaning.

Horses need their teeth checked by a vet at least once a year. Floating files down sharp enamel points. Older horses may need checkups more often.

To guard against strangles, isolate new horses for two to three weeks. Strangles is a very contagious upper airway infection.

After possible EHV-1 exposure, take the isolated horse's temperature twice a day. Call the vet if it goes above 101.5 F.

What a Positive EIA Test Means

The Coggins test checks for equine infectious anemia. A positive result means the horse has a lifelong infection that cannot be cured.

Because EIA cannot be cured and can spread to other horses, a positive horse must be permanently isolated and quarantined or euthanized. It cannot stay with the herd.

Forage and water

Horses are built to graze all day. Feed 1.5 to 2.5 percent of their body weight in forage each day. For a 1,000 pound horse, that is about 15 to 25 pounds of hay or pasture.

A typical 1,000 pound horse drinks 10 to 12 gallons of water daily. Always provide clean, fresh water. A hot or working horse needs even more.

Grain should be limited. A mature horse should get no more than 0.3 to 0.4 percent of its body weight in grain per meal. For a 1,000 pound horse, that is only about 3 to 4 pounds.

Change feeds gradually. Replace 20 to 25 percent of the old feed with new feed every other day. Sudden changes can cause colic.

Offer salt free choice, always available. Horses lose salt when they sweat. A salt block or loose salt lets each horse take what it needs.

Hay and pasture safety

Horse quality hay should be baled at 10 to 15 percent moisture. Very dry hay crumbles; damp hay grows mold. Store bales on pallets to keep air flowing underneath.

Moldy hay is mostly a breathing danger. Mold spores cause respiratory disease. If hay smells musty or looks dusty, do not feed it.

Soaking hay for 15 to 60 minutes lowers sugars, potassium, and dust. Do not soak much longer than an hour.

When moving a horse onto lush pasture, start with 15 minutes of grazing per day and add 15 more minutes each day until you reach the target time.

In cold winter weather, the best way to give a horse extra energy is more hay or other forage. Digesting fiber makes body heat. Grain does not warm the horse the same way.

The Henneke body condition scale runs from 1 (poor) to 9 (extremely fat). Scores of 4 to 6 are ideal. Overweight horses are more prone to disease, overheating, and poor performance.

Toxic plants and feeding mistakes

Red clover mold causes slobbers, heavy drooling. A horse with slobbers can fill several five-gallon pails with saliva in one day.

Wilted or dried maple leaves, especially red maple, are poisonous. They can destroy red blood cells. Fresh leaves are not considered toxic.

Yew shrubs contain taxines. Taxines affect the heart and can kill with little warning. Never toss yew clippings over a horse fence.

Oleander contains cardiac glycosides, which disrupt the heart. Keep ornamental oleander away from pastures.

Bracken fern destroys thiamine (B1). A horse that eats it for a while can become weak and lose weight.

Wilted chokecherry leaves release cyanide and can kill horses within minutes to an hour. Oak buds and green acorns can also poison if a horse eats a lot of them.

Feeding and Water Choices That Lower Colic Risk

UMN Extension cites research that each extra pound of whole grain or corn fed raises colic risk by about 70 percent. Feed grain and pellets only when your horse truly needs them.

In sandy areas, feeding hay on the ground can make a horse swallow sand with its feed. Sand can build up in the gut and slow its movement, so use feed tubs or hay racks with mats or catch pans underneath.

Horses that go without water for only one to two hours have a higher colic risk, according to research cited by UMN Extension. Keep fresh, clean water available and check that waterers flow in winter.

Slow Feeders and Heat Sweat Loss

In a UMN study, horses took 6.5 hours to finish a meal from small-holed slow-feed hay nets. These nets make a horse nibble slowly like grazing, but they are not practical for every horse.

A horse working hard in the heat can lose 2 to 4 gallons of sweat per hour. Replace that water and salt, and always offer a hot, sweaty horse plenty of clean water.

Calcium, Phosphorus, and Testing Hay

A horse's diet needs at least as much calcium as phosphorus, so the minimum calcium to phosphorus ratio is 1:1. Too much phosphorus can pull calcium away from bone, and grain is high in phosphorus.

UMN budget tips say testing your hay costs less than buying grain your horse does not need. A hay test tells you which nutrients the hay already supplies.

Colic

Colic means abdominal pain from many possible causes. It can be mild, like gas, or life threatening, like a twisted gut. Every case needs attention.

Common signs of colic include pawing with a front foot, looking at or biting the sides, lying down, rolling, and sweating. Call the vet right away.

If you suspect colic, remove the horse's feed and call the vet. Pulling hay and grain keeps a sore gut from getting worse.

Early in colic, hand-walking can ease pain and keep the gut moving. Stop if the horse seems worse, and never walk it to exhaustion.

Do not give painkillers like bute without asking a vet. Bute can hide early signs of colic and may make some types worse.

Horses cared for by their owner are two to three times less likely to colic than those cared for by a trainer. Owners who know their horse spot small changes sooner.

Laminitis and choke

Laminitis, also called founder, is a painful hoof condition. The hoof usually feels warm, especially near the coronary band. Call the vet right away if you suspect it.

Eating too much grain is a common cause of laminitis. Grazing rich pasture can also bring it on in susceptible horses like ponies and overweight easy keepers.

Horses prone to laminitis should graze between 3 a.m. and 10 a.m., when pasture sugars are lower. Cool-season grasses like timothy and orchardgrass store more sugar.

Choke is a blockage of the esophagus, the tube from mouth to stomach, by food or objects. The classic sign is food coming out of the nostrils. It is most common when a horse quickly eats dried grain, beet pulp, or hay.

If a horse is choking, take away all food and water and call the vet. Eating or drinking more can make the blockage worse.

Other serious problems

West Nile virus kills about one in three horses that get sick. A yearly vaccine is the best protection.

Foot abscesses are the most common cause of lameness in horses. They cause sudden severe pain, often with no visible wound. The hoof wall may feel warmer, and you can feel pulses near the pastern.

About 30 percent of adult horses have stomach ulcers. Stress, housing changes, and illness are linked to them. A horse's stomach secretes acid continuously.

Decide how much you can spend on emergency vet care before an emergency happens. Talk with your vet about costs and plans ahead of time.

Daily grooming

Brush your horse daily to remove dirt and check its skin. Daily brushing matters more than bathing for a healthy coat.

In the usual grooming order, start with a curry comb to loosen mud and dirt. The soft body brush and cloth come later for finishing touches.

Do not use a curry comb on the head or bony areas. Use a soft brush there. A dandy brush should also be avoided on the face.

Brush the hair flat before putting on the saddle. Ruffled hair under the saddle or girth can cause sores.

Hoof care

Most horses need their hooves trimmed every 6 to 8 weeks. In winter, hooves grow slower, so the interval can stretch to 12 weeks. Show horses may need more frequent trimming.

A hoof takes nine to 12 months to grow out completely. Changes in diet or care show up in the hoof slowly.

Pick out a horse's hooves every day. Look for stones, nails, and problems like thrush. This catches issues early.

Thrush is a foul black ooze around the frog. It comes from wet, soiled footing and stalls. Keep stalls clean and dry to prevent it.

Foot abscesses cause sudden severe lameness. The hoof wall may feel warmer, and you can feel pulses near the pastern. Call the vet.

Farrier and shoeing choices

Ask your vet and other horse owners to find a good farrier. Never choose a farrier by cost alone.

Horses can go barefoot if their hooves are good quality and the horse stays comfortable. Shoes protect hooves and add grip on certain surfaces, but they are not necessary for every horse.

Horseshoes protect hooves and provide better grip on certain surfaces. Ask your vet or farrier if your horse needs them.

Barefoot horses still need regular trims from a farrier. Hooves keep growing and need shaping.

Quidding and Dental Problems

Quidding is when a horse forms partly chewed food into a ball in its mouth and drops it. It is a sign of dental problems such as broken or irregular teeth.

A horse with serious dental trouble may lose appetite or weight, shake its head, or refuse the bit. Regular dental checks help catch these problems.

Approach and lead

Always speak to a horse before approaching or touching it. Approach from the front or side where it can see you. Pet with a rubbing touch on the shoulder or neck.

When leading, stand near the shoulder, between the head and shoulder. This is safer than far from the horse. Lead from the left side, ideally at the throat latch.

Never wrap a lead rope or reins around your hand, wrist, or body. Hold extra rope in loose folds so you can let go if the horse bolts.

Use a quick-release knot when tying a horse. It can be undone with one pull on the loose end, even while the rope is tight.

When releasing a horse in a field, turn it to face the gate before taking off the halter. This gives you time to step back safely.

Safe positions

Avoid standing directly in front of or behind a horse. A horse can kick back or strike forward. These are also blind spots.

When working on a horse, stand near the shoulder to be out of the main reach of the hind legs. If the horse kicks, you take less force than farther away.

When picking out a back hoof, rest it on your thigh and step back slightly so the leg extends. This supports the horse and is safer for you.

When catching a horse in a pasture, move slowly and keep the halter and rope out of sight until you are close.

Riding safety gear

Wear a properly fitted and fastened riding helmet every ride. A bicycle helmet does not give the right protection. Use a certified equestrian helmet.

Replace a riding helmet if it is dropped or you fall while wearing it, even with no visible damage. Also replace it every five years.

Wear boots or hard-toed shoes around horses. Never wear tennis shoes, moccasins, or go barefoot. Riding boots have a heel to keep your foot from slipping through the stirrup.

An average adult light riding horse can comfortably carry about 20 percent of its ideal body weight, including rider and saddle. Rider balance and horse fitness matter.

Safe home and pasture

A standard horse stall should be at least 10 by 10 feet. Bigger is better. A horse needs room to lie down, roll, and turn around.

Pasture perimeter fences should be at least 5 feet high. Barbed wire is extremely hazardous and best avoided. Mark fences with white plastic or cloth strips for visibility.

Horses need daily turnout, even if there is no lush pasture. A clean dirt paddock with dry areas works. Horses do not need lush grass to be healthy.

Do not keep just one horse by itself. Horses are herd animals and need a companion. Plan for a companion when you plan for a horse.

Use an ABC fire extinguisher for small barn fires. Keep them in easy-to-reach places. Everyone on the property should know the evacuation route.

If the inside of a hay stack reaches 175 to 190 F, contact the fire department. Do not move the bales. A fire could start on its own.

Mud, manure, and storage

Fine-crushed gravel is good footing for muddy, high-traffic areas. Straw, hay, and wood chips break down quickly and turn to mud again.

A correctly mixed horse manure compost pile heats to 140 to 160 F. This heat helps kill weed seeds and parasite eggs. Turn the pile if it goes over 160 F.

Stack hay bales on pallets to allow air flow underneath. Hay stored on wet ground can spoil by 50 percent.

Ventilation in a barn exchanges air to remove moisture, dust, and ammonia fumes from urine. Good ventilation helps protect a horse's lungs.

Black walnut shavings in bedding are toxic to horses, even at as little as 20 percent of the bedding. Check bedding labels and avoid black walnut.

Owning and boarding

Someone with about ten riding lessons should lease a horse before buying. Only experienced riders should handle young, untrained horses. A beginner needs an experienced mentor.

A beginner should keep a first horse at a boarding barn with experienced help, not at home alone. Boarding teaches handling, grooming, and signs of health problems.

Horse ownership is a 365-day-a-year commitment. Most time goes to feeding, cleaning stalls, grooming, and exercising, more than riding or fun.

For most horses, the upkeep costs more than the purchase price. Feed, vet, farrier, and board keep coming every month. A cheaper horse costs the same to maintain.

Keeping a horse at home is cheapest, but someone must be there to care for it at all times. Full board means staff do feeding, stalls, and turnout. Self-care board means you must come daily. Pasture board means the horse lives turned out 24/7.

Many horses and ponies live into their 20s or 30s with good care. Plan for the long haul.

Weather and senior care

Do not put a blanket on a wet horse; wait until it is dry. Blanket when there is no shelter and temperatures drop below 5 F, or the horse is thin or sick.

Older horses are more sensitive to heat and cold. Provide shade in summer and shelter from wind and rain in winter. A three-sided run-in shed is adequate in most cases.

Older horses with arthritis should be turned out with a companion, not kept in a stall unless medically necessary. Movement reduces stiffness.

If an old horse cannot chew hay well, use only a complete pelleted feed designed to be fed without hay. Soak pellets into a soup. Many pellets are just grain substitutes without the right minerals.

How Much Pasture One Horse Needs

UMN's rule of thumb is that pasture can usually feed one horse for every two acres during the grazing season. Poor soil, dry climate, or heavy use may mean you need more land or extra hay.

A dry lot should provide at least 400 square feet per horse. Daily turnout matters even without lush grass.

Tack fitting

A good quality saddle can last decades with care. Used tack in good repair can be a good choice over poor-quality new tack.

The four essential items to buy first are a halter, lead shank, saddle, and bridle. Other purchases can come later.

The girth or cinch should hang about 4 inches behind the point of the elbow. Too far forward can pinch and rub behind the elbow.

Tighten a girth a little at a time, because some horses hold their breath and bloat. Walk the horse a few steps, then snug it again so the saddle does not slip.

Check the girth three times: when saddling, after walking the horse a few steps unmounted, and after mounting and walking a few steps.

A bit should sit so there is one wrinkle at the corner of the horse's mouth. The throatlatch should be loose enough to fit your whole hand between the strap and the jaw.

Tack safety

Never tie a horse by the bridle reins. If the horse pulls back, the bit can hurt its mouth and the bridle can break. Tie with a halter and lead rope.

Regularly inspect all tack for tears, cracks, and damaged buckles. Do not use any tack that is frayed or has cracked leather.

A saddle that fit last year can stop fitting as the horse's body and muscle change. Watch for back soreness, and consult an expert if the saddle no longer fits.

Groom the back and girth area well before saddling to prevent sores. Ruffled hair under tack irritates the skin.

Trailering basics

Only load a horse into a trailer that is securely hitched to a truck. Never unhitch a trailer with a horse inside. Use wheel chocks when unhitched.

After a horse walks into a trailer, secure the butt bar or chain before tying the horse's head. A tied horse that pulls back with no bar can fall.

Use a leather halter or a nylon halter with a breakaway piece for trailering. Remove all tack like saddles and bridles before loading.

When hauling one horse in a two-horse trailer, load it on the driver's side. Check the horse at every stop or every 100 miles. Offer water and keep hay bags full.

Travel papers and health rules

Before unloading from a trailer, untie the horse at its head first, then undo the butt bar or chain. A tied horse may panic and pull back.

In most states, a horse crossing state lines needs a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. The importing state sets the Coggins and health requirements, so check with your vet before travel.

Vaccines can take several weeks to protect, so plan ahead of shows or travel.