Horses are one of the most popular animals to keep, especially when you have the area required to give the animal a safe home. Equines are the most demanded pet amongst children, but unfortunately there sometimes isn’t the necessary money or space within a family home to keep one.

Keeping a horse can be a challenging assignment if you’re new to caring for the animal, as there is a lot of work that must be done to ensure that they are kept healthy and happy.

Leasing horses can be hard work in their own right, according to racebook TwinSpires, but what are some of the key factors that should be taken into account when learning how to groom and take care of a horse?

Eating Habits

One of the most straightforward factors to take into account when owning a horse of any description is their eating habits. This is one of the easiest assignments for an owner, as horses will live off a diet of hay or grass, as well as a regular intake of water.

The mainstay of any healthy horse diet comes in the form of good quality hay. However, this is unlikely to be cheap, as horses will typically eat up to 2% of their body weight each day. That could mean up to 20 pounds of hay per day for an average sized horses.

The accumulation of the food will weigh heavy on the pockets, as an average 100 pounds bale will cost up to $20 per week. Horses are able to feed themselves throughout the day providing that the food is left in an attainable location.

Water should also be freely available to horses to enable that they can hydrate themselves as they wish. Treats can be offered in the forms of apples and carrots, but they should be kept to a minimal to avoid the rest of colic.

Where to House A Horse

Two important factors should be taken into account when opting on a location to house your horse. It should come in the form of a pasture or a shelter, with the latter coming in a variety of forms of shapes and sizes.

A shelter is vitally important for every horse, as this will be their place to stay dry from the rain and out of danger should there be heavy winds. Furthermore, shelters are important for horses to escape the sun if they are feeling hot.

Each shelter should have a feed bin and a water dispenser, as well as bedding. One of the most important factors that horse owners are required to do daily is to clean the shelter to ensure that horses are comfortable in their home.

Owners must ensure that the shelter has no parasites or worms, and it should typically take around 15 minutes per day. Shelters should be big enough for the horse to move around freely, as tight spaces will make for an uncomfortable living environment.

Grooming

One of the most enjoyable aspects about owning a horse is the grooming, as this is where you will truly bond with your animal. Horses require daily care, and grooming is important to ensure that horses have a healthy shine.

It also gives owners the perfect opportunity to check over their horse and identify any potential cuts or sores. It is important that an owner does a once-over with a comb to remove any loose hair, before moving to a harder brush to take off any dirt from the body. A soft brush can then be used to clean more sensitive areas of the horse’s body, such as face and ears.

As a final step, you will need to brush out the tail and mane. Horses are required to visit farriers regularly, but you will also be required to ensure that the animal is in no discomfort by checking hooves for debris and rocks. All of the grooming steps are vitally important to ensure that your horse can lead a happy and healthy lifestyle.

Regular Exercise

Like humans, regular exercise is also vitally important to ensure that your horse is healthy. Regular movement stops the legs from swelling, and ensures that the animal’s joints are well lubricated. As well as this, it helps the horse tone.

Each horse will require a different level of exercise, with thoroughbreds requiring harder workouts than a standard pony. A set routine is important to maintain a horse’s lifestyle, meaning that you should typically stick to the same plan when it comes to exercise daily.

A slow warm up will be required to get the blood pumping through the body, before then gaining into a trot and then a light canter. Once the horse is fully warmed up, you can then begin galloping or jumping, depending on your horse’s favourite kind of exercise.