Keeping Your Horse Healthy

By Riley Hendersen

You always wanted a horse when you were growing up and now that you are a successful adult, you have decided to take the plunge and purchase a horse. Keeping a horse is not possible today in most cities so you arrange to have it boarded and cared for at a local stable. Sounds easy, but owning and caring for a horse is a big responsibility that each owner must be prepared for. So, where do start to learn about what it takes to have a healthy horse?

Quickly, you will realize that there is a lot to learn and at first, you will be overwhelmed and think that you can not possible learn everything. You must provide for daily care of the hooves, maintain their teeth, joints, and internal health. Keeping your horse healthy involves feeding him the right food, watching for digestive problems and colic, watching for leg and foot problems, purchasing and using the correct tack, doing regular grooming, having him vaccinated and dewormed, and there are dozens of other details that must be dealt with.

Just like people, they are affected by weather, must be properly fed and sheltered, and may get sprains, strains, soreness of the back and legs. If sick or in pain, it will affect the way they move and the way they feel. A healthy horse will tend to be easier going than a sick one-very similar to people who do not feel well, we get grumpy. They are acting different and you may first notice that their mood is different. You are not sure what is wrong, but you know something is wrong.

There are many different types of common equine health problems that can affect your animal. These include, but are not limited to allergies, colic, Cushing's disease, dehydration illnesses, dermatitis and skin rashes, excess salvia and drooling, head shaking, stomach problems such as ulcers, headshaking, shivers, West Nile Virus and the list goes on. In addition to diseases, there are other conditions that can affect their health-parasites, worms and insects are a major problem that should be dealt with quickly. Nothing can be worse than having these creatures in or on your body.



Keeping your horse healthy should be your primary concern if you want to own a horse. You should investigate the stable where he will live and determine that they are providing all of the daily grooming, feeding, drinking, and medical needs. In addition, they should have a regular exercise program for your horse as well as loving attention-these are animals that enjoy human contact and they should not be locked up alone for indefinite periods of time.

Invest in a good veterinary and talk to him. Make sure that you horse is healthy and ready to ride whenever you go over to the stable. You will have a friend for life in your horse, but it is your responsibility to ensure that he gets the best care and love in the world.

For more information on horses, try visiting http://www.interestinghorses.com - a website that specializes in providing horse related tips, advice and resources including information on horse health.

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