Bonding with your horse will allow you to learn and respond to his feelings and reactions in different situations. Over time you will learn his body language. A calm and responsive manner is a sign of a happy horse. They will keep their head lowered, and have soft eyes and a relaxed jaw. A happy and contented horse will want your love in return and show respect to you. When a horse yawns this is not a sign of being bored, but a sign that he is calm and relaxed. A horse will show that he is uncomfortable in a number of ways, including holding his head high and with a tense jaw, darting his eyes around, and not wanting to stand still. Allow the horse time to settle himself slowly in order to avoid the onset of “flight” mode and further stress.

Grooming your horse gives you the opportunity to check him over regularly. It is advisable to check your horse’s teeth, eyes, hooves, shoes and droppings frequently. Any change in the normal should be reported to your vet at the earliest opportunity – any delay could cause you extra worry, expense and a potential claim on your horse insurance. Regular appointments for worming and routine vaccinations are essential. Worms and parasites can build up immunity to medication so to minimize this you should rotate the medications. Colic, heart and immunity problems can all be caused by lack of suitable medication. Vaccinations for encephalitis, rhinoneumonitis and influenza are essential for a healthy horse. A good idea would be to have tetanus and rabies vaccinations too. Regular users of trailers at show and equestrian events may need to show a negative Coggins test for presence of the incurable virus EIA or equine infectious anaemia.

An important part of keeping a horse happy and comfortable is making sure you have a good farrier who visits regularly. It is important for your horse’s comfort, mood and performance that you do not allow his feet to get too long and unbalanced. Your horse will need his hooves trimmed by a farrier at least every eight weeks; sometimes more often is necessary.

A blanket or coat during winter, and a fly-protective sheet in summer are simple ways to keep your horse physically comfortable. If your horse is prone to lathering during or after exercise then it may be best to use a horse cooler until he has calmed down. A horse’s body could go into shock if given water directly after being ridden. It is also important to let your horse cool down properly after exercise and before feeding. Leave it for an hour after meals before exercising your horse.

Horses need to have a purpose in life – whether this be for work or pleasure. Horses glory in feeling worthwhile. It is important for a horse’s sense of purpose and focus that he receives regular praise – especially when young – for performing simple tasks such as simply standing still or in the right place. As horses are naturally inquisitive animals, they will become more brave, positive and confident the more new experiences you introduce to them.

A horse is a beautiful and magnificent creature that deserves a good home for life with excellent care. You have a responsibility as a horse owner to provide the very best in care and welfare. Keeping a horse can be a very expensive business, and without good horse insurance provided by a specialist equine insurer, it is possible to quickly run into financial problems if your horse should become sick or sustain an injury. By looking out for your horse’s health and happiness you will be rewarded with love a hundred times over from your equine friend.

When you care for your horse, it is vital to make provision for the winter months. Horses need to be able to tolerate the chilly weather and stay as healthy as possible. During the winter horses will have special requirements which you as the owner will have to address. It is crucial to get ready for winter ahead of time.

Horses are naturally tolerant to cool weather. In fact, horses cope with frosty weather a good deal better than hot weather. Regardless of this, there are some rudimentary things owners will need to do to make sure their horses remain healthy. You should make sure the horse doesn’t have any parasites, and has been fully vaccinated. The expenditure for doing these things will greatly pay off during the winter months, as the expenses of feeding your horse will be less.

You may also wish to consult your vet in setting up a health plan for your horse. Helping your horse prepare for winter will help it reduce the requirement to eat large amounts of food in order to sustain its weight. Your horse should never lose weight during the winter. Permitting your horse to gain a slight amount of weight will aid them through the colder months, as the additional fat will work as a cushion to supply the horse with energy if it becomes stressed. During the winter you will want to give your horse some additional calories.

The best protection for a horse throughout the winter is its actual winter coat. When it is allowed to grow, it will act as a warm blanket which will reduce the heat loss that the horse experiences in winter scenarios. Your horse’s coat is also smooth and will help brush off off snow and ice. If kept outside, you will want to ensure their coats grow long enough before winter.

To confirm the state of your horse, you will want to rub its ribs. A large winter coat can easily hide the fact the horse may be losing weight. Your horse should be lean enough so that you can feel the ribs, but not so lean that you can see them. Feel your horses ears. Do they feel cold? If so, this is a sign that the horse is cold.

As is the case with every warm blooded animal, your horse must maintain its body temperature to stay fit and well. It is crucial that they conserve heat through the winter, so you should make sure they’re prepared for the frost.

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When you care for your horse, it is essential to make arrangements for the winter months. Horses need to be able to tolerate the chilly climate and stay as healthy as possible. During the winter horses will have special requirements which you as the owner will have to take in hand. It is imperative to organize for winter ahead of time.

Horses are naturally tolerant to chilly conditions. In fact, horses cope with icy conditions much better than hot weather. Regardless of this, there are some rudimentary things owners will need to do to make sure their horses remain healthy. Be sure the horse doesn’t have any fleas, and has been fully vaccinated. The costs for doing these things will significantly pay off during the winter months, as the expenses of feeding your horse will be lower.

You may also wish to consult your vet in arranging up a health plan to care for your horses. Preparing your horse for cold weather will help it lower the need to eat greater amounts of food in order to retain its weight. Your horse shouldn’t lose any weight during the colder months. Allowing your horse to gain a slight amount of weight will help them during the winter months, as the additional fat will act as a guard to provide the horse with energy if it becomes stressed. Through the winter you should give your horse some additional calories.

Probably the most effective protection for a horse in the winter is its actual winter coat. If allowed to grow, it will act as a warm jumper which will lessen the loss of heat that the horse experiences in cold environments. A horse’s coat is also glossy and will help brush off off snow and ice. If you keep your horses outside, you must ensure their coats grow long enough before the cold weather starts.

To confirm the condition of your horse, you will want to feel its ribs. A longer coat may indeed hide the fact that your horse has lost weight Your horse should be lean enough so that you can feel the ribs, but not so lean that you can see them. Feel your horses ears. Are they cold? If this is the case, your horse is cold.

Like all animals which are warm-blooded, horses must maintain their body temperature in order to survive. It is vital that they retain heat throughout the winter, so you must make sure they’re ready for the frost.

Visit the Horse and Pony Directory for more information and horses for sale

Cribbing is a compulsive behavior, which horses sometimes develop as a result of boredom, typically resulting from being left in a box much of the day with nothing to do. It consists of the horse firmly biting an object, arching its neck while pulling on the object, and sucking in air. It is believed that this triggers the release of chemicals (endorphins) in the brain, giving a pleasurable sensation. Cribbing is also known as ‘wind sucking’ or ‘crib biting’.

Horse cribbing is sometimes confused with wood chewing but the two are different problems. A wood chewer simply nibbles on the wood, which is a habit that is easily treatable. A cribber pulls on wood (or other objects) while sucking air in order to release brain chemicals, which effectively makes it a drug addiction, and consequently much more difficult to cure.

Over time, cribbing will wear down and damage the horse’s teeth. The pulling motion results in an abnormal muscle development in the neck, making it thicker. A number of other illnesses, such as colic, are associated with cribbing but the relationship of these illnesses is unknown (e.g. does the colic pain promote the habit, or does the cribbing air sucking cause the colic, or are both colic and cribbing simply more likely in horses which lack pasture time).

Ideally, one should prevent the development of the cribbing behavior by providing the horse with as natural and interesting environment as possible. Once a horse has cribbing, the situation is more difficult, but one can greatly reduce the frequency of cribbing by providing a mentally stimulating environment. The first step is to provide as much pasture time as possible. One should also make the feeding regime as natural as possible, consisting of pasture grass if possible and hay as a second choice; foods such as grains which can be quickly eaten with minimum chewing are the least desirable. In addition, many small feeds are preferable to a few large feeds, as this helps break up the day. Any other activities which provide interest, such as exercise and grooming, will make a positive contribution.

An interesting environment will normally prevent the development of cribbing, and help already cribbing horses to reduce the amount of cribbing. Unfortunately, once the habit is established, this in itself will seldom cure it completely. One needs to combine this action with treatment to physically prevent the horse from cribbing, in order to eventually break the habit.

One common approach is a cribbing strap (also known as cribbing collar), which fits around the neck and holds a small metal plate to the underside of the neck, making cribbing uncomfortable. Alternatively, one can use a special muzzle which fits over the head, preventing the horse from reaching objects with its teeth but still allowing it to feed through the metal grill. Painting fence rails with a specialty paint which gives them a bad taste (use only the veterinary approved paints) will discourage cribbing on them, as will adding a fencing wire (with electrical current) to the top of rails. Some horse owners have also reported improvements with certain medications (e.g. anti-depressants for the horse). Finally, there is a surgical solution which involves cutting certain neck muscles and nerves to make cribbing physically impossible, although this should be seen as a final option.

It is important to both address the base issue (intense boredom) and to try to physically discourage the horse using one of the above approaches. Trying just one or the other is seldom effective.

When deciding on a new horse, a key factor is its health. Although one cannot be 100% certain that a horse is absolutely healthy, there are some basic checks.

The first indication is the general appearance. It should have a shinny, even and flat coat. The body should be well muscled, neither fat nor skinny. When standing, it should spread its weight evenly on all four legs, with each hoof pointing straight ahead. While normal to rest a leg from time to time, it should not be for long periods or always the same leg, as this would indicate an injury or weakness.

Slowly run your hands down the legs, from top to bottom, with careful attention to joints and the lower leg. There should be no bumps, swellings or hot spots. The hoof walls should be even, free of cracks and completely smooth.

Lift a hoof and examine the sole to ensure that there are no marks or indications of previous injury and that it is correctly shaped. Repeat with the other hooves. The angle and tilt of all four hooves should be correct and identical. If the horse is reluctant to lift one of its feet, this may be because it does not want to lift a good leg and put more weight on a bad one. The hooves are perhaps the most important area to examine in terms of horse health, as so many otherwise good horses have problems here.

Check the gums. They should be pink, shiny and moist. If they are dry, tacky, pale or any color other than salmon pink, there is a health issue. If one presses gently on the gums (careful with your fingers!), at the point where you are pressing they will turn white but as soon as you remove your finger the color should completely return to pink within two seconds.

Check the teeth (you may want to use the services of a horse dentist) for spurs, unevenness or excessive wear. Try feeding the horse hay and watch how it eats. It should use both sides of its jaw equally and eat steadily. Dropping hay or leaving hay partly chewed indicates a problem either with the teeth or the jaw joints.

Examine the horse’s droppings. They should consist of firm balls, with a mild and inoffensive odor.

The horse should look happy, alert and interested in what is happening. Its ears should stand up and should move alertly in response to sounds. It should be interested in what is happening around it, but not nervous.

Have the horse taken to an exercise ring and exercised at all gaits (e.g. walk, trot, and gallop). It should take easy, smooth strides of equal length and with the weight evenly spread on all four legs. It should not favor any leg. Circle the horse in both directions (left inside and right inside) to make sure that it performs equally well in both directions.

It should not sweat (except during hot weather) until it has been worked for some time at speed. Its respiration should gradually increase as the gait picks up but it should not breathe hard except at a fast gait. As the gait is reduced, its respiration should quickly reduce. Once the horse stops, its breathing and pulse should quickly return to resting normal. Neither during nor after exercise should the horse shown any sign of discomfort, pain or limping.

One should also ask the current owner about the medical history and ask permission to discuss the horse with its regular vet. Ask to see the inoculation and medical records for the horse. Ask if it has every had any illness, in particular colic or laminitis. Be concerned about any incomplete or evasive answers.

Owning a horse is something to be proud of and can be a little demanding but if you love your horses you won’t mind.

It is obvious to say that owning a horse isn’t cheap what with the stables, equipment and food all costing a lot of money.

Of course on top of paying to keep your horse warm and fed you may also be paying for riding lessons and perhaps even someone to look after your horse on the days you are not there. There is one thing that money cannot buy and that is the connection you have with your horse. You may need to do some bonding.

There is something that has been left out of this for a specific reason. Although the cleanliness of you horses textiles may not come into your head first it is very important indeed? The thing is, if you wash these in the wrong way or with normal laundry equipment they may look clean but there is a possibility that it isn’t as clean as it looks. If these textiles are not washed in the correct way they could pass on some nasty fungal infections. A clean blanket is a certain sign that your horse is well kept which is useful when it comes to competitions.

Is there a way round this to make sure the textiles are as clean as they can be? Well there are special washing machines available for uses like this one. A Commercial laundry machine is perhaps what is needed here to make sure that you and your horse are safe from anything nasty that can lay in wait on the textiles you use.

Of course this cleanliness does not have to be for an individual if you are in need of something to do the job faster in a small business then it could be worth looking into getting one of those commercial dishwashers as they could be what your company may need to improve productivity.