Keeping Your Horse Healthy and In Top Condition

When it comes to horse care there are a million things to think about. Both their health, their well-being, their happiness, but also keeping them fit and healthy for riding. This means their stamina, their hooves, their coat, their mane, their mental health, it`s a lot to think about and it`s a lot to try and accomplish.

It isn`t impossible though and with just a few regular habits you can keep your horse healthy and in top condition all year round.

Regular Exercise
This seems like a given, but making sure your horse regularly gets worked is crucial to their well-being, both mentally and physically. Just like you start to get antsy and fed up when sitting on a couch for more than a week, your horse will as well.

If you`re not able to get out there and ride them yourself, see if you can get someone else to while you`re away or unable to.

Annual Dental Exam
Horses` teeth are crucial to their overall health because poor dental health can lead to weight loss, decreased performance and general bad lifestyle changes. Getting an annual dental exam will ensure that your horses teeth are always in great shape and this is the start to maintaining overall health.

Annual Physical
Just like humans should have an annual physical just to make sure everything`s in order, so do horses. There are some things with your horse that you may not notice not being a trained professional, so it`s good to have them checked all over for anything that could be unusual or not healthy.

This is also a great time to talk with your vet about anything like changing your horses feed, odd behaviors they might be exhibiting or any concerns or other questions you may be having. Just because we own a horse doesn`t mean we know everything, sometimes guidance from a trained professional is much needed.

Vaccinations and Deworming
Annual vaccinations and having your horse dewormed are crucial to keeping them healthy and in top condition. You want to prevent any disease outbreaks, any health problems and prevent conditions from developing because prevention is easier to deal with than actually dealing with the illness or condition once your horse has it.

You`ll want to talk with your vet about a vaccination plan for your horse and then make sure that you stay on that path for consistency.

With these four tips you`ll be able to keep your horse healthy and in top shape all year round. When your horse is healthy and happy you will be happy too. It`s important with horse care to remember that you`re not expected to know everything and it`s ok to ask questions of trained professionals like your vet or other horse trainers to get some guidance to ensure your horse is healthy and happy all the time.

Equine Therapy - How horses are helping teens` mental health

As we look after our horses, the horses can have huge health benefits for us, below you can watch a video showing how our equine friends are helping teens improve there mental health.