How to Provide Basic Needs to Your Horse


Safe environment

A horse must have access to pasture that is free from hazards that could cause injury, such as loose fencing, holes or machinery, and is also free from poisonous plants, such as ragwort and yew. The pasture must be well enclosed with safe fencing on all sides.

Forage and grazing

Because horses eat approximately 2.5 percent of their body weight each day, a constant supply of appropriate forage must be provided in the form of good-quality grazing or hay. As a general rule, the amount of land needed to support a horse is at least one acre per horse, preferably two.

Basic Needs Horse

In the wild, horses naturally graze over hundreds of acres, selecting and eating a surprisingly large variety of herbs and minerals to balance their diets. Therefore, the domestic horse must have access to salt and mineral supplements that are available in the form of licks from most feed stores. These can be left in the field for the horse to use at will.

Water

Horses must have access to a supply of fresh, clean water at all times.

Shelter

Adequate shelter must be provided from the snow and rain in the winter months and from the heat and sun in the summer. A dry, clean area must also be provided for the horse to lie down on. If you need Horse arena construction services, you may contact Bobby Georg Construction, Inc.  for premier, reliable horse arena excavation services.

Monitoring

Horses need regular monitoring, preferably twice a day. They should be checked for evidence of injury or illness by an experienced person. At the same time, the troughs must be inspected to ensure that clean, adequate water is available and the fences checked for signs of breakage that may enable the horse to escape.

Company

Horses are naturally social animals and it is important that they are allowed to live in company, preferably with other horses, but sheep, goats, or even cattle will suffice. As a herd animal, they like to spend much of their day in the company of other horses, drinking, grazing, grooming and also resting together at the same time.

Understanding

It is very important that people who look after horses understand them. As a breed, they are extremely reactive animals and have a deep-rooted “fight or flight” instinct that has been honed over millions of years. This must be respected and taken into account at all times.

Filed Under: Pets & Animals

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About the Author: Fred Goodson has a passion for pets and animals. He has 4 dogs and is planning to have another one. He is also a blogger who writes about pets and animals. Currently, he is living in New Jersey.

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