INTRODUCTION

The HAHS Basic Horse Care booklet - Page 1
(Online version)

The information contained in this booklet has been prepared by the Hooved Animal Humane Society as a guide to the most elementary aspects of horse care. Use this information as a guide, but remember that there is much more to horse ownership than any booklet can contain. It is important to keep yourself up to date on changes in horse-keeping. Keep yourself informed and continue to learn about the care and well-being of your animals: this is the primary responsibility of any horse person.

Wild horses have a natural lifestyle that meets their every need. Roaming over thousands of acres, wild horses can find forage and water, keep their feet nicely shaped on hard ground, and even find shelter. The horse that we keep confined in a barn, paddock or pasture is completely dependent upon his keeper for all of the things that nature would otherwise have provided. The importance of your role, as the horse-keeper satisfying these needs, cannot be exaggerated.

Water
For horses, as for humans, water is the most basic necessity. If your horses are kept on pasture, they should have access to a water tank at all times. In summer, the tank should be scrubbed and rinsed regularly. Scrub tanks and water buckets with baking soda: it's effective, safe, and inexpensive. If possible, keep the water tank in a shady area. In a sunny location, algae will grow very quickly in the warm, still water, making the water undrinkable long before the tank is emptied. Check your water tanks every day to be sure that the water is clean and potable. It is a good idea to keep a large stone or a floating log in the water trough, so that small animals like squirrels and mice that may fall into the water can find a way out. Horses will not drink from a tank where an animal is struggling or has drowned.

In the winter, the tank should be kept free of ice by installing a water tank heater. Horses need access to unlimited fresh water at all times of year, and the water should be warmed in the winter. Snow is not an adequate substitute for fresh water. The energy that the horse uses to melt the snow should be used to keep him warm. Remember that a gallon of snow does not equal a gallon of water; snow contains both water and air. A horse would need to eat twelve gallons of snow to get the equivalent of one gallon of water. A lack of water in a horse's system can lead to many serious, painful, and costly health problems. Save money on veterinary expenses by setting up an efficient winter watering system.

If your horse is kept in a stall for all or part of the day, he should have at least one five-gallon bucket of water in front of him at all times. Some people prefer to hang two buckets in each stall for horses that empty a bucket between feedings. Whether you use one bucket or two, be sure to check them twice a day. Just checking the water level of the buckets is not enough; debris from the stall's bedding, dust and manure can make the water foul and undrinkable. Even if the water stays relatively clean, buckets should be scrubbed and rinsed regularly instead of always being topped off. A mouthful of grain can sour at the bottom of a bucket, and the water will look clear but be undrinkable. Some horses simply prefer fresh water and will drink as their buckets are filled; others like to dip their hay in water. Some drink more during the day; others drink more at night. Learn your individual horse's drinking habits and patterns so that you can recognize any problems before they become serious.

Automatic waterers can make it easy to provide a horse with all of the water he wants, but just like buckets, the waterers must be checked and cleaned daily. Saliva, hay, and bits of grain can sour water or clog the pipes if automatic waterers are not monitored, and a horse with a malfunctioning waterer is getting no water at all.