Prepare Your Horse For Spring
While spring is an exciting time to get back to working with your horse, conditions may be less than ideal. No matter if you are the stay at barn person or head out to competitions or trail rides and likewise, here are the top 5 things you can do to help prepare your horse for spring.
1. Watch your horse's nutrition
Over zealous horses can go crazy on the sweet, new grass growing in the pasture. Not only can this have a detrimental effect on your pasture, but also on your horse. Watch for colic and founder. Try leaving some hay out for your horse to go back and forth on. Sure, they will choose grass, but if it's causing a tummy ache they should come back to the hay. If not, only let them out for a bit during the day. By limiting the fresh grass intake, you can control how much they consume as well as how fast your pasture grass will grow. For more information on nutrition refer to Rider 3.
2. Schedule the vet
This one has two parts. The vet can do a wellness, health check on your horse, take care of any teeth issues, and also give vaccinations and de-wormer. For more information on Horse Health and care refer to Rider 4.
3. Makeover
Give your horse a makeover by a head to toe grooming session and you may have to clip a hairy horse if he or she is going to sweat during exercise. For more information refer to Rider 2.
1. Watch your horse's nutrition
Over zealous horses can go crazy on the sweet, new grass growing in the pasture. Not only can this have a detrimental effect on your pasture, but also on your horse. Watch for colic and founder. Try leaving some hay out for your horse to go back and forth on. Sure, they will choose grass, but if it's causing a tummy ache they should come back to the hay. If not, only let them out for a bit during the day. By limiting the fresh grass intake, you can control how much they consume as well as how fast your pasture grass will grow. For more information on nutrition refer to Rider 3.
2. Schedule the vet
This one has two parts. The vet can do a wellness, health check on your horse, take care of any teeth issues, and also give vaccinations and de-wormer. For more information on Horse Health and care refer to Rider 4.
3. Makeover
Give your horse a makeover by a head to toe grooming session and you may have to clip a hairy horse if he or she is going to sweat during exercise. For more information refer to Rider 2.
4. Schedule the farrier
Before you can really start riding, you will want to make sure that your horse's hooves are in prime condition for movement. Your farrier can also check on hoof health. Remember, 'No hoof, no horse!'
5. Clean up the tack room
Before you get back to a busy schedule of riding, clean up the tack room, clean and oil the tack, and do an inspection to make sure all tack is safe. Clean the bits, clean the grooming tools. Don't forget to throw everything in the laundry! Blankets will be dirty after the long winter.
6. Clean up the pastures
Even though it's not limited pastures, you will want to clean up all horse areas. Make sure the fences and buildings are safe, repair any damage, check on the water supply, and don't turn them out until it's good. For more information on facility management refer to Rider 2.
7. Prepare for insect season
This is the biggest downer of the oncoming warmer months, the bugs return! You can help control numbers by limiting open water, clean up the manure areas, getting the spray and insecticides ready, as well as any protection that your horse may wear.
And now that you are ready, get out there and ride!
Before you can really start riding, you will want to make sure that your horse's hooves are in prime condition for movement. Your farrier can also check on hoof health. Remember, 'No hoof, no horse!'
5. Clean up the tack room
Before you get back to a busy schedule of riding, clean up the tack room, clean and oil the tack, and do an inspection to make sure all tack is safe. Clean the bits, clean the grooming tools. Don't forget to throw everything in the laundry! Blankets will be dirty after the long winter.
6. Clean up the pastures
Even though it's not limited pastures, you will want to clean up all horse areas. Make sure the fences and buildings are safe, repair any damage, check on the water supply, and don't turn them out until it's good. For more information on facility management refer to Rider 2.
7. Prepare for insect season
This is the biggest downer of the oncoming warmer months, the bugs return! You can help control numbers by limiting open water, clean up the manure areas, getting the spray and insecticides ready, as well as any protection that your horse may wear.
And now that you are ready, get out there and ride!
