Horses are great pets and work animals. However, horses require a lot of specialized care. They are unlike any other pet you can own and therefore have very different needs. From their hooves to their teeth, you have to know what you’re doing to properly care for your horse.
Hoof Care
The first thing you have to know is how to care for your horse’s hooves. Horse hooves are the equivalent of human nails. Horses are basically walking on their fingernails all the time which means they have to be well cared for. Horse hoof protection is important and without proper protection, your horse will not survive. Horses need all four hooves and legs to work properly otherwise, they can’t walk. A lame horse has no quality of life. Make sure to protect and care for your horse’s hooves by hiring a farrier to trim, clean, and reshoe your horse. Domesticated horses typically don’t have the room and substrates required to wear down their hooves naturally. A farrier can help keep your horse’s hooves and feet healthy and protected.
Dental Care
Moving up to the teeth of a horse, you have to be careful what your horse eats. Horses need to eat grass, hay, grains, salt, fruits, and vegetables. Grasses are a natural food source for horses and both hay and grass are excellent for horse digestive systems and teeth. Horse teeth are made specifically for eating grasses and hay and they need to eat several times a day. At least two to three times a day, you should feed your horse more hay. If you are working or riding your horse, you should feed more often. If your horse is not fed the items listed above, its teeth will rot and can fall out. Horses are not rodents, so their teeth don’t continuously grow. If your horse has no teeth, it will have a very hard time surviving.
Physical Care
In addition to caring for the feet and teeth of your horse, you have to make sure to properly exercise it. Horses were domesticated for riding and working and therefore need to be exercised daily. This could be anything from a daily ride to running around an arena. Horses that don’t get exercise gain weight, which puts more pressure on their feet and can cause hoof issues.
If you are purchasing any animal it’s important to know how to properly care for it. However, the most important part is to treat the animal with love and kindness.
