What does daily horse care look like and how much time does it take?
If you are considering owning your own horse, you surely already know that it involves a large commitment not only financially (you can read more about the costs related to keeping a horse in this article), but maybe even, perhaps above all, in terms of time. For people who have dealt mainly with school horses it may be hard to imagine what it all looks like ‘behind the scenes’. We are talking here about daily horse care, which is quite time-consuming. In this article we will give you an idea of what the most routine activities look like, which have to be performed regularly so that your horse is in good condition, not only physically but also mentally.
Work in the stable and in the paddock.
The obligatory activities can be divided into those that must be performed every day (absolutely), those for which it is enough if we take care of them every week, and others which, depending on the individual requirements of the horse, must be performed regularly, but at longer intervals (once every few weeks or even months).
The daily routine:
- Mucking out the boxes. Regardless of whether our horse stands on straw or on wood shavings, every day we should pick out the droppings and wet bedding and top it up with clean. This is not only a matter of aesthetics. Standing on wet and dirty bedding very badly affects the condition of the horse’s hooves and legs (among others, it can be a cause of mud fever). Additionally, the ammonia contained in horse urine irritates the airways.
- Giving hay and concentrate feed. The horse should have continuous (or at least enabled for most of the time) access to hay. This is especially important in winter, as hay is the basis of the horse’s internal heating system. Most horses working under saddle get concentrate feed twice a day, but individual requirements in this matter can be very different.
- Daily grooming. Every day the horse should be, at least cursorily, brushed. Thanks to this we will not only keep the horse’s coat in good condition, but can also check whether the horse does not have any abrasions, cuts or other worrying changes. It is especially important to clean the hooves daily and check the state of the shoes for any loosening or bent nails.
- Providing movement. Regardless of the weather, the horse should be provided with movement every day. This does not, of course, mean that it has to be ridden under saddle every day. The intensity and type of movement should be matched to the age and condition of our horse and to what the stable where we are stationed offers. Remember that even regular turnout into the paddock will not always provide our horse with an appropriate amount of movement. Unless it is a large, grassy pasture where the horse stays for most of the day and which motivates it to move continuously while grazing, very often we can observe horses that simply stand for most of the time spent in the paddock. This mainly happens on sandy turnouts. If in such a case the horse is not going to work under saddle, you have to take into account the necessity of providing it with movement in another way, e.g. in the horse walker or on the lunge.
- Rugging. Especially in the autumn-winter season and possibly in summer, if we use special rugs for protection against insects. Not all horses need rugs, but if our horse is clipped or is exceptionally sensitive, then we have to remember about appropriate rugs that will be adjusted to the temperature and the weather. The horse should have a separate rug for the paddock and a separate one when it is in the stable or walks in the horse walker. By changing the rugs depending on the situation, you will prevent the horse overheating (which can be more dangerous for the horse than low temperatures) or the situation where the horse stands in a damp rug.
Work performed once a week:
- Thorough washing of mangers, drinkers and buckets for giving feed. While all these things should be kept clean on a daily basis (especially drinkers, so that the horse always has access to fresh, clean water), once a week it is worth subjecting them to thorough cleaning. We are talking here about removing feed residue or other dirt.
- Cleaning the paddock. At least once a week it is worth clearing the manure from the paddock (in summer we can do it even more often). This will prevent excessive breeding of flies and the possible getting of their larvae into the horse’s digestive tract. It is also worth using this time for a general check of the surface and fence for any damage, or any things that could be dangerous for the horse, such as sharp objects on the ground, loose or broken tapes or protruding nails.
- Taking care of equipment. Once a week it is worth doing a review of the equipment we use most often and cleaning and maintaining it. This is especially important in the case of leather elements (saddle, bridle, girth, stirrup leathers, halter, etc.), because without appropriate care leather becomes stiff and prone to tearing. This also applies to rugs, saddle pads, bandages and other accessories that may require washing or repair. Here you will learn how to properly take care of equestrian equipment made of various materials.
What has to be remembered every few weeks/months:
- A farrier visit. If your horse is shod or requires trimming, then remember about regular farrier visits. Standardly they should take place every 6-8 weeks. Even if our horse does not “lose a shoe” itself, leaving it in the same shoes longer very badly affects the hooves and in extreme cases can lead to their damage or deformation.
- Vaccinations and deworming. We should arrange with our vet the dates of vaccinations and the administration of the deworming preparation.
- Dentist. At least once a year the dentist should check our horse’s teeth and perform rasping or another procedure according to needs.
Livery yard or home stable?
As you can see for yourself, caring for a horse takes a lot of time, and most importantly the basic things have to be done regularly. So if you decide to keep the horse in a home stable, you have to reckon with the fact that at specific hours you or another person have to be on site. Remember that horses need routine. Research proves that these animals feel greater mental comfort (and work more efficiently) if their feeding, rest or work take place at specific times of day. Therefore, in order not to be so tied down, many people decide to keep horses at a livery yard. The cost of keeping may be higher, but it gives us considerable flexibility, because usually (this depends on individual arrangements) daily tasks, such as cleaning boxes, paddocks or feeding, are performed by stable employees. They can also take care of turning the horse out into the paddock, rugging or even exercising it, if for a longer time we could not be at the stable (these things are most often associated with additional fees). However, even if we decide on a livery yard, in order to be a responsible owner we have to reckon with the fact that caring for a horse is long hours spent in the stable regardless of the weather or our well-being.
That is why it is not worth rushing the decision to buy your own horse until the moment when we are sure that we will be able to devote an appropriate amount of time to it and that it will be a joy for us, not a sacrifice. If you are not sure whether you can cope with such a challenge in terms of time and finances, it is worth starting with leasing a horse (many stables and private individuals offer such an option) exclusively or for a few days a week.
