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There are many different breeds of horses and many
different riding styles, but all horses require the
same basic health care to stay in the best possible
condition. It does not matter if your horse is kept
in your back yard and you just ride him occasionally
or if your horse is kept at a training facility and
you compete at the national level, all horses still
need the proper feeding, grooming, exercise, and regular
check from your veterinarian to stay in top condition.
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The most important
thing to keeping a horse happy and healthy is proper
feeding. Your horse should, at a minimum, get good quality
hay every day. You can also give your horse grain; your
veterinarian can help you select the best grain based
on your individual horse’s needs. It you decide
to change your horse’s feed, it is very important
that you do it slowly over several days. Mix small portions
of the new feed with the old feed, gradually increasing
the quantity of the new feed while decreasing the quantity
of the old feed until the change is complete. If you
do not change your horse’s feed gradually, you
could seriously harm them, and possibly kill them.
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Your horse should
also be groomed regularly, and preferably daily. This
will keep your horse’s coat and skin healthy.
You should also clean their feet as part of your daily
grooming routine. This will ensure that your horse’s
feet stay free of diseases and it will make sure that
they do not get any foreign objects in their hoof that
could cause a bruise.
Your horse also needs to get daily exercise. If your
horse is kept outside in a large paddock this should
not be much of an issue, but if your horse is kept
in a stall it is very important that they get some
sort of daily exercise. This does not mean that you
have to ride them every day; it just means that they
need to be either ridden or turned out in a paddock
to play. If your horse does not get the proper amount
of exercise it could reduce their bone strength over
time.
It is also important that your horse have regular
checkups with your veterinarian. This should include
an examination of their teeth to make sure that none
are broken or diseased. Your veterinarian should also
make sure that your horse is current on all of their
vaccinations, and they should make sure that your
horse is on a de-worming program to prevent many different
diseases that could harm your horse’s health.
Following these basic guidelines
will ensure that your horse leads a very happy and
healthy life.
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