Friday, February 5, 2010

What Every Horse Owner Should Know.



A horse is not only a large investment but a risky one in many cases for people who don’t know what they are getting into. Owners and prospective owners need to consider the costs after the initial purchase. A neighbor of mine bought a horse for $400. During the conversation with him I gathered he did not understand that buying the horse was the cheap part. He’s in for an education.

I told him he has many things to learn if he truly wants to be a competent horse owner and that I would help him with the basics but it is his responsibility to learn and apply those lessons,…among them:

  • Know how to be safe around a horse. Safely halter and lead a horse.


  • Basics of Horse Nutrition.

    Being able to determine the horse’s body condition.



  • Be able to pick up the horse’s feet (hooves) and clean them as well as recognizing problems in the hoof.


  • Should be able to recognize signs of common serious problems such as colic and founder and not hesitate to call a Veterinarian. In fact, have the Vet’s phone number on speed dial.


  • Know how to take the horse’s pulse, respiration rate and temperature as well how to describe the symptoms over the phone.


The owner, particularly the new and in-experienced horse owner, needs to constantly seek and gain knowledge about the horse. The list of subjects concerning horses are long, not hard to learn, just the education never stops.

No comments:

Post a Comment