Horse Health Care – Vaccinations

A regular vaccinations schedule should be a part of any health care plan for all horses. In fact, many commercial and private stables or boarding facilities require vaccinations on a common schedule.

When I ran a private horse facility, governed by rules including general health management rules and a vaccinations schedule, one of the harder things to do was to have horse owners keep their horses up to date on vaccinations.

The most common vaccinations for horses include:

Rabies. This is an annual vaccine, however I think some Vets will tell you that your horse will be fairly well protected getting this vaccine every two years. In my experience one out of every 20 horses has some sort of reaction to this vaccine which contains a killed virus in order for the horse to develop anti-bodies to this disease with is transmitted through a bite from an infected animal. This disease can be transmissible from horse to human. Check with your Vet to see if a rabies vaccine is indicated for your area.

Tetanus. This vaccine is given initially followed by a booster shot four to six weeks apart, then yearly after that. If you skip an annual vaccination then your Vet will probably have you go back to the initial shot followed by a booster. Tetanus is a bacteria that can enter a wound. You may remember stepping on rusty nail as a child with your Mom having a cow until she was able to get to the doctor for a tetanus booster.

Eastern and western encephalomyelitis. This disease is a virus transmitted by the mosquito. Some people think this disease is transmitted by birds,.......I just think they mistook Montana mosquitos for small birds. This vaccine is much like Tetanus where an initial vaccination is given followed by a second dose in two to three weeks or four to six weeks, depending on manufacture of vaccine used. A yearly vaccination is given after that. It is common for the Tetanus and Encephalomyelitis vaccines to be combined, sometimes with a vaccination for the Venezuelan strain of the Encephalomyelitis and called VEWT.

Rhinopneumonitis (Rhino). This is a viral disease that causes respiratory problems in horses. This is an annual vaccination but some Vets suggest a yearly vaccination in the spring with a booster in the fall. There are actually two forms of this disease. Consult your Vet to determine which version(s) your horse needs to be vaccinated against.

Influenza (Flu). This is a highly contagious viral disease that affects the upper respiratory tract of the horse. An initial vaccination is given with a 2nd shot three to four weeks later. Much like Rhino most Vets will recommend two vaccinations a year and sometimes three vaccinations depending upon if the horses travels a lot like a racehorse or show horse. It is common for the Rino and Flu vaccine to be combined.

West Nile Virus (WNV). This is a mosquito borne disease that affects the brain and spine through swelling. It has rapidly spread across the country since it was detected 10 or 11 years ago. I have read statistics that say one in every three effected horses will die. I have only seen one infected horse, and he made it, but it looked to be touch and go for awhile. Now this horse is roped off of and doing well. Lack of motor control, stumbling, loss of appetite and lethargy are all signs of this disease. Much like other vaccinations there are two shots in the initial series followed by one annual vaccination, although some Vets will suggest two shots, each one about 4 to 6 weeks before the onslaught of a rainy season and therefore mosquito season. I am lucky to live in an area devoid of a large number of mosquito so I vaccinate once a year, in April before the June rains.

Pneumabort K-1B is a vaccination for pregnant mares, given the 5th, 7th and 9th month of a pregnancy to prevent against abortion.

Strangles. This is a bacterial disease that is contagious and affects the horses respiratory tract with symptoms that include abscesses that appear along the lower jaw. Sometimes a tooth problem may appear (misdiagnosed) to be strangles. I have seen stables quarantined by the USDA for a positive strangles case. This vaccination requires three initial shots, followed by a yearly vaccination.

Potomac Horse Fever is a disease usually seen in the summer months which can cause high fever and diarrhea among other things with a chance of the horse also foundering. This disease has a high mortality rate. A annual vaccine is now available, however requiring an initial shot and booster in 3 or 4 weeks, then an annual vaccination.

The horse owner should consult with his/her Veterinarian to determine which vaccinations are appropriate to the area. There are many combinations of vaccinations and some Vets will let you give your own vaccinations thereby lowering your cost, except for rabies which is normally required by the state to be given by a licensed Vet. The risk is too great for your horses not to have them on a routine vaccinations schedule.

Horse Training – The Basics Under Halter

In our fast placed world we are often running from one task to the next without really stopping to think on the long term. No where is this more true than with horses.

How many times do you move a horse from the stall to the the paddock or from one corral to another just trying to get it done? We often let our horses get away with bad manners, although it’s our fault if they have bad manners because we have to let them know what we expect of them. Not only is this not doing them or us any favors, we are just simply misusing that available time and opportunity to do a short ground training session.

Anytime you get near your horses it should be a training session. If you are feeding them, train them to step back away until you have the hay in place. If you are trying to get through a gate and they are crowding the gate, make them move back before you enter. Eventually they will know what you expect, act that way and be just that much a better (and safer) horse for it.

Anytime you get a halter and lead on a horse, to move him from the stall to the wash rack or shoers stand, or, to another set of pens or corral, use that time to run through some basics. Horses learn through repetition. You will see how much faster they understand what you are asking once they are exposed to it many time over. Whenever I put a halter and lead on a horse, moving them from one place to another, I always take a few minutes to run through the basics things I need that horse to do under halter when leading.

Those things are: Lead up with me, staying at my back right hand; stopping immediately when I do; backing; standing still; dropping his head when I ask; moving his hind quarter over when asked; and, moving his front end ovr when asked.

You use the same pressure and release concept in all these tasks. Watch the video below and see once I get a halter on this green broke horse, what basic tasks I can run through in a matter of 2 minutes or so. Again, horses learn through repetition, use your time with them wisely – they and you will be much better for it.

Horse Hoof Care – Foreign Objects in the Hoof

I said in a previous post that sometimes I do not always clean out my horses’ hooves before riding them. I still check the hoof to ensure there is no foreign object in the hoof that has or can cause damage and lame the horse up and to ensure that if that horse is shod (has horseshoes) that they are still on securely.

From time to time when on the trail, especially in the Mountainous or rocky areas, your horse will pickup a rock wedged in the cleft of the frog or may get a sharp object, such as a mesquite thorn or even a nail, stuck into the frog or sole.

Rocks stuck in the hoof, upon repeated hoof strikes on the ground, can cause a bruise to the sole making the horse ouchy or even lame him up with a severe bruise – which we call stone bruises.

I ride mainly in desert areas with a high amount of spiny plant such as various cactus and mesquite bushes - lots of possibilities to get spines into Horse Hooves. Penetrations into hoof soles or frogs is much more serious than a stone bruise as an infection can set in. Sometimes the object breaks off, the sole or frog closes over penetration site and you never know that it occurred. Then suddenly your horse is lame for a few days to a month or even more. You can’t figure it out and weeks or months go by then the object comes out near the coronet band (where the beginnings of the hoof meet the hair on the leg).

Sometimes your shoer will see evidence of a penetration and can dig it out allow the infection to be exposed and you can draw it out using Epson Salts. Best way to use Epson Salts if your horse won’t stand in a bucket of water and Epson Salts is to pack a dripping wet poultice with Epson Salts and place on the hoof covering with a hoof boot.

When on horse back you can usually feel a change in the horse’s gait, clueing you to a possible object stuck in the hoof.

The top picture shows a small rock lodged into the Cleft of the Frog. Sometimes if you are riding in pairs, your partner can look at the hoof of your horse as it comes off the ground to see if it picked up a rock or other object.

The middle picture is a large rock my horse picked up when I was patrolling some mountains looking for poachers. I had to use my knife and another flat rock to act as pry bars to get this rock out as it was lodged very tightly between the inside bars of the shoe. I immediately felt this so my horse did not progress in this condition.

The bottom picture shows a mesquite thorn penetrating the frog. It didn’t penetrate very far and I was able to remove it intact and continue my ride.

Horse Hoof Care –Recognizing and Treating Thrush

The normal Horse has four hooves (that’s supposed to be humor). A Horse’s hooves, sometimes we call them feet, are at the same time both durable and susceptible to problems. Horseshoers have a saying that is timeless in its truth: “No Hoof, No Horse”. Horse owners must regularly look at their horse’s feet to keep on top of problems. One of the most common problems is Thrush, or to be more correct a “bacterial caused pre-thrush condition”, as real Thrush is mostly due to neglecting your horses feet over time.

Thrush is a common bacterial infection, normally affecting the Frog and the Cleft of the Frog which is the groove between the Frog and the Sole. Bacteria will grow in a damp or wet conditions, with damp or bacteria laden manure or dirt constantly packed into the hoof, this is a condition many horses get. Even in dry conditions a horse will step on manure which gets packed into the Cleft of the Frog and basically starts to rot. If left untreated the bacteria will grow into Thrush.

When picking out the hoof, bacteria will be noticeable by the nasty odor and may appear black…..smells much worse than your Grandpa’s spit can sitting in the Sun. Bacteria will turn good Frog and Sole in a powdery like substance and easily break off parts of the hoof sole and pieces of the frog.














Treatment includes prevention with regular Hoof Care by cleaning (picking the hoof) paying particular attention to cleaning out the Clefts of the Frog. Some of us don’t bother to clean the hoof prior to riding as the material (dirt and manure) packed into the sole acts as a natural cushion for the hoof, however bacteria needs an oxygen deficient environment to grow. Cleaning the hoof is and exposing the bacteria in the hoof to oxygen, then riding, often clears it up.

Commercial Thrush treatment medicine like Koppertox or a home remedy such as 50% diluted bleach will make short work of most Thrush cases. Sometimes it is necessary only to treat once. In fact, I don’t think I have ever had to treat a hoof with bacteria more than once.

Common Horse Problems – Colic.

Colic can be broadly described as intestinal problem causing a large amount of pain to a horse. There are many different types of Colic but I’m only going to discuss the types that I have experienced in horses.

Sand Colic is a common type of colic resulting from sand accumulating in the horse’s intestines, which I’m going to refer to the stomach and intestines as the gut to keep it simple, which suits me as I am often referred to as a simpleton. The horse owner can and should take steps to prevent the horse from digesting or accumulating sand, such as not feeding on the ground but in tubs, bins or feeders. Even then horses natural graze so they will spend a great deal of time with nose on the ground searching for and picking up left over pieces of feed and therefore in-take sand into their gut. A common test to determine amount of sand in the horses manure (manure in the jar test-click here to go to this post) can be done to see how much sand is in the horses gut and therefore potential for sand colic. Some horses may have as much as 80 pounds or so in their gut!

Sand Colic can cause blockages and a gut rupture or tear, or more commonly, causes such pain as to make the horse throw himself down over and over again and end up twisting a gut. The twisted gut blocks blood supply and the portion of the gut begins, rapidly, to die. This is fatal, unless surgically treated immediately, although it can take a horse several days to die. This is a heartbreaker. I’ve had to put down a young very promising horse. I have also seen twisted guts where the horse goes through short periods of relief which gives the horse owner a false sense of the horse getting better.

Prevention is key and that includes feeding smaller amounts of hay several times a day, rather than one or two large feedings, and, plenty of fresh, clean water for the horse to drink. Some horse people believe in regular treatment through feeding bran mashes or a commercial product such as Sand Clear or Miracle Sand Out pellets. I’m one of those. If a horse of mine exhibits signs of sand in the gut such as very loose manure or diarrhea, I’ll place him on a seven day regime of the above mentioned products, which usually clears up the lose manure or diarrhea in a week. I also routinely give bran mashes, every 7 days or so, which are dry bran mixed with a little corn oil, molasses and Psyllium (Fiber) to a watery mix.

Gas Colic is another common type of colic, resulting in gas buildup in the gut faster than it can be relieved, most likely caused by feeding large amounts of rich feed. First cut alfalfa, not slowly integrated into the feeding program and Sweet Feeds in my experience are two more likely causes. Another cause is rapid changes to the diet. Prevention again includes feeding more often in smaller amounts, slow changes to different feeds such as different cuts of alfalfa.

Symptoms of both Sand and Gas Colic may include the horse standing stretched out; pawing the ground; ears back and eyes looking listless; biting at his side or looking at his sides; trying to lay down or laying down, getting back up again, and laying down again – or actually throwing himself down to the ground.

Treatment of Colic. You need to call a Vet immediately. Be prepared to articulate the symptoms that the horse is showing. If the Vet comes out to look at your horse he/she will examine the horse, will probably administer Fluxomine / Banamine by IV, which is injected directly into a vein for immediate effect, then probably put a tube through the nose into the stomach and pump a water / mineral oil mixture into the gut in an attempt to get any blockages moving and reduce toxins in the gut.

Prior to the Vet coming out you should probably lead the horse around at a walking pace for two reasons, 1 – to utilize the natural movement of the walk to add digestion and 2 - to keep the horse from throwing himself down and greatly increasing the chances of a twisted gut. Some Vets will palpate the horses rear end, that means stick a gloved hand into the butt to see what may be going on in that last part of the intestines. Most Vets will not give the horse a water/mineral oil or straight mineral oil enema, however I think this option should be considered and almost always done – what’s another $10 of mineral oil after the Vet made a Farm Call at 2:00am?

A lot of horse owners keep Fluoxomine/Banamine on hand and will treat the horse themselves if a Vet is not readily available or in hopes of resolving the colic before a Vet is necessary. I’ve treated a lot of horses with symptoms of Colic myself although I would never hesitate to call my Vet and arrange a Farm Call. Sometimes it’s throwing the dice either way, but the sooner the horses receives treatment the better the chances for a recovery.

Horse Health - Worming Horses

One of the hardest programs to manage when I ran a large private horse stables was to get all the boarders and their horses on a routine worming program. Despite the rules, despite automatically adding the cost of wormer to their board bill, owners had a hard time abiding this important and routine agenda of horse health. Some of that was surely their inability to give a horse wormer which they ain't necessarily fond of to begin with.

Anthelmintics, or horse wormer needs to administered to each horse not only on a routine basis but on a program designed to be effective against the parasites and minimize the chance of the parasites being resistant to the worming product. It is not simply a matter of picking up a tube of wormer at the feed store several times of year. Worming products need to be rotated to ensure effectiveness against various parasites.

The various worms that we use a worming program to combat include:
Tapeworms. Tapeworms can contribute heavily to colic. A horse affected with Tapeworms may appear to be poor (malnourished) as they affect the horse’s digestion process. I have seen a horse heavily infected with Tapeworms colic bad after being wormer for the first.

Bots. The adult Bot looks like a potatoe bug and lay their eggs on the hair of the horse. As the horse licks itself they ingest these Bot eggs which eventually travel to the stomach and can cause damage to the horse.

Large Strongyles. Found in the large intestine, adult Strongyles burrow themselves into the large intestine walls. Strongyle eggs are passed in the manure where they hatch and are ingested by the horse completing this cycle. Strongyles can damage the blood vessels and cause colic and blood clots.

Pinworms. Picked up by horses through feed, water and from the ground, Pinworm eggs can cause a horse to rub his tail against a fence or pole and at worse damage the tail or at least rub hair off.

Roundworms: Picked up by horses grazing, these worms are found in the intestines. As adults, roundworms are normally found in the in the small intestines and sometimes passed in the manure. Traveling through the blood supply, the eggs of Roundworms will travel to the lungs and the liver affecting the health of the horse.

Worming schedules. There are many different worming schedules based on the area you live in and whether your horses are turned out with others and on pasture. The most common worming schedule is a bi-monthly schedule, giving a different wormer every other month. Most Horse Supply Product catalogs with feature several different such schedules. One schedule may be:

Jan/Feb – Pyrantel/Praziquantel (for Large/Small Strongyles, Roundworms and Pinworms – Praziquantel additionally for tapeworms)
Mar/Apr – Fenbendazole (for Large/Small Strongyles, Ascarids and Pinworms)
May/Jun – Ivermectin (for Large/Small Strongyles, Ascarids, Bots and Pinworms)
Jul/Aug – Pyrantel/Praziquantel (for Large/Small Strongyles, Roundworms and Pinworms – Praziquantel additionally for tapeworms )
Sep/Oct – Fenbendazole (for Large/Small Strongyles, Ascarids and Pinworms)
Nov/Dec - Ivermectin (for Large/Small Strongyles, Ascarids, Bots and Pinworms)

With the introduction years back of combination worming products, I have opted for a quarterly worming schedule. When I bring a new horse in, I quarantine him for three weeks and catch him up on the worming program as well as vaccinations and a Coggins (EIA) test.

Feb Fenbendazole
(Safeguard or Panacur, I’ll rotate from year to year which brand)

May Praziquantel with Moxidectin
(QuestPlus)

Aug Ivermectin
(Zimectrin)


Nov Ivermectin with Praziquantel
(Zimectrin Gold)

Be careful to administer the correct amount of wormer to your horse. Use the scale on the stem of the worming syringe to set for that horse’s weight. It is always a good idea to get a fecal egg count for parasites by your vet before administering wormers for the first time to a new horse. I said before, a horse being wormed for the first time may drop a bunch of parasites which can cause a blockade and colic that horse. Talk to your Vet before giving wormers to a Broodmare in foal and to standing foals.

I do not use daily pellet wormer. I know good horse people that do, but it seems to me like it’s a lot easier for the parasites to build up a resistance to daily, therefore a lesser strength product. Again, talk to your Vet, present him/her with a worming schedule and ask their opinion for that area and environment before beginning your worming program.

Common Horse Problems – Sand in Gut

When horses eat off the bare ground they easily consume particles of sand or dirt. A way to mitigate consuming sand would be to keep feed of the ground by using a hanging feeder, large feed bucket and/or a mat on the ground. Most tack or feed stores will have or can order stall mats for this use. A trip to your local auto parts store to buy a truck bed mat is another solution. Even then, horses have that danged particular habit of tossing their feed out of most containers in order to get to the soft hay residue at the bottom. If you horse regularly eats off the ground, has loose manure or seemingly has gut aches more often that others there is a simple test you can do to see how much sand there is in the horse’s gut. You’re going to need a clear jar and lid, such as a Mason jar for canning.


Collect 6 to 8 balls or ball sized elements of manure that have not touched the ground and place them in the jar. Fill the jar almost full of water. Place the lid on the jar then shake up for 20-30 seconds then let stand. Within 20-30 minutes or so, the sand will separate from the manure and be evident in the bottom of the jar.




The jar in the picture LEFT shows A LOT of sand contained in those balls of manure. The Vet told us there may be as much as 80 lbs of sand in this horse’s gut. The jar in the above picture RIGHT shows a fairly small degree of sand in the manure. You should always consult a Veterinarian, if not in person then at least over the phone. We have a great vet. She drives near 100 mile round trips to get to us – couldn’t get by without her, but that’s another story.

We were already feeding this horse in a large feed bin, so what we did to treat this horse eating sand was to give him a dose of pro-biotics to ensure he has good enzymes in his gut, then put a scoop of Sand Clear Pellets in his morning grain for seven days, then continue to monitor his manure. This seemed to clear up his loose manure. If this is a chronic case, you may have to repeat this treatment more often or even one week per month.

Common Horse Problems – Loose Manure

Horse owners should be checking the condition of your horse’s manure to give insight into what problems the horses may be having.

Manure should be dropped in small balls, a little bit bigger than a golf ball. I don’t like the analogy since I can’t stand golf.....just don't see the point in it. Anyway, the balls should be loosely formed, can and should break apart under a little pressure and should be somewhat moist. The average horse, depending upon activity and feed, should drop about 7 to 14 piles a day, although it is not unusually for a horse to drop even more.


The photo on TOP shows manure that is too loose possibly indicating problems for the horse. The photo on the BOTTOM depicts normal manure as firm, moist balls.











Possible problems the horse may be experiencing, evident by the loose manure, could be: poor digestive enzymes in his gut; lack of worming – that is de-worming the horse; poor quality feed; horse experiencing stress; or eating sand - too much sand in his gut. Or it could be a combination of problems.


If you regularly find loose manure in a corral or paddock occupied by more than one horse, you can check under the horses’ tails looking for loose manure residue to find the guilty horse.

One of the first things I do when I have a horse with loose manure is to check to see how much sand is in his manure. I’ll cover that fun test in another post.

Giving Your Horse Paste Products

The Horse Owner will, from time to time, need to give his horses paste products. Sometimes this will be done as a periodic routine such as worming your cavvy or it may be specific needs such as administering a pain reliever such as Bute, giving an electrolyte supplement or a pro-biotic supplement.

The common technique of placing the paste on the back of the horse's toungue seems to give the horse a better chance of spitting it out, especially if the owner did not ensure the horse's mouth is free of hay residue before giving the paste product.

I like to place the paste product inside the horses mouth between his cheek and back teeth. That seems to keep my horses from spitting any paste out.

Ensure you follow the directions on the product tube. There will be a measuring scale and locking device on the stem of the paste syringe so the owner can give the proper amount.

The Basics of Horse Nutrition - Joint Supplements

At some point in the horse’s life the owner may consider putting the horse on joint supplementation. Not all horses need joint supplementation but some of the one’s that could use it are: horses that have been started very young maybe before their bones, cartilage and tendon endings reached full maturity – race horses come to mind; horses that been used hard and regular for a long time; horses that have suffered some trauma or injury to their joints; and, very old horses.

In developing what I think I know about joint supplements, I have basically used three sources: horse experienced students in Ruminant or Equine management or Ag related studies at the local University; Scientists at a human nutritional supplement manufacturing company; and, personal experience from using and watching horses placed on joint supplements.

Most of the horse joint supplements on the market today will contain some of all of the following ingredients: Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Methylsulfonylmethan (MSM), Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin C, Manganese, and Silicon. The following is a short description of each:

Glucosamine is an amino acid that the body produces naturally and is an ingredient used in the building and repair of cartilage.

Chondroitin is found in the cartilage, helpful for a healthy cartilage and is thought to help prevent or slow the deterioration of cartilage.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is sometimes thought to be a pain reliever but most Vet’s will tell you that it is an anti-inflammatory agent.

Hyaluronic acid is thought to be related to the production or retention of the natural fluid found in the joints.

Vitamin C, Manganese, and Silicon are thought by some to provide additional nutrients necessary for optimal joint health.

So do Joint Supplements actually work? And what do all these chemicals or ingredients mean to the Horse Owner wanting to put their horse on Joint Supplements.

The short answers are: University students tell me there are virtually no independent studies on whether or not joint supplements work on horses – the key word here being independent studies. However I have been consuming pharmaceutical grade Glucosamine, combined with Vitamin C, and found a very significant reduction in pain in my knees. I have asked questions of scientists from the company that manufacture this product and they tell me that they know Glucosamine works but do not include the other common joint ingredients either because the price would be too significant or they cannot reasonable prove the other ingredients work. As far how joint supplements work on horses, I have an old roping horse, coming 27 years this spring, and who has had several injuries in the past, on joint supplements and I see a good deal improvement. More athleticism and less toe drag on his previously injured front leg.

Aside from structural damages which any supplement probably won’t affect, I believe that good quality joint supplements can give your horse a chance at healthy joints and a possible reduction of pain. This may make a horse useable again if he wasn’t previously. You should be prepared to give any test a decent length of time, such as maybe a month or more before you make a final determination if the product helps.

I have used many products on different horses over the years. The product I am now using is Corta-Flx Pellets. I use pelleted supplements rather than powder as I think there is less waste. Corta-Flx, while not technical manufactured with Glucosamine, Chondroitin, or MSM, the company uses isolates from these ingredients producing smaller molecules for better assimilation and utilization. This product also has Hyaluronic Acid.



At roughly $25 for a 40 day supply, I think it is well worth the test on your horse.

The Basics of Horse Nutrition – Processed Feeds

Processed Feeds are not always but usually pelleted feed usually purchased in 50 lb bags. Major manufactures of processed and pelleted feed are Purina, Nutrena, MannaPro and Hi-Pro. One benefit from feeding these products are that they are usually fairly balanced and can provide the horse with nutrients such as vitamins, amino acids and minerals that the horse may not get on pasture or from dry hay. However processed and pelleted feed is not a completed ration. It should be used only to supplement hay.

The daily amount given to a horse should be spread out through the day with at least two feeding sessions. Most feed sources will tell you not to feed more than 5 pounds at a time and that processed feed should not make up more than 50% of the horses feed (in weight). Other sources will tell you to feed .5% to 1.5% of the horse’s body weight in processed feed (also called processed grain). If you fed 1.5% body weight of a 1,000 lbs horse – this would be 15lbs of processed grain a day. Not only do I think these numbers are too high, I think they are crazy high.

I think 2 lbs of processed feed at any given time is enough and should make up no more than 20% of the horse’s daily nutrition content. You have to remember that horses did not come into this world being feed by humans. They are designed to eat (graze) small amounts of forage all day long. When we insist on putting them in a pen and feeding dry hay in large amounts plus processed (and therefore not natural) feeds then we increase the likelihood of feed related problems like colic and founder.

Having said that, I do feed processed feed. Hi-Pro Opti 12 (12% protein) to be specific, but in relatively small amounts (about 1.5 lbs per horse twice a day). I feed Hi-Pro as opposed to the other brands simply because friends of mine own a feed store. That’s the brand they sell and I want to help them out, plus the cost savings is greater than the quality difference between Hi-Pro and Purina Strategy which I used to feed.

I feed process grain for several reasons: I use it as a medium to introduce other products like joint and hoof supplements, and it gets the horses used to processed feeds so I can more easily adapt them to a greater percentage of processed feeds when their energy needs go up after long work days or being on the trail for a substantial amount of time, or packing into the back country where grass is sparse and bringing more feed in is a necessity.

Sometimes if I’m on a horse all day long, where his energy needs may almost be twice what he normally gets, I’ll increase his processed grain slightly over the next couple of feedings and well as increase his grass hay. I have also used corn oil quite a bit in the past to provide the horse with a 100% digestible energy source. When I use corn oil, I’ll pour no more than about ½ cup into their processed grain ration. Corn Oil has more than doubled in the past two years, so I sorta came off using it routinely.

I don’t recommend feeding sweet feed. That is processed grains made heavy with molasses, as the chances of that feed molding are much higher than the dryer grains.
If you introduce new feeds to your horse and even different cuts of hay, Alfalfa or grass, you would be wise to slowly integrate- let the horse’s gut and digestive track get used to it.

For more information on Processed Pelleted feeds visit the Feed Manufacturers links.

Halters and Safely Haltering a Horse

Horse people are pretty particular about their equipment and the most basic of horse equipment is a halter. Halters are generally of two types, webbing halters with metal or brass hardware using a buckle to secure the halter on the horse and rope halters which are tied to secure it. I like minimal hardware so I exclusively use rope halters.

I also use tied in lead lines,…. that is lead line without a snap. Snaps usually have a spring loaded mechanism that eventually gets caked full of sand plus springs can lose their strength. When using a lead line with a snap, that snap becomes the weakest part of the halter and lead.

I have seen people put halters on standing directly in front of the horse. It’s only a matter of time before that horse’s head comes up and gives you some free dental work if it doesn’t knock you out. Instead approach from the side holding the halter under the neck, reach over the horse’s neck and bring the long line of the halter over the horse’s neck across his poll (behind the ears), then slip the nose band of the halter over his nose, snug it up and tie the halter. When you tie the rope halter, use a half hitch and ensure the end of the halter long line is facing to the rear – towards the horse’s butt,….that way the horse can’t move his head quickly and end up poking himself in the eye.

You can see a demonstration in the video below.

Horse Hoof Care – The Basics: Choosing and Keeping a Good Horseshoer/Farrier

Finding and keeping a good Horseshoer/Farrier is essential to having sound horses to ride. There seems to be a lot more part time horseshoers than full time horseshoers available. Full time Farriers will usually maintain and keep a regular schedule where you can be assured he/she will show up on time and trim or shoe your horses. Some part time Farriers have to work around their day job schedules and other commitments where it becomes frustrating to get your horses trimmed or shoed when necessary.

For Unshod Horses, or horses that are not going to have horseshoes nailed on, I am often asked “how often is it necessary to get my horse’s feet trimmed?” That depends upon a lot of factors such as what time of year it is, as cold weather generally slows down hoof growth. Another factor is if the Farrier is trying to correct a previous problem which is usually caused by lack of consistent Farrier care. Generally a horse needs to have his hooves trimmed every six to eight weeks in order to best maintain healthy feet and keep on top of potential problems.

I would look for a Farrier that is experienced and probably belongs to a professional organization such as the American Farriers Association (in fact you can get Farrier contacts through the AFA website: http://www.americanfarriers.org). It is important that your Farrier continues his/her education through professional clinics and such, and it is very important that your Farrier that is a good hand with horses although it is the horse owner’s responsibility to make the horse safe for the Horseshoer. You won’t keep a Farrier very long if that horse is not gentled enough to handle the feet. You shouldn’t keep a Farrier that is rough with your horses or punishes them as opposed to correcting them (Yes Matilda there is a difference).

You will want to be able to discuss your horse’s feet. Knowing the anatomy of the feet is a start. The basic parts of a Horse’s hoof are shown in the below pictures.

The Basics of Horse Nutrition: Evaluating Body Condition

Every horse owner should know how to gauge the condition of their horse and therefore determine if the horse is eating enough. I look at slightly different areas of the horse than some people do. I considering the age of the horse where a sway in the back and the backbone become more evident as this is normal. Roy, the horse in the picture above, is an old roping horse who is coming twenty seven years old in 2010 and is showing signs of age with a little sway in his back.

Where I look is the areas named in the picture of Roy. The sides of the Withers should not be completely boney – they should have some muscle blending into the shoulder; the Shoulder should be fairly muscular as the horse keeps most of their weight on their front end building those muscles. There should be some muscle on both sides along the length of his back – this helps somewhat protect the backbone from ill fitting saddles; the ribs (or barrel) should be meaty – don’t be alarmed if you can see feel or even see the ribs, but if the ribs are highly visible then chances are the horse is underweight; the butt on both sides of the tail head should be meaty – on some horses this is where they initially lose a lot of weight when under feed.

Some horsemen like to also use the sides of the neck (under the mane) to help determine body condition.

The recognized and accepted body condition scoring system goes like this, given consideration for the various types of conformity differences between breeds of horses:

One (Poor)- Horse is extremely emaciated (looks like a horse version of German WWII POW camp prisoner); ribs, tail head and backbone all visible. No fatty tissue can be seen or felt.

Two (Very Thin)– Horse is extremely underfed; boney areas prominent.

Three (Thin)- Some fat buildup on back; slight fat over ribs; hips apparent but appear rounded with presence of some fat and muscle.

Four (Moderately Thin)- Ribs can be seen however faintly; hip bones not apparent; butt may be scalloped (dished) but muscle and/or fat is present.

Five (Moderate)- Back is flat with no protruding backbone ridge, however age of the horse with a more readily appearing backbone may give the impression that the horse is in less condition, so consider other body parts in an overall judgement; fat around butt and butt is well rounded.

Six (Moderately Fleshy)- Fat over ribs, cannot see ribs; fat apparent on sides of withers, on shoulders and even on the neck.

Seven (Fleshy)- sometimes I call this getting “fat”; more fat on withers, shoulders, neck and butt; fat around tail head; prominent barrel giving a “peanut” profile look.

Eight (Fat)- fat apparent on legs below butt; withers very full; shoulders seemingly beginning to run or meld into the ribs (barrel); neck fat very apparent.

Nine (Extremely Fat)- Fat is bulging at all points; upper back legs may rub due to excessive fat in legs; you’ll know it when you see it.


Roy, the horse in the picture above, given consideration to his age, is what I would score as Body Condition Five – Moderate. I like to keep my horses in Condition Five, but I have to admit most of them would be judged to be Condition Six (Moderately Fleshy). Ruling out medical problems, it is an obviously problem of under feeding or bad care if your horses are in Condition One or Two. You are also not doing your horses any favors by letting them get to Condition Six and risking their health by going to Condition Seven, Eight or Nine.

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.

The Basics of Horse Nutrition: Understanding Hay

I don’t know how many times I have been asked questions such as…. “Just how hay do I need to feed my Horse?” …..”Could you look at my horse and tell me if I’m feeding enough?”….. I like these questions since it shows the horse owner wants to ensure he/she is taking care of their horse. I always remind these people that my answers are my opinion and if they asked several other people, they will get several different answers. The following opinion is for people who do not have their horses on pasture.

Generally, a horse currently in decent body condition needs 2% of his body weight in daily feed. That means a 1,000 lb horse needs 20 lbs of feed each day. And I’m talking hay here. There are two general types of hay: Grass Hay and Alfalfa. Grass Hay usually runs about 10—12% protein and Alfalfa Hay generally runs about 17 –23% protein depending upon what cut of the growing season it is.

Hay should make up the bulk of the horse’s daily feed. With the feeding of grains or processed and bagged horse feed, the daily requirements of hay can be reduced, however, again hay should make up the majority of the horse’s diet and most horse’s do well on hay alone providing it’s a good quality hay and must be free of mold. If it smells bad, don’t feed it!

Although thousands of horses do well on Alfalfa alone, the protein content can present problems that are somewhat avoided with a mix of grass and alfalfa or a grass only diet. There is a saying that everything a horse eats goes straight to their feet. That’s true but it goes the way of the gut and digestive tract before it gets to the feet. High levels of protein are thought to cause blockages or colic in the horse’s gut and can affect the hooves in negative manner such as leading to founder. Generally a horse that gets into grass hay storage and eats and eats and eats won’t have near the problems that the same horse would have if he got loose and overfed on alfalfa.

The more times you feed a horse a day, the better, however most horses do just fine on being fed twice a day. I feed my horses four times a day, dividing up grass and alfalfa in near equal amounts.

My reference bible on horse feed is Equine Clinical Nutrition, Feeding and Care, by Lon D. Lewis, DMV, PhD available from Amazon. I understand that this book is used as a textbook in some college equine management programs. It is worth the cost.

What We Owe Horses – Basic Needs of a Horse

I see a lot of backyard horse owners, visiting some a time or two at their request or being sent there from someone’s complaint that the horse was neglected. I hear myself repeating the same mantra over and over in regards to the basic requirements that the horse needs. It bears repeating since so many horse owners, and undoubtedly potential horse owners are still unaware of the basic requirements for a horse:

• A safe place to keep the horse, free of sharp objects and other dangers.



• A large enough stall for the horse to move around in. I have seen too many horses in a 10 foot by 10 foot stalls to ever want to see another. If a horse was keep in a small stall for some of the day but turned out to exercise or interact with other horses than that’s another story.



• Overhead cover would be a good idea so the horse can get out of the rain, hail or snow and give him a dry place to lay down.



• The stall or corral needs to be relatively clean. Manure not picked up can spread worms and bacteria.



• The horse needs adequate feed. A starting point would be 2% of his body weight per day in hay (1,000 lb horse equals 20 lbs of good quality hay) if that horse is in decent body condition to begin with.



• Clean water. The horse needs free access to clean water. If the water is really dirty, a horse may neglect drinking and become dehydrated which will lead to other problems, such as colic.



• Free access to a salt or mineral block is another item I would consider a requirement.



• Regular vaccinations, appropriately given by a Veterinarian, or someone who is skilled.



• Regular worming. I worm four times a year as my horses are corralled or turnout with other horses who I don’t know the worming history on.



• Regular hoof care. This means cleaning the feet (hooves) daily or near daily basis and having a skilled farrier (horsehoer) trim or shoe the horse on a routine basis. My horses are trimmed or shoed every six weeks; eight weeks in the winter time as the hooves tend not to grow so fast.

The last requirement is as important as the rest;……...the horse needs an owner who sincerely wants to give the horse a fair life. If we keep horses we owe it to them to keep educating ourselves to ensure we are competent in taking care of them.

Contact Functional Horsemanship

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Purpose

The idea behind Functional Horsemanship, Helping horses by Helping People is to provide a forum for information relating to Care for the Horse not limited to but initially covering such topics as Hoof Care, Horse Supplements, Horse Feed, Training Methods and other information specifically for horse owners who do not have the ability or financial means to get information or education in any other manner, or, simply for people who wish to view information from all sources then decide on what information they may want to put in their saddlebag of knowledge.

This idea started years ago as I ran a 52 horse capacity private Horse Stables with a wide (and I mean wide!) range of knowledge or lack of knowledge demonstrated on a near hourly basis by the people boarding horses there. I served as an Army Range Rider and Law Enforcement Conservation Officer riding 1.2 million acres of mountainous and desert country bordered by cattle ranches and small horse operations. Having been called by people to look at or work with horses with problems, most of the problems I have seen are people problems resulting from their lack of knowledge and unfortunately sometimes a lack of caring.

I am also continually asked questions almost on a daily basis, from inexperienced and experienced horses owners alike, on issues such as horse health and hoof care, horse behavior problems, training, nutrition, horse feed, and trailer training to name a few. That taught me several things among them is that there are a heck of a lot of horse owners who just don’t know much about horses and are failing to educate themselves for some reason or another. But it also gave me hope that if people know better they will do better and that better is giving a horse a fair life.

There are many people, perhaps thousands, that are much more qualified to talk about Horse Training, Horse Nutrition, Hoof Care and especially Veterinarian subjects such as Diseases, Vaccines, Horse Dentistry, etc.,…… however many of these experts are outside the reach of the common horse owner. There are many owners of one and two horse operations that may have inherited horses, or whose family who has always had horses, or who are getting into horses for the first time as a hobby or sport, and a lot of these people just don’t know what they don’t know. My intent is to reach those people with the result being a safer and better relationship between the owners and their horses, and ultimately a better life for horses.

Working and riding horses is an inherently dangerous activity. We highly advise horse owners to seek hands on instruction and advice from professional trainers as well as seek a Veterinarian’s counsel on horse health issues.

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Alpine, Texas
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