If you’re planning on being a first-time horse owner- this is a super exciting moment. But before you go and choose your future friend, it’s important that you know all the basics to ensure you can give him what he needs.
This means learning about what to feed him and how, as well as checking his health to make sure that he is fit and healthy.
Horses, like any other farm animals, are a very big responsibility so never take your decision lightly. There’s a lot to think about and consider, so you need to know what having one really consists of.
First-Time Horse Owner?
The beginning
When you first bring your horse home, there are a few things that you need to know so that you can care for him right away. This means knowing how to settle him in securely so that they can’t hurt themselves.
Bear in mind that your horse will be nervous at first because he’s in new surroundings with new smells and new people. Don’t make any sudden movements around him, or make any loud noises. Remember, you always have the option to buy cbd for horses, which can be added to his feed and can help to calm and relax him as he settles into his new home.
As much as you may want to cuddle, pet, and ride your new horse – try not to do this right away. Give him some space to settle into the new environment before you do anything. Moving to fast or making loud noises are not good choices for the first-time horse owner.
Sheltering your horse
You should be looking at horse stables for sale well before you bring him home. You’ll need to make sure that it’s all ready for him without you having to mess around.
While a lot of horses tend to spend most of their days on your land grazing and basking in the sun, you will still need somewhere that you can secure them inside. A run in shelter is always a good idea to have too just in case the weather turns bad and your horse needs somewhere to quickly shelter themselves without you having to worry about any locks or doors.
Feeding your horse
Never ever give your horse old hay – ever. Not even as a last resort, as this can leave him struggling to breathe for the rest of his life. While grass is your horse’s go-to food because it’s natural and full of nutrients – sometimes it’s not available, and in that case, you need to ensure you have other options.
Horses also enjoy nibbling on treats, but you mustn’t overfeed them with these because they will fall into bad habits, so it’s your job to monitor what you’re giving them. Treats consist of fresh fruit and vegetable like apples, carrots, lettuce, coconut, pairs, peaches, and cherries.
Monitoring your horse’s health
Just like any other creature on the planet, horses can get sick and injured. The key to preventing this as much as possible is knowing what signs to look out for, and monitoring their health, as well as being able to identify a problem when it does arise, and then treating it the right way.
The basic things that you’ll need to learn are taking your horse’s vital signs, which means checking their temperature and their heart rate. You should also check through their coat to make sure they don’t have any nasty parasites or insects that are causing your horse grief.
There are many other considerations when taking on horse ownership but the basics are covered here. Proper shelter, feed, treats, water, and healthcare are all the important tasks to handle first. Once you have these items taken care of you can start to learn and do more with your horse.
Do you own a horse? Do you have other advice for a first-time horse owner that you can share with my readers? Please put your comments below.
For care of other farm animals see; Choosing Chickens for the Homestead, Understanding Goat Breeds, and Raising Pigs.
I wanted a horse when I was little. The problem was we lived in the city (big city – Los Angeles). We did have stables along the Los Angeles riverbed so I learned to ride on rent horses. I finally had my dream come true in junior high school and had to keep my horse in a stable along the same riverbed (by then a huge cement channel). As a adult, we bought a house near a park. There was a stable there and my husband bought me a horse for a surprise Christmas present. The park had much better riding trails. Now I live where having a horse would be impossible, but I’ve never lost that dream and longing. – Margy
What a wonderful story. Don’t give up on your dreams!