Looking after horses is not an easy job

Press, 29 January 1982, Page 16

Looking after horses is not an easy job

.The responsibilities of horse care should be considered carefully before the purchase of a horse or pony, Mr E. Owen, a livestock officer with the Ministry of Agriculture in Christchurch, said recently. Horse or pony ownership was a rewarding pastime but looking after them was not an easy job, Mr Owens said.

Newcomers to horse ownership, once the novelty had worn off, were sometimes put off by the amount of work involved in an animal’s maintenance and they left the horse in a paddock and forgot about it until they felt like a ride. Mr Owens noted that it was an offence under the Animals’ Protection Act to fail to supply proper food, water, and shelter for an animal.

Shelter was important, and a stable, measuring at least 3m by 3m, was an important asset for a horse owner. Facilities for feed and water plus a supply of bedding (such as straw or sawdust) should be available. The bedding should be changed regularly. A traditional two-piece door, which gives the stable occupant a view of the outside world, was important, Mr Owens said. Water should be made available in a drinker which could not be knocked over. Freshness was important. Overhead hay racks were undesirable, because seed can fall from the hay into the horse’s eye. Hay should be just above floor level — either in a hay net or container.

The amount of feed required by horses and ponies varied according to weight and individual metabolism, the amount of work performed by the animal, and economics.

Mr Owens said feeding should adequately maintain body weight and good health. Idleness and overfatness were both undesirable and harmful.

In the absence of good grazing the basic requirements of different, weight horses were:—

Hay should be of good quality, free of dust, clean, and hard, Mr Owens said. Meadow and lucerne hay was satisfactory but meadow hay tended to act as a laxative. He said oats were best presented in a rolled or kibbled form. This increased the surface area of the grain, aiding digestion. Too many oats could make a horse excitable, Mr Owens said. Nutritionally balanced horse pellets were well worth considering. Bran could also be offered, especially mixed with oats or pellets. This should be dampened with water.

Mr Owens said a proportion of each fodder could be chaffed and the grain and chaff fed together. This prevented the horse from bolting the gpain and reduced the amount of chewing required. Supplementary feeding should be done twice a day and any new feeds introduced gradually. He said any “treats” should be carrots or apples. Large quantities of bread and sugar should be avoided.

■Household scraps were not suitable, he said. Paddocks used for grazing should be spe.iled periodically to prevent the buildup of internal parasites. Advice on dosing for worms was best obtained from a veterinarian, Mr Owens said. He. z recommended that grooming^'should be done diaily because this meant the animal 1 maintained a good, attractive coat and the relationship between horse and owner was enhanced. Too much grooming in winter could remove body grease which was a form of insulation. A good ’grooming after exercise was important, he said. The requirements for brushing and other maintenance were a dandy and body brush to remove dust and loose dirt, scurf, hair and to give a sheen; a metal currycomb to remove heavier and dried mud and to draw and clean brushes; and a hoof pick to remove stones and other foreign objects and to generally clean the hoof. Stones could be caught under shoes, Mr Owens said. Scratches and abrasions should be treated with a mild antiseptic and then covered with an antiseptic -cream. Sores created by cover straps should be treated the same way. Any other injury or illness should be attended to by a veterinarian.’ Mr Owens said the old cliche about a horse being as good as its feet was partly, true. Feet and shoes should be inspected regularly, shoes checked for wear and clenches for looseness. Where an. animal was used regularly on the road a monthly visit to tbe blacksmith was recommended. His' final piece of advice was for horse and pony owners to read plenty of books dealing with all facets of horse ownership.

Weight hay, oats kg kg/day kg/day 272 3-4 1-2 317 3.7-4.7 1.2-2.7 362 4-5.4 1.5-3 408 4.7-6 1.5-3.4