Feeding

It is against a horse's nature to without food and water.  He takes it for granted that he can spend most of the day grazing.  And his digestive system is designed for a constant flow of food.  It is essential not to deprive him of this need,as he will become very stressed if there is nothing to eat.  Whether your horse is turned out or stabled,make sure he has a constant supply of grass or hayand fresh,clean water.  Hard feed provides vitamins and minerals necessary for a balanced diet.  Feed little and often.  Adjust the amount of feed according to the amount of work the horse is doing,the time of the year,the age of your horse,the height and build of the horse and also wheter your horse is grass kept or stable kept.  All these factors affect the type and amount of food you feed.  Make sure to feed at regular intervals during the day.  The horse quickly establishs a routine and expects it's food at a certain times.  Disrupting this can lead to frustration.  Never feed before riding.  Only use clean bowls for feeding and watering.  Never make a sudden change to the horse's diet.  Changes should be made gradually over several days.  There are many different types of food on the market and here is a small selection of them.  Hay,oats,barley,maize,cubes,coarse mix,sugar beet,chaff,bran and linseed. You can also feed apples,carrots and mints.  And you can also provide a salt lick.

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                     Shelter in a field

If your horse is kept at grass it must have some kind of shelter.  Trees and hedges form the best kind of natural shelther.  If these are not available man-made shelters are just as good.  These need to be three sided to allow the horse to get in and out easily.  They also need to provide protaction from the elements such as wind and rain.  Shelters can be made from wood or blocks.

 

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                                  Stables

Stables are often made from wood which is fine but not fire resistent.  They can also be made from blocks but this can be very expensive.  If you are building a stable for a pony remember in a few years time you might have to buy a horse and then the stable will be to small.  Make sure not to build a stable somewhere that it might become flooded.  And also make sure that you can get water to the stable where your horse is kept.

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Bedding

If your horse is kept in a stable he will need some kind of bedding.  Here are some to help you decide.  Straw,shreded paper,saw dust and rubber matting.  Straw provides a warm and comfortable bed.  Shreded paper is good but does not provide a bed that is as warm as straw.  Saw dust is very good but hard to dispose of.  Rubber matting is long lasting but not very comfortable unless there is some sort of bedding on top.

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                            Grooming

Grooming is very necessary to keep a horse clean and healthy.  It also massages th body.  And can help build up a better relationship between horse and rider.  The grooming consists of the.  Dandy brush,water brush,curry comb,2 sponges,sweat scraper,hoof oil and a body brush.  And some people who like showing have a quarter marker,rubber bands and a clipper.  

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                              Tack

Tack includes a saddle,bridle,girth and numnah. The saddle is the most expensive.  The bridle can alsobe expensive.  But not as much as the saddle.  The bridle the most important because it is how you stop and steer your horse.  The girth is very important because it holds the saddle in place. The girth can be made from leather,cotton and synthetic fabric.  The numnah is also very important because it protects the horse's back and reduces the risk of saddle sores.

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                                            Riders clothes

For going to shows you will need to look smart.  So you should wear a shirt and tie,a pair of white or cream jodpurs,a showing jacket and a pair of long boots short are also accepted.  And for dressage you can wear a top hat and spurs.  For everyday riding a pair of jodpurs riding boots and a riding hat.  You can also wear a body protector.  For mucking out you should wear a pair of old trousers and a old top and if you have them a pair of  heavy boots.  This is just incase a horse steps on your toes.

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                           Hunting

Huntig is one of many popular things to do on horseback.  Both horse and rider must be turned out very smartly.  There is also the hounds which are controlled by the huntsman.  You are never to young or to old to go hunting.  Many children are taken out and an abundance of pensioners still hunt regularly.  Aswell as the huntsman there is a field master and 3 whippers in these controll the hounds.  And the field master controls people.  All of these wear the pink coats.  The main hunt is boxing day.  The hunting season starts in late November or early December.  And then ends in early March.

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         Poisonous,plants,shrubs and trees.  

There are many plants,shrubs and trees which are poisonous to horses and ponies.  Some of which are buttercup which are poisonous if eaten in large quantities.  One of the most dangerous plants of all is ragwort.  Ragwort contains alkaloids which poison the liver.  All parts of the yew dead or alive are lethal there is no known antidote.  Acorns if eaten in large ammounts.  So if there is an acorn tree in your field get it cut down.

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                           Mucking out

Mucking out requires  these instruments such as a wheel barrow if necessary,a bag of shavings a shovel,a pith fork, a wire brush these will necessary if your cleaning average size stable.  After all the dirty shavings are removed and placed in the wheelbarrow now it is time to fill again with new shavings after you have emptyed the bag it is time to use the shovel to spread it out and it is essential to fill up the corners to avoid swelling of hocks.  Now it is time for the clean buket of water and a section of hay.  Which you will need to spread out.

 

 

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                       Common illnesses 

Mud fever is a very common illness that effects the legs or lower body.  It is most often found in the lower leg.  Another common illness is colic this is an abdominal pain which may occur for a number of reasons such as a sudden change in the diet and in rare cases a twisted gut.  Ringworm which is an fungal illness of the skin and hair.

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                                                                 By Anneka H.

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