Helpful hints on how to keep your horse happy and healthy.

From AQHA Educational Marketing Alliance Partner  Country Living Association

Whether your horse is a top competitor or a pasture ornament, good nutrition is very important.

Read through these 10 basic steps and learn what you can do to keep your horse happy and healthy all year long – easy keeper or not!

Your horse’s nutrition is up to you:

• Always supply unlimited quantities of clean, fresh water – a critical nutrient needed by a horse. The increase in need rises with rising temperatures.
• Maximize forage intake. Forages are an ideal source of energy, help maintain gastrointestinal tract function and keep your horse from becoming bored.

Potomac horse fever is a very real threat in some parts of the United States. Educate yourself about this potentially fatal disease with our FREE Potomac Horse Fever report.

• Minimize concentrate consumption. Cereal grains such as oats and corn should not be used too frequently to replace the forage component. A mature horse should not be fed more than .3 to .4 percent of its body weight in cereal grains.
• Calcium to phosphorous ratio (Ca:P) should be between 3:1 and 1:1 – a horse requires a number of different minerals in its diet.
• Vitamins are essential to a horse’s diet. It may be necessary to supplement some vitamins.
• Balance a horse’s ration in the following order: energy, protein, minerals, vitamins. An economical and nutritionally wise approach to feeding your horse would be to consult a reference or a doctor. Special requirements should be made to ensure that requirements for energy, proteins, vitamins and minerals are met.
• Monitor your horse’s body weight and body condition score.
• Maintain your horse’s teeth in good condition. Teeth must be filed down to prevent sharp points that can make chewing painful.
• Change feed gradually instead of abruptly.
• Feed each horse as an individual. Although horses are similar, they may have unique needs that may require special attention.

First appearing in the United States in 1979, Potomac horse fever has a number of symptoms and can be deadly. Arm yourself with knowledge about this disease with AQHA’s FREE Potomac Horse Fever report.

Related Posts:

• Prepare for Winter
• Potomac Horse Fever
• Potomac Horse Fever
• Horse Show Health Tips: Part 2
• Feeding in Winter