This Mahalo page will provide information on how to care for your horse. You will find information on what, when and how much to feed your horse, how to groom and generally take care of your horse and how to exercise with your horse.

Horse owners new and old are responsible for learning how to care for your horse and keeping updated on the latest in nutrition, health, and care. Even those who have owned horses for years can benefit from going over the basics. Those new to the horse owning experience will find that every little bit of reading and the asking of questions will bring them closer to an understanding on how to care for their horse. If you are contemplating buying your first horse there is much to learn about just the basics of caring for a horse or pony and you should do as much research as you can before making the final purchase. Backyard ponies to Grand Prix dressage horses, race horses to the quiet trail horse, they all require the same basic care.

If you ever have any doubts about the care of your horse, make sure to ask a veterinarian. Hopefully the information below will answer some of the questions you may have on caring for your horse.

The first basic consideration one has to look at is what you are feeding your horse. Although grass is the ideal food for the horse it is not always readily available and horses that are breeding, pregnant, or involved in a sport may need extra supplementation of their feed. If you have enough pasture to keep your horse on graze for most of the summer, that is lovely. You have to consider about 1 acre per horse at the very least. If you are able to split the pasture and rotate the horse it will help with the control of parasites and giving a section of your pasture a little break. However, not everyone has access to grazing pasture and many horses are at boarding stables or training stables. In all situations the quality of the hay and feed is very important. It is also important to remember that not all horses need a lot of supplementation and many ponies do wonderfully on just grass or hay. Overfeeding rich grains increases the chance of colic, founder, and obesity.http://forum.horsetopia.com/health-nutrition/101124-pellets-vs-sweet-feed.html

There are many types of hay available though local availability often determines what you are able to get for your horse.

1. Grass Hay:This includes hay such as Bermuda hay and timothy hay.
2. legume Hay: Alfalfa falls under this category as well as the not as popular clover hay.

Whichever hay you choose make sure it fits your horses nutritional needs. Hay suitable for horses that are retired or on light duty is not necessarily going to work for a cutting horse or a race horse in training. Make sure your hay is free of mold. Hay with mold or too much dust can cause inflammation of the respiratory tract and impair breathing. The key is to buy good hay and feed lots of it as you may reduce your grain feeding which may save you money in the long run and reduce your horses risk of colic.http://www.uky.edu/Ag/AnimalSciences/pubs/id146.pdf

The two basic feed types available are:

1. Pelleted feeds: Pelleted feeds are those that have been milled and pressed into a pellet that reminds one of rabbit food. it is less dusty than most textured feeds and has the advantage of having vitamins and supplements already in the feed. Pelleted feeds come from a variety of sources and are separated in the categories such as growth, maintain, active horse and senior care. Remember to choose the one that applies to your horse.
2. Textured feeds (including sweet feed): Are loose grains of different kinds that might includes things such as corn and oats. Sometimes molasses is added which cuts down on the dust. These will also come in all sorts of combinations that can fit your horse's nutritional needs.

All horses will need to have their feet trimmed every 4-6 weeks. The growth rate of the horses hooves will vary between the time of year and sometimes it will seem you horses needs trimmed right at 4 weeks, or maybe the interval can be a little longer. If you are riding on hard ground, pavement, or rocks you may want to look into getting shoes on your horse as well, a few times does not hurt the horses foot but constant work on such surfaces may warrant them. The shoes will help protect your horse's most valuable asset, as the saying goes "no hoof no horse".http://www.total-horse-expert.com/horse-hoof-care.htmlhttp://www.ultimatehorsesite.com/info/quotes_horseproverbs.html

Find a farrier that will take his time with you and your horse and answer your questions. Most farriers now attend school and get a certification and are very knowledgeable in their field. Ask questions if you are in doubt about your horse's feet. You may ask how long the farrier has been in business and what school he went to. You may find a farrier by word of mouth from your horsey friends or the stable where you board may use a particular farrier. Your veterinarian would be able to point you to a few good farriers as well.

You will also need to give your horse its yearly vaccinations. For an adult horse the AAEP recommends the following:

1. Tetnus
2. Eastern/western Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE/WEE)
3. West Nile Virus
4. Rabieshttp://www.aaep.org/images/files/Adultvaccinationtablerevised108.pdf

You will also want to do routine teeth care such as having teeth floated yearly and wolf teeth removed if present.

An aggressive parasite control program is paramount to maintaining your horses' health. Worming is best done on a rotational schedule with paste wormers available from your local horse supply store, feed store, or veterinarian. You can also help in controlling parasite by rotating pastures, feeding from a feeder instead of the ground, breaking up the manure piles in the pasture by harrowing, grouping horses together by age and removing bot eggs from the horses coat.http://equisearch.com/horses_care/health/deworming/eqpara2574/

A bored horse is a horse that is just looking to get into trouble. All kinds of bad habits appear when a horse is not able to occupy his time in a constructive manner. This is especially true to horses that are kept in a stall for large amounts of time. You see such habits appear such a cribbing (eating the wood in the stalls), wind sucking (grabbing onto a hard wood surface and sucking in air), and weaving (rocking to and fro). For a horse to maintain his mental and physical health he needs to be able to get plenty of exercise. This can come in several forms, such as just turning out in a pasture to be with other horses. Horses will initiate play amongst themselves and will run and race or play take with other horses in the herd. If a horse must be stalled, there are busy balls and licks that may be installed in the stall to help alleviate boredom. Small feedings of hay throughout the day may also help in keeping horses busy, both in the paddock and in the stall.

Of course the best form of exercise is with you as the rider. A horse loves a job and if you are interested in a particular style of riding, work with your horse on it. Explore the areas that your horse may seem to excel at. Arena work may be alternated with "hacking out" or trail riding. This helps to keep your horse's interest piqued and you alert as well. If your horse is sore or lame for a few days, hand walking is often an acceptable form of exercise, but always check with your vet before starting a program with a horse with soreness issues or that is lame.