General Information
Some experts speculate that horses were first domesticated almost 10,000 years ago. Throughout time, these sturdy and resilient animals have been used for transportation, to transport cargo, and sometimes for food. Around 2000 BC, historical records indicate that horses were used by many different cultures and societies.
Once domesticated, horses began to be bred for their specific abilities and characteristics. As humans began to find various uses for these animals they began to breed certain horses for pulling plows and wagons, for riding (with and without saddles), and as mentioned before, some cultures used horses as a source of meat and milk. Modern day horses are used mainly for recreation, although in some areas of the world horses are still used for work.
Scientific Information
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Equidae
Genus: Equus
Species: E. caballus
Character Information
Depending on the breed, horses' behaviors and characteristics vary from being subdued to very spirited animals. Horses are very intelligent can be taught to obey and perform specific tasks when trained to do so. If you have any experience in riding or working with horses, you can attest to the fact that at times they can also be very stubborn animals.
Horses require special attention and care and should be taught to trust their caretaker. Horses that are neglected or not well cared for can become wild and unruly creating an unsafe environment for anyone in this large animal's vicinity.
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General Horse Care Information
- Horses will require on going care and attention - educate yourself on the cost of owning a horse
- Make sure horses have access to plenty of nutritious foods and fresh water
- Horses hoofs need regular attention and care - about every 6-8 weeks
- Take your horse to the Veterinarian every year for a check up and a tetnus shot
- Horses need regular exercise - establish a regular exercise routine
- Horses need protection from the elements - provide your horse with adequate shelter to protect them from wind, rain, snow and heat
- Horses need to be de-wormed every 6-8 weeks - consult with your local veterinarian for the best de-worming solutions
Feeding Information
Giving your horse proper nutrition will allow it to grow and function normally throughout its life. Hay is generally the most widely used source of food for horses - it's rich in vitamins, minerals and proteins and is an essential part of normal food digestion. A balanced diet for horses is largely based on carbohydrates, with fats and proteins as essential supplements to the diet. In addition to an adequate balance of proper food and nutrition, horses should always be provided with plenty of fresh water.
Corn, oats and barley are great additions to a horses diet, but should not be the main staples in the diet. These types of foods are great for use to entice or reward your horse for proper behavior or performance. Be especially careful in feeding your horse too much corn, as it is high in calories and cause unwanted weight gain. Sugar beets, another common "reward food" for horses should be given sparingly and are not recommended for horses that will experience strenuous activity.
Grooming your stallion, mare, pony,…
Grooming your horse regularly produces many benefits. A regular, daily regimen of brushing will keep your horse clean, disease free and will help keep your horse accustomed to being handled. Additionally, grooming provides a gentle massage to your horses coat to promote good circulation and further enhancing resistance to disease.
To groom your horse, us a good stiff brush and stroke your horse using a firm broad stroke in the direction of the hair. Do not brush your horse against the grain of its coat. To remove unwanted dirt or stains, use warm water and a brush. You should avoid using soaps and shampoos that will remove oil from the horses coat - these natural body oils are important for keeping the horse clean and warm, especially during the winter months.
Housing your horses
Whether in a barn or in the field, horses need to feel safe and have the ability to find seclusion and rest. Horses should be provided some sort of shelter from the elements where they can escape the bitter cold, pounding hail, strong winds or even the heat of the sun on hot days. Typically, barns and stables are used as temporary holding locations for horses, as horses prefer to be outdoors where they can run for exercise and graze. Sometimes, horse owners will stable their horses to prevent them from over eating or if they are stress from the elements or pets.
As a side note, if you must tie up your horse, do not tie up the horse so that its nose is tied closely to the pole, restricting the horses' movement. Feeling constrained and being unable to turn its head from side to side, horses will panic and may injure themselves or damage their harness.
Barns
When constructing a barn, always consider the comfort of the horse first. Barns should provide adequate protection from the elements so they can get cool in the summer months and find adequate warmth in the winter months. The stable box should be at least 14 ft. by 14 ft. to allow the horse adequate space to turn around and lie down.
Provide your horse bedding materials that will allow them to get comfortable. While hay is the preferred bedding material, wood shavings can also be used provided the dust does not irritate your horse or cause allergies to flare up.
Open Space
As a general rule of thumb, each horse you own needs about one and a half acres to roam in. Be sure to create an area that allows for grazing and ready access to water.
Exercising the yearling, colt,…
Horses, like most animals, need plenty of exercise. Regular exercise will improve your horse's circulation and digestion and improve the strength of muscles, tendons and bones, and will build endurance, stamina and resistance to disease. Horses kept in open fields will find ways to keep themselves in shape, while stabled horses need the focused attention of their owners to get enough exercise.
As you begin to exercise your horse, set up a regular schedule or routine for your horse. This will insure that your horse gets consistent attention and will allow the horse to gradually build up strength over time.
Before beginning a regular, strenuous exercise routine, horses need to build up strength. Start with light running and walking, allowing your horse to get accustomed to the activity. Remember to walk your horse before trotting and trot before running. Horses that are not adequately warmed up and stretched can injure or pull muscles.
Before beginning stretching, take your horse for a brisk walk to warm up the muscles. To stretch your horse, pull gently on each leg - do NOT use excessive force as you may injure the animal. Stretch each leg for 30 - 60 seconds.
As you exercise your horse, be sure to choose exercises that you and your horse both enjoy. Activities such as running, climbing or jumping will appeal to different horses in different ways. Be sure to follow cues from your horse as to what activities it prefers.
Medicine Information
When providing medicines to your horse, always consult with a local veterinarian to ensure your horse gets the right medicine and dosage.
While most medicines are administered by a veterinarian, you can give your horse oral, liquid medication. To do this, tilt the head of the horse back and pour the medicine into the back of the horses throat. This process is called "drenching."
Vaccinations
Just like humans, horses need preventative vaccinations to avoid disease. Domesticated horses should be immunized against flu (influenza) and tetanus, with booster shots given each year. To set up an immunization schedule consult with your local veterinarian.
In addition to flu and tetanus shots, show horses or any other type of traveling horse should receive additional immunizations. To set up an immunization schedule, including annual boosters and special needs immunizations, consult with your local veterinarian.
Horse Emergencies
Horse injuries are not uncommon and, at times, require immediate attention. Always keep a first aid kit nearby in case of such emergencies. An adequate first aid kit should contain scissors, tape, gauze bandages, thermometer, wound powder, antiseptic and disinfectant creams or gels, ice packs, insect repellant, and elastic self-adhering wraps.
Bleeding
Bleeding requires immediate attention. Before trying to clean a wound, you must stop the bleeding first. Apply immediate pressure with a cloth to open wounds until the bleeding stops. Deep wounds that cause gushing blood should be covered with pressure applied immediately and a veterinarians help should be sought as stitches may be necessary. Once the bleeding stops, apply cold water to the wounded area, or use ice packs regularly to prevent swelling.
Once the bleeding is under control the wound should be cleaned and covered with an antiseptic and a clean bandage. Clean bandages and antiseptic should be used regularly until the wound is healed.
Colic
Sudden changes in diet, strange foods, or stress can induce stomach irregularities in horses, called colic. Colic generally causes sharp pain and cramping in the horse causing them to become uneasy and irritated. While some cases of colic will pass through time and some gentle walking, persistent or ongoing cases may require the help of a veterinarian.
Parasites
Worms
Horses are susceptible to various types of parasite worms. These parasites compete with the horse in the digestive tract for food and nutrients and can cause various health problems. To keep your horse worm free, a horse should be provided with over the counter deworming medications. Experience has shown that the best deworming solutions contain an active ingredient called Ivermectin. Use these medications as directed for best results.
Parasites can build up resistance to certain medications. If the medication you are using stops working, you may want to use a different deworming solution that has a different ingredient set. Studies show that most forms of worm parasites do not built up a resistance to medications containing Ivermectin.
Diseases
Foal Information
A new born foal (colt) needs special care and attention. These guidelines, along with the supervision of a veterinarian will ensure adequate care for your newborn horse.
- When the mother is in labor, be sure to pay attention to the total amount of time during delivery. Hard labor of 30 minutes or more will require the assistance of a veterinarian.
- While the umbilical cord will most likely break naturally after birth, you may help break the cord if it is still attached 15 minutes after birth. Use your hands to break the narrow part of the cord off about two inches from the foals stomach.
- Once the foal is successfully delivered, back off and let the mother and new foal have much needed bonding time.
- In extreme cold or wet weather you may want to rub down the horse with some clean straw or a warm towel.
- You can help the foal through the healing process after delivery by dipping the umbilical stump in some iodine (2%). Do this on the first day only - it is not necessary to continue this process beyond the first day unless infection develops. Any time you suspect an infection, call your local veterinarian.
- The foal may need some help in starting to nurse. Guide the foals mouth to the mother's clean udder with your hand.
- Shortly after birth, your new foal will need a tetanus shot. Consult with your local veterinarian about how and when to do this and other vaccinations.
Breeds
A
Abyssinian
Akhal Teke
Albanian
Altai
American Cream Draft
American Creme and White
American Walking Pony
Andalusian
Andravida
Anglo-Kabarda
Appaloosa
Araappaloosa
Arabian
Ardennes
Argentine Criollo
Asturian
Australian Brumby
Australian Stock Horse
Azteca
B
Balearic
Baluchi
Banker
Ban-ei
Barb
Bashkir
Bashkir Curly
Basotho Pony
Belgian
Bhirum Pony
Bhotia Pony
Black Forest
Boer
Breton
Buckskin
Budyonny
Byelorussian Harness
C
Camargue
Campolina
Canadian
Carthusian
Caspian
Cayuse
Cheju
Chilean Corralero
Chincoteague Pony
Cleveland Bay
Clydesdale
Colorado Ranger Horse
Connemara Pony
Criollo (Uruguay)
Crioulo
D
Dales Pony
Danube
Dartmoor Pony
Deliboz
Djerma
D?le
Dongola
Dulmen Pony
Dutch Draft
Dutch Warmblood
E
East Bulgarian
Egyptian
Eriskay Pony
Estonian Native
Exmoor Pony
F
Faeroes Pony
Falabella
Fell Pony
Finnhorse
Fleuve
Florida Cracker
Fouta
Frederiksborg
French Saddlebred
French Trotter
Friesian
G
Galiceno
Galician Pony
Gelderlander
Gidran
Golden American Saddlebred
Gotland
Groningen
Guangxi
H
Hackney
Haflinger
Hanoverian
Hequ
Highland Pony
Hokkaido
Holsteiner
Hucul
Hungarian Warmblood
I
Icelandic
Iomud
Irish Draught
J
Jinzhou
Jutland
K
Kabarda
Karabair
Karabakh
Kazakh
Kerry Bog Pony
Kiger Mustang
Kirdi Pony
Kisber Felver
Kiso
Kladruby
Knabstrup
Kushum
Kustanai
L
Latvian
Lithuanian Heavy Draft
Lipizzan
Lokai
Losino
Lusitano
M
Malopolski
Mangalarga
Marwari
M'Bayar
Merens Pony
Messara
Miniature
Misaki
Missouri Fox Trotting Horse
Miyako
Mongolian
Morab
Morgan
Moyle
Mustang
Murgese
N
National Show Horse
New Forest Pony
New Kirgiz
Newfoundland Pony
Noma
Nooitgedacht Pony
Noric
Nordland
Northeastern
North Swedish Horse
Norwegian Fjord
O
Ob
Oldenburg
Orlov Trotter
P
Paint
Palomino
Pantaneiro
Paso Fino
Percheron
Peruvian Paso
Pindos Pony
Pinia
Pintabian
Pinto
Polish Konik
Pony of the Americas
Pottok
Przewalski
Pyrenean Tarpan
Q
Qatgani
Quarab
Quarter Horse
Quarter Pony
R
Racking Horse
Rocky Mountain Horse
Russian Don
Russian Heavy Draft
Russian Trotter
S
Saddlebred
Sanhe
Schleswiger Heavy Draft
Schwarzwalder Fuchs
Selle Francais
Shagya
Shetland Pony
Shire
Single-Footing Horse
Skyros Pony
Somali Pony
Sorraia
Soviet Heavy Draft
Spanish Mustang
Spanish-Barb
Spanish-Norman
Standardbred
Sudan Country-Bred
Suffolk
Swedish Warmblood
T
Taishuh
Tarpan
Tawleed
Tennessee Walking Horse
Tersk
Thessalian
Thoroughbred
Tokara
Tori
Trakehner
U
Ukrainian Saddle
V
Vlaamperd
Vladimir Heavy Draft
Vyatka
W
Welara Pony
Welsh Pony and Cob
West African Barb
Western Sudan Pony
Wielkopolski
X
Xilingol
Y
Yakut
Yanqi
Yili
Yonaguni
Z
Zaniskari Pony
Zhemaichu
Products
Apple A Day Electrolyte
Apple-a-day electrolytes are formulated to replenish lost minerals as well as prevent dehydration when used as a daily feed supplement. Water intake and the appetite of your horse will also increase.
Equisport Bandage
Equine Support Bandage - White, 4 inch x 5 yd. Equisport bandage is 4.5 times more elastic then 3M Vetrap Bandaging Tape, providing a high level of support. Equisport bandage is particularly useful for horses returning from injury, horses with severe rundown, and as a prophylactic support of young horses or horses prone to injury.
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The Astonishing, Simple, Ingenious, AND PROVEN Fast-Cash Software System From An Ex-Racingpost Form Student.
