Horses and all the things!

Owning a horse is so much more than riding and playing. It requires lots of learning and understanding about each horse...nutrition, health and safety, daily care and maintenance, training, etc... From the perspective of a new young horse enthusiast! Jump up and on and let's ride into all the fun and adventures in the amazing world of horses!

Today we’re going to talk about the daily feed and care of a horse. It's always good to have a diet on a regular basis for a horse. It's not good to always change around the diet unless there are needed circumstances. Making unnecessary changes rapidly and often could cause weight loss and serious issues with overall horse health.. Keep in mind it is also good to have a routine for exercising and feeding your horse.

So today we're going to be talking about how to make a routine and how to organize it so that your horse is taken care of and healthy at all points in time. The first thing we should talk about will be food and supplements. Now I understand that sometimes people don't have the money to buy the more expensive grain and supplements but even if you can't afford it it's important to have a healthy and sustainable diet. Part of being a horse owner is committing to meeting these needs in every way possible. Diets vary to include omegas for horses that were originally in pastures with lots of forage (grass) to grains and supplements relative to overall general health. One of the brands I use for my horse is called “Purina Strategy Healthy Edge”. It is a forage-based grain with added omegas and flaxseed as well as a few others. We chose this feed because we live in an area that lacks healthy grazing and this is so important to all horses' daily nutrition. I would say this brand gets a 10 out of 10 from me...not to mention it also makes my horse's coat extra shiny. I like this brand because it has so many health supplements and all-natural ingredients. A lot of grain brands use unhealthy chemicals like flavors, which can lead to a multitude of issues in the horse's gut and liver. Recognizing a horse's sensitive digestive system is so important. There are many options for grains and supplements and I encourage you to consult with your veterinarian and a nutrition specialist with each of the top feed companies (such as Purina and Nutrena).

Now one of the issues I'm having with my horse is her not eating the supplements I am providing in her food. We use SmartPak which is a fantastic way to keep them organized and consistent along with awesome guidance to be sure you are choosing exactly what your horse may need! Anyways, the supplements I am giving her are a really important part of her diet so I had to mix them with some applesauce or apple juice and put it in her grain. Fortunately, she is now eating them but it's something to consider when getting supplements for your horse. A way to counteract this is doing what I did, adding a safe, non-chemical substance to the supplements and then the grain. I use sugar-free natural applesauce or sugar-free natural apple juice but you can also use something like molasses or water. It's not much but at least for me it worked and she is now eating her supplements. I guess it's a win-win. I get my horse to eat the giant can of applesauce that I don't want and she gets healthy!

Now that we've talked about some healthy food, let's talk about exercising your horse. It's always good to exercise your horse daily so that they are strong and healthy! One of the things you can do if you're in a rush is free lunge your horse or if you aren't in a rush then you can long line lunge your horse or even do some ground driving. It really doesn't matter as long as they are getting exercise routinely. The benefits of a consistent exercise routine are a lot like the benefits for us humans. Good blood flow, muscle tone, hoof management, strong healthy gut, and well just simply pure happiness and bonding.

Enjoy the video where we discuss all things necessary to keep and maintain a healthy horse in a lot more detail with some fun visuals!

Find it here---> https://youtu.be/78VqTzJ2iOM new channel!