Caring for a horse requires a serious time commitment. Treatment can cost anywhere from $300 to $500 per month (approximately 3-5 million rupiah). However, with good care, horses can make great pets as well as fun companions. Plus, horses can live up to 30 years, or even more. Therefore, make sure you provide shelter and food, as well as proper care for your pet horse.
Step
Part 1 of 4: Ensuring the Right Food and Cage
Step 1. Make sure your horse has a proper place to live
Your pet horse will need a place to stay and rest all year round. The place must be dry, safe, comfortable, able to protect the horse from rain, wind, snow, heat, and the threat of insect bites.
- You can use a windbreak (an area surrounded by a fence or tall trees as windbreaks), a barn, or a large, clean area of your barn as a place to live for your pet horse.
- You can also leave your pet horse in a public stable. For horse care, you may be charged $100 to $500 per month (about 1-5 million), depending on the type of stable you choose (a simple pasture tent may cost less). Sometimes, you can do chores around the barn in exchange for cutting care costs.
Step 2. Provide comfortable bedding for your pet horse
Although horses can sleep standing up, they sleep better when they lie down. This of course requires the right bedding. The bedding must always be kept clean so that it is not harmful to your pet horse.
- Straw can be an inexpensive bedding option for your pet horse. Even though it is warm and comfortable to make a base for, the hay contains mold spores that can be harmful to the health of the horse. Therefore, make sure you continue to monitor the health of your pet horse.
- Wood shavings (dust-free) can be a good option, although they are more expensive than straw. Besides being clean and hygienic, the wood shavings will also not be eaten by the horse, thus preventing the risk of your pet horse chewing something that is harmful to his health.
- Nowadays, many people use hemp fiber as bedding for horses because it doesn't have mold spores that can harm horses.
Step 3. Provide the right food for your pet horse
A medium-sized horse will consume about 9 kilograms of food each day. Because horses have relatively small stomachs and sensitive digestive systems, horses tend to eat grass and chew it throughout rather than just one or two specific foods.
- You can feed your pet horse with half bales of green hay. Half a bale of hay is approximately equal to 2 percent of a horse's body weight. The straw can be grass, alfalfa, or even a mixture of grass and alfalfa.
- Give wheat germ or sweet feed (a type of horse feed in the form of a mixture of corn kernels and sugar syrup) twice a day as additional food for your pet horse. It would be better if you give this additional food at the same time every day (eg in the morning and evening).
- Do not give yellow, smelly, dusty, moldy hay to your pet horse. Nor should you feed your pet horse with plant debris (such as pumpkin seeds or corncobs). These ingredients can cause digestive and respiratory problems.
Step 4. Give salt (a mineral block specifically for horses) to your pet horse to maintain the balance of electrolytes in the horse's body
Horses need minerals to keep the amount of electrolytes in their body high, and these minerals can be obtained from salt. Electrolytes function to regulate the production and expenditure of sweat, saliva, intestinal fluids, urine and nasal mucus. In addition, electrolytes can also regulate the function of the nervous system and liver, as well as maintain the hydration system in horses.
Giving salt blocks to your pet horse can be a good way to provide minerals. However, keep in mind that not all horses will want to consume it, even if they are eager to consume salt. If your horse doesn't seem interested in your salt block, add a few tablespoons of salt to your horse's diet to ensure that your horse is getting the proper mineral intake
Step 5. Provide clean and fresh water every day
Horses need about 30 liters of water every day. Refill the water in your horse's trough regularly or make sure the trough is clean so that the water is always fresh and clean. Clean your horse's drinking trough at least once a week to prevent mold or mildew from growing.
- If you are using a bucket as a drinking vessel for your horse, make sure you refill the water at least twice a day.
- A wooden tub with pipe joints can be a good choice for your horse's drinking trough because you can easily refill the water through the attached pipe. However, in winter, the pipes can freeze so make sure you take good care of the pipes.
Step 6. Take good care of your lawn
Horses need a large area to run around and graze throughout the day. Therefore, you will need to plant your own grass in the area your horse uses for grazing. Alternatively, make sure you know the type of grass that grows or is planted at your horse daycare.
- Make sure you plant the right type of grass for your pet horse. The choice of grass type will depend on the area you live in, as well as the climate and seasons in that area. If you're not sure what type of grass to choose, try asking your local veterinarian.
- Watch for holes in your lawn. If there are holes in your field, cover them so that your horse doesn't fall and get hurt while running. Also make sure the condition of the fence you use. Do not allow holes or openings in the fence, as your horse may escape through the opening or injure himself by getting stuck in the hole in the fence. You can use wire as a fence for your lawn, but make sure you don't use barbed wire as it can cause serious injury to your pet horse.
Part 2 of 4: Taking Care of Your Horse
Step 1. Clean the stables every day
Get rid of the dirt on the straw mat. Use a shovel and wheelbarrow to pick up horse manure and take it to a landfill. Arrange and re-level the straw mats in your stables. Make sure the place where you dump horse manure is far enough away from the stables so that the smell doesn't get into and around the stable.
- If your horse is being kept in a large stable, make sure you clean the stable at least three times a day.
- Dispose of any straw mats that have been contaminated with horse manure. After you've cleaned the floor of the cage and removed the dirty straw mat, replace it with a new, clean straw mat.
Step 2. Comb your pet's horse hair
If you keep your horse in a stable, you will need to brush its fur daily to keep it healthy. You should also untangle the hair and tail feathers to keep them from getting tangled, and remove any small thorns or weeds that stick to the hair and tail.
- Use a special brush (known as a currycomb, a kind of brush with tiny teeth on each edge) to remove any dry mud or dirt stuck to the horse's hair. When combing horse hair, first use a stiff brush, then use a soft brush afterwards. You need to be careful when combing your pet's hair on the head and legs that have bony protrusions. Therefore, use a softer brush or comb to comb the hair in that area.
- Bathe your pet horse on a warm day. Make sure you use an anti-fungal shampoo to prevent mold from growing on your horse. The oil that protects the horse's body from water will disappear when you bathe your pet horse. Therefore, bathe your pet horse when the weather is warm and sunny. You can also use a blanket or waterproof cloth to protect your horse before taking him out for a bath.
- Use a wide-toothed plastic comb and gently comb your horse's hair. If you have tangled hair, make sure you untangle and smooth it out using your fingers. It is advised not to use scissors to trim the horse's hair as it will take months to grow back. Also, don't pull on tangled hair or tail feathers as this can make the hair and tail hair thin and short.
Step 3. Bring your pet horse to practice and move
Horses need to be trained and moved every day. If you can't train your horse, make sure your horse can still move, even if it's just for a walk in the fields. Alternatively, you can ask someone to train your pet horse.
Horses need a large area to walk around and relax. Both of these are in addition to the training you give your horse (riding). Therefore, it is important for you to have a fairly large field of grass
Part 3 of 4: Ensuring Your Horse's Health
Step 1. Give your pet horse paw care
Horses can easily develop problems with their feet, especially if they are not given proper care. Make sure their paws are cleaned daily to remove stones or other objects that could cause bruising or bacterial infections on your horse's paws. In addition, you also need to trim your pet horse's toenails. Ask the blacksmith for help to do this.
- For horses that have been fitted with a horseshoe, trim their toenails every six weeks.
- For horses that don't have a horseshoe, trim their toenails every eight weeks.
Step 2. Flatten (flatten) your pet horse's teeth
This is important because the horse's teeth can be sharpened and become sharp so that it can hurt the horse while chewing food and make it refuse to eat. Ask your veterinarian to brush your horse's teeth at least once a year.
Check the condition of your horse's mouth to see if there are any signs of a problem with his mouth. Notice if there are sharp corners in the mouth. If your pet horse has a lot of mucus in his nose, coughs frequently, or vomits food out of his mouth, these could be signs of a problem with the horse's mouth and need to be treated immediately
Step 3. Call your vet to check the health condition of your pet horse
You should of course check the health of your pet horse, at least once a year. The vet will vaccinate, treat worms if there are signs of worms, and check the overall health condition of your pet horse. If you don't have your horse checked, minor health problems can become more serious if not treated early on.
- Twice a year, horses should be vaccinated against influenza, rhinopneumonitis, encephalomyelitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord), and tetanus.
- Contact your veterinarian to regularly check and treat your horse for worms. You can also take some measures to prevent or spread worms such as not having a large number of horses in one small place, changing the type of grass, and regularly removing horse manure to maintain cleanliness.
Step 4. Always be careful with poisonous plants
It is very important for you to ensure that there are no harmful and toxic plants for your pet horse. If you take your pet horse for a walk, make sure you know what plants are dangerous so you can prevent the horse from eating them. If you feel that your pet horse has eaten something harmful, contact the board doctor immediately.
Some spring and summer plants and animals that can be harmful to horses include: wilted maple leaves, black walnuts, oaks, yew fruit (a type of needle-leaved plant, with small, red fruit), rose laurel (a Japanese flower or butter flower), Rhododendron, azalea, blister beetle (often found in the Middle East, can cause skin blisters)
Part 4 of 4: Prepare Early Before Problems Occur
Step 1. Get your pet horse familiar with truck trailers and other people
Introduce your pet horse to things that may be unfamiliar to him like truck trailers and harnesses. If your pet horse is already familiar with these things, it will be easy for you to take it and put it on a trailer truck if a problem occurs and your pet horse needs to be taken to a certain place (such as a vet).
Make sure your pet horse is also used to being taken care of by someone other than you. In a pinch, sometimes you need to ask someone else to take care of your pet horse. It can be difficult if your pet horse is not used to being taken care of by other people
Step 2. Know the important numbers to call in case of an emergency, as well as the layout of your neighborhood
You need to know who to call in case of a problem (such as if your pet horse is sick or there is a fire in your barn).
By knowing the layout of your neighborhood (such as your farm), you can easily bring security (such as the fire department) to where the problem is. You also know where to move your pet horse in an emergency, such as a fire
Step 3. Get to know other horse owners around where you live
It is important for you to be able to communicate and get to know other people who may be able to help you if there is a problem with your pet horse. In addition, they may also be able to share important information regarding horse care.
- By having acquaintances or friends who own horses, you can quickly obtain and disseminate information regarding horse care, especially information about infections or diseases that are rapidly spreading in the horse population.
- Ask for help when you need it. The more people you know, the more people who can immediately help you when you need help.
Step 4. Make sure important letters or phone number lists are kept in a safe and easily accessible place
You certainly don't want to rummage through your cupboards and drawers only to find your vet's phone number when something goes wrong with your pet horse.
- Make sure you also keep records of your horse's health in a safe and easily accessible place.
- Always keep your vet's phone number and other phone numbers you can call in an emergency in a place that is easily accessible to you.
Tips
- Some horses get sick easily if their food is placed in a dirty place. Therefore, do not let the food for your pet horse directly touch the ground.
- When changing the type of food for your pet horse, make the changes gradually. Start by giving small amounts of the new type of food and gradually increase the amount so that your horse gets used to the new type of food.
- Ask experienced horsemen for advice on horse care and tips.
- Ideally, you can start training your pet horse after you buy it. Start by practicing small walks, then trots. After that you can try to ride it and take it racing. This way, both you and your pet horse can get to know each other and get used to each other's presence.
- Don't overfeed your pet horse; give the right amount of food.
- The explanations in this article are examples of daily horse care in the stables. You don't need to actually follow it (does everything exactly as described in this article).
- In the example, the amount of food for the horse is as much as two buckets of food. However, ideally the horse should be fed twice a day.
- Do not immediately ride your pet horse on the first day the horse comes to your place. First take your pet horse to its stable and then to the grass field. This is so that your pet horse gets used to its new environment.
- If there's something you need, try to borrow it from your neighbors before buying it.
- To save money, buy food for your pet horse in bulk. However, make sure you store it properly.
Warning
- Don't make sudden movements around the pony you just bought as it will take some time to get used to your presence.
- Stand behind your pet horse a good distance away. If your pet horse is frightened or angry, they can kick with their hind legs and this can be dangerous to you, even deadly. Also, keep in mind that horses can bite and have a flexible neck that can rotate 180 degrees.
- Horses should not be abandoned. Before you decide to keep it, make sure you know that you really want to keep it and are prepared for the consequences. To ensure this desire, try doing a small job at a public stable for a few months. In this time period, you will have a wealth of experience with horse care that can help you make the big decision to raise your own horse.
- Don't walk right behind your pet horse. Even if you feel that you know your horse very well, it may kick you for a number of reasons.
- This article is only intended to provide an outline of horse care instructions. You need to know that horses are not machines, so they need to be respected and cared for with a lot of love. In general, the care and supervision of horses should only be carried out by experienced people or people who really want to take good care of them.
- Insure your pet horse before you bring it home.
