Must-Haves for Horses..?

[secuono]

Ok, got this from someone asking in the Goat section.
What do you guys have for your horses that you think is an absolute Must Have?
From out in the barn, health, etc.

 

[patandchickens]

Safe fences.

Good appropriately-chosen food and a constant supply of good clean water.

Footing that stays not too muddy year-round i.e. horse should not be knee-deep in muck all winter.

Shelter from wind and (if horse chooses) rain/snow, structured so that the horse can be locked indoors if necessary due to health reasons or etc.

Safe fences.

Somewhere covered and reasonably-indoors for the farrier and vet to work, with a flat reasonably-hard floor (i.e. not a bedded stall or mud)

A halter and good strong leadrope (no chain, and round not flat) for each horse you own.

Safe fences.

Basic first-aid stuff like sterile gauze pads, vetrap, flashlight or headlamp, etc

Hoof pick, stiff brush, soft brush, rubber curry mitt or equivalent.

And the #1 very biggest of all supply that is a true "must have" if one expects to keep a horse happy and healthy: SUBSTANTIAL EXPERIENCE WITH MULTIPLE HORSES UNDER EXPERIENCED SUPERVISION, plus good books and experienced people to call on when you need help.

Also safe fences.

JMHO,

Pat

 

[carolinagirl]

I don't have horses now, but one thing I have learned about them from the years of having them, if there is a way to get themselves injured on something, they will find it. So when you are setting things up for them and think like a horse. Fence is probably the #1 souce of injury for horses. If you can't afford the expensive fence that has holes too small for a horse to get his hoof in it, then you MUST have electric wire to keep horses away from a fence. NO barbed wire around horses EVER. No hay nets unless they are mounted up high. No tin down low. Look for nail heads sticking out of boards. No halters when in the pasture. The list goes on and on and on and on...... the point is, horses are not really all that bright. If they become entangled in anything, they don't stop and think of the logical thing to do.....they panic and fight it with all of their might. There are expections to this, but for the most part if a horse gets hung up in barbed wire, it will cut it's self to ribbons trying to get free.

 

[secuono]

So horses are stupid animals, great!
There is standard 'field fencing' around most of it with wooden posts. Holes are 4x4in or so. I will use left over 'no climb' fencing for the smaller paddock with 7ft metal T-Posts. Holes on that are 2x3in.
Will the 7ft posts still need caps on them? I'm not planing on keeping Clydesdales...

Can horses be fed grass only diets? Or is hay and grain always needed in some amount?

 

[patandchickens]

So horses are stupid animals, great!

If this is news, I would strongly suggest a boarding barn ;P

There is standard 'field fencing' around most of it with wooden posts. Holes are 4x4in or so.

You can, but let me just say that it's not an especially safe fence for horses, especially for a smaller paddock (i.e. less than a couple acres plus). It is exactly the right size to get a hoof/leg THROUGH but not BACK OUT OF in one piece, and tends to produce horrifying tendon injuries when a horse tries to walk it down or does an inaccurate sliding stop in front of it.

It is better than barbwire, but there are a lot safer things. You might consider at least keeping an eye out for a good deal at auction, or a sale at the feedstore or TSC, on more horse-safe fencing.

I will use left over 'no climb' fencing for the smaller paddock

2x4 no-climb is a pretty good safe material when installed correctly.

However, just checking, you mention the holes being 2x3"... are you suuuuure this is actual livestock-type no-climb fencing, not stuff intended for gardens or pets? I have never in my life seen livestock fencing with 2x3 holes, whereas garden-grade stuff is commonly sold in that size. Perhaps it is a typo and you mean 2x4 of course. But if it is by any chance garden-grade 2x3" mesh, I would not use it around horses, it will not hold them and it will not hold them *safely*.

with 7ft metal T-Posts. <snip>Will the 7ft posts still need caps on them? I'm not planing on keeping Clydesdales...

<scratching head> Well, your 7' posts will be only 4-5' aboveground (depending how deep you set them -- but if they are holding 2x4 mesh, I would really suggest closer to 3' than to 2', because that stuff catches a lot of wind, also horses tend to lean on it sometimes, even if it has a hotwire).

4-5' above the ground is right exactly at horse jugular-and-chin-and-eyeball height.

Translation: yes, you nstill need caps on them!

Can horses be fed grass only diets? Or is hay and grain always needed in some amount?

Can I seriously, very very seriously, suggest that you take a while off forums to go do some basic reading instead on horse management, because some of these questions are really worrying me. You can't expect to learn as you go, you have to have a reasonably sound knowledge of the basics before becoming responsible for a horse's care.

To answer the question as such: horses most often do quite well on only high-quality pasture (tho some ages/stages or horses in hard work may need some grain, this is unlikely to pertain to any horse you'll get) but only if it is ample good quality pasture. If it runs out, or was not good quality to begin with, then they will obviously need other food.

(edited to clarify: "only high-quality pasture" means 24/7 access. If the horse is stalled at night, he needs hay during that time, no matter how good your pasture is)

The most fundamental nutritional need of horses is roughage. They get this from either grass or hay (there are some more-obscure substitutes, like beet pulp, but that is beyond the scope of this discussion). So if a horse is not getting enough grass to meet his roughage needs he absolutely MUST have enough hay to compensate.

On top of that are the other nutritional needs like enough total calories, enough protein, proper balance of minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, etc. I am not going to even try writing a dissertation on this here except to say, you need to learn at least a bit about this.

Grain or other concentrate (pellets, etc) are usually used to add total calories more than anything; but as I say, this is NOT USUALLY NEEDED for typical adult horses in light work. And you can actually cause quite a lot of problems, sometimes fatal, with grain or concentrates.

Please, please, go read some books and websites, you need to have gotten at least a B+ in the lecture portion of Horsekeeping 101 before it is safe to proceed to the lab portion i.e. actually having a horse at home. I am sure you have done some reading already and that's great but it needs to be a lot more if these are the questions in your mind...

Pat

 

[Blue Dog Farms]

If you are planning to take a grain fed horse off grain and on only grass,good luck. My mare is fat as a pig our grass and gets minimal QUALITY grain for the vitamins and minerals. You can give mineral blocks, but if your grass is not exceptional you will not have a happy horse. And during the winter hay is a must. It is expensive. and cheap hay is not going to cut it. Good grain and nice hay is a must for most horses. You need to know what colic looks like and when to call a vet. Then you must be able to PAY the vet. Not cheap. Not knowing when to call the vet or how to treat colic can kill your horse QUICK and its very painful. A good ferrier is hard to find. You must know what thrush looks like. Do you have someone to call to come out and look at your horse if you have questions? I have had horses my whole life and still I ask my mother questions all the time. My mare is at her place because although I have 5acres it is not sufficient for horses.Grass turns to dirt quick then you have sand colic issues and must provide lots of hay daily $$$$$$$ Good Luck
:/

 

[secuono]

I want the horse shoeless, eating grass 24/7. Hay I can add from time to time, mainly in winter. Grain isn't something I'm wanting to buy.
I see two horses on a 1/3 acre lot, never ridden or taken out. They have a 4-5ft bale of hay, still have grass on the ground.

Pat is doing a great job of making me not want a horse...Don't mean that in a bad way, but...lol....jeez.

 

[carolinagirl]

I want the horse shoeless, eating grass 24/7. Hay I can add from time to time, mainly in winter. Grain isn't something I'm wanting to buy.
I see two horses on a 1/3 acre lot, never ridden or taken out. They have a 4-5ft bale of hay, still have grass on the ground.

Pat is doing a great job of making me not want a horse...Don't mean that in a bad way, but...lol....jeez.

Shoeless and eating grass 24/7 might work well a horse like a mustang, but the kind of horse you are considering buying it won't work. The more refined breeds are not as hardy and need more specialized diets and care. Once in a while you come across a horse that is considered to be an "easy keeper", but they are few and far between. I had one once. She stayed fat and healthy on pasture alone, with carrots and treats. I never shod my horses, but also only road them on dirt or pasture. A horse that has been shod her whole life probably will need to stay shod. At the very least, you will still need to get her professionally trimmed once a month.

I don't mean this in a nasty way, but you really really need to step back and learn a whole lot more about horses before you get one. You just aren't ready!

 

[chubbydog811]

Eek...I'm going to agree with the others on this one...Go back to horse school before you buy a horse. Leasing is always a good place to start - you can work behind the horse/barn owner and ask crazy questions, but it is in their control, so you cant kill the horse in your care.
Most horses now - unless they have at least 2-3 acres of good pasture need GOOD QUALITY hay and grain. This also depends on your location (around here, it is hard to find a field that you can just graze and not feed anything else). If you don't want to buy grain, don't buy a horse. At some point in the horse's life, it will most likely need grain (like when it gets older, if it has a hard time keeping weight on. Younger growing horses as well)
The going rule is at least 1 acre per horse. Otherwise your pasture will turn into a dry lot in the summer, and a mud pit in the spring (ask me how I know!) The short grass that the horses dont kill isn't enough to support them.
T-posts are a BAD idea. Enough said.


Also, other than safe fencing, ect that has been covered - don't forget about vet and farrier care. It seems that is always the first thing new horse owners forget (when they haven't had proper training). A good farrier is a MUST. As they say (whoever "they" are) No foot, no horse. Make sure you find a good vet ahead of time as well. With those t-posts, you might need one!


Sorry, I'm not trying to be rude, but SOO many people jump into horse ownership without knowing what is going on. That is the worst way to start...Seriously, find a barn that will let you lease a horse at their farm, and learn there first. It will ruin your horse experience if you start off on a bad foot.

 

[itsjustjen]

* T-post fencing, when done incorrectly, can be very dangerous! I boarded at a barn but quickly moved after they started chopping pastures down with t-posts. They were weak and the electric was strong enough and my horse WALK straight through the fence! I was very luck that he simply walked into another pasture and not out into the woods or , god forbid, the road! *

I have owned horses for years but they were always boarded. I just renting a new house in March but there was nothing set up for horses...I had to put it up all myself! I did LOTS of reading and asking as many questions as I could on the must have to fences, shelter, etc.

Here is what I did/have to date :

High tensil electric fencing, 4 strands high. 4 in posts for the main fencing with 6 in posts at the corners with 4 inch posts bracing the corners for extra support.

Coverd run in that is walled on one side against the elements. ( Was a shed that I completely converted into a run in.

At least a dozen or so trees within the pasture as horses will not always stay in the run in in light rain.

Seperate pasture that is 1/3 the size of the main pasture as a back up pasture/ holding pen for my unruly 5 yr old.

They have access to a round bale of hay 24/7 plus grass to graze on PLUS a high quality feed.

2 water troughs with clean, fresh water

All the tools ( brushes, picks, curry combs ) along with bandages, wraps, santizing products ( iodine ) etc.

Total cost of everything I have : $ 2200

And that's just for the things I've listed. That doesn't include the feed I buy every month OR the hay I buy weekly. That's another $ 250 a month.

It's great that you want a horse, I'm all for it! But please, do more research and cost listing. I saved for quite some time but the bulk of my money was my tax return.

If I had the money, I would have a pasture twice the size I have now with wooden board fencing with electric running the top, a full sized barn with seperate paddocks attached to each stall, trailer parking within the barn, feed room, tack room, high quality pasture grass. But all that can come later once I own my own home and land.