If you’re used to boarding your horse, it can be a big change when suddenly you’re responsible for all of his day-to-day care. Scheduling feed and hay deliveries, managing vet visits, and coordinating the farrier are just the top of the list items that you’re now responsible for handling. Do you know when your horse needs vaccinations every year? What about an appointment for dental care? Should he see the farrier every 4 weeks for a trim, or does he have slow-growing hooves that make 6 weeks a better option? Before moving your horse home, schedule a time to speak with your current barn manager and trainer to learn the ins and outs of his routine if you don’t already know. Asking questions of the people who currently manage your horse’s health will help soften the learning curve when you bring your horse home.
While all of this may seem overwhelming, by keeping detailed records and setting reminders for when your horse is due for the vet or farrier, you can better stay on top of your horse’s care. Not to mention, now that you’re making every decision for your horse’s lifestyle, this can be a great opportunity to evaluate what you’re currently doing and decide if it’s benefiting your horse or if your program could use a few tweaks!
Now that your horse is home, you’re now the one who needs to see potential issues before they arise and resolve them before your horse gets sick or hurt. This sounds simply, if you see a broken fence board – replace it. But often as you get used to your environment something you see multiple times a day will tend to blend into the back of your mind and it’s natural to eventually stop paying attention to every detail. However, not being on top of your property could mean trouble for you and your horse. Be sure to maintain fences, watering troughs, buckets and everything else around your barn.
Thoroughly cleaning and scrubbing feed buckets and storage areas can reduce unwanted pests attracted by the smell of food. Walking your fence lines gives you the chance to see weakened boards before they break. Every time you clean your horse’s stall, check boards for loose nails. The list goes on and on, but you can stay on top of preventing an incident with an organized checklist of daily, weekly and monthly chores. Even with this list, it’s important to always be on the lookout. A fence post that’s starting to lean may be on your mental checklist when you first notice it, but when you walk outside and see your horse running off down the road after pushing past the fence you’ll regret not taking the time to set the post back straight right away.
When you’re used to dumping a wheelbarrow of poo in the muck heap and then no longer thinking about it, having to deal with the mountains of manure produced by your horses at home can come as a shock. Create a manure management program before you even bring your horses home. Will you spread it on your property? Pay to have it hauled away? Sell it to local garden centers? Do some research and find out the best option for maintaining manure including how you’ll store it at your facility as well. You don’t want runoff polluting your water source or flies swarming around your home.
Moving your horse home means there isn’t another person reminding you when Coggins are due or answering your questions when your horse manages to do something silly and get hurt. Learn everything you can about horse care and management and keep your education ongoing! You’re now the first line of defense against accident or injury, so being prepared well ahead of time is important.
This goes beyond general horse care and extends into pasture management, farm design and much more! Luckily, there are experts in these fields at your local agriculture extension center, online, and probably in your current group of horsey friends!
When it’s not your farm, you may feel inconvenienced when your horse has to stay inside on a rainy day, but once you’re trying to keep mud under control on your own property you’ll quickly come to realize how vital pasture management can be. Rotational grazing is one of the best ways to reduce damage to grass, and when paired with dry lot use during periods of wet weather and keeping an appropriate number of horses per acre, you have the recipe for green grass and less need to feed hay year-round. Because environment and location play such a huge role in managing your fields, it can be helpful to speak with horse farms near you about their pasture program, and test your soil before coming up with a management strategy!
Just as you’ll need to purchase proper tools to maintain your equine property, you can also find resources for organizing your horse care strategy. Pairing your own experience and education with a tool created for the purpose of simplifying barn management, Stable Secretary could play a key role in your horse management program. You can keep organized with all your horse’s feed and health records at the touch of a button, and set reminders in the app for scheduling appointments or keeping up with chores. Moving your horses home can be a dream come true if you have a plan for maintaining your property, prioritizing horse health and staying organized!
