“Horse boots?” you ask.  “Horse blankets, shoes, leg wraps, boots … does my horse come with its own wardrobe?”  The purchase of a horse can bring so many changes; it can overwhelm the owner just by the information needed on the supplies.

Aside from the horse blankets, pads, and a saddle, you’ll need other things such as a horse trailer, a large fenced area for grazing, a barn, curry combs, a big water barrel or trough, grains for feeding, bridles, bits, a halter, and various other items that might come in use.

Another item you may want to consider would be horse boots.  Don’t worry, you won’t have to take your pet shopping and spend hours at the shoe store while they choose their selections!  You could be amazed, however, at the stores that do sell horse boots and at how many varieties there are.  There may be as many as there are different selections of blankets.
 
As with the horse blankets, the horse boots are not just for looks. 

Hardened surfaces can be brutal against a horse’s hooves.  Especially a horse subjected to rough, rocky environments or tough work conditions.  One type of horse that comes to mind is the horse used for police patrol duty in cities, their hooves must be protected from city sidewalks and scorching pavement.

You can find horse boots almost anywhere you find horse tack and supplies. Among the different types available for purchase are vinyl boots, bell boots, rubber bell boots, and splint boots among others.  You can buy boot covers to keep the boots clean.

No matter what activity you choose to use your horse for, remember it is under your care and control and deserves the best treatment.

Winter is almost here again. According to the Farmers Almanac this year will be very cold and snowy unlike our normal winters. While you’ll be warm and cozy by the fireplace, drinking the hot chocolate and reading a good book in your favorite pajamas; all wrapped up comfortably in your soft blanket while the snow falls outside, is your horse just as cozy and warm?

Is your horse in a clean, warm stall in the barn, with fresh hay and clean water, protected from the elements?  Did you remember his horse blanket?  It’s not as though he can waltz over to his little horsey dresser and take it out of the drawer!  Your precious investment is depending on you to remember the particulars of his care.

A horse blanket is expecially needed in the cold, hard elements of the winter season.  Your horse has no way of actually saying, “Hey, could you hand me that blanket, please?”  It is a living, breathing creation and is counting on you to give it what it needs to survive.

The horse blankets need not be elaborate, expensive pieces of valuable art.  They simply need to be functional and warm for your buddy.  The function here is to hold in the animal’s body heat in the winter.  Of course, they are also used as cushioning underneath the saddles among other things.  Which, by the way, is also needed in the winter and the blanket helps the horse stay warmer while being ridden outside. More than one is quite handy as one alone is sure to get dirty and need attention just when you count on it the most. 

Miniature horses have their own furry horse blankets in the winter.  Even though all horses have thicker hair in the winter, the minis look woolly!  They sometimes enjoy running in the snow just for fun!  One type of miniature horse is the Falabella, which are said to be survivors of the Ice Age.  They must have been an extremely tough breed of animal to survive the harsh winters from that period of time.

Maybe you are wondering if the horses of the Ice Age needed blankets.  While I’m sure plenty survived without them, horses being tamed by mankind have also been bred to be somewhat spoiled or catered to, if you will.  I suppose you could compare it to a dog that has been kept inside with central heat since a pup.  If you put the dog outside in the yard in the harsh winter, it will struggle against the cold. 

So, care for your horse with the love and tenderness you would give yourself or your dog.

Like any animal that you own it is very important that you are providing your horse with all of the nutrition that is necessary for good growth and good development. A horse is something that you invest a great deal of time and energy in, and it is something that is going to be very loving and loyal to you. This means that you have to be sure to provide your horse with not just adequate nutrition, but excellent nutrition.

Remember that having a good horse feed is something that is important. You want to research your particular breed of horses and see what kind of diet they will do best on. Another thing to keep in mind is not only what kind of breed of horse you have, but what their lives are like. Are they racing horses, or barrel horses, or are they just horses that you keep as pets to ride. Do you show them, or are they simply farm horses? These are all important questions to ask, because the answers to these questions will help you figure out what the best diet is to give your horse.

After you have determined what your expectations are for your horse, and what kind of lives your horses are going to be leading, you can pick out a great feed that is going to bring out the best in them, while giving them great nutrition. There are many places to buy horse food, so you have to be sure that you have a feed dealer that you can trust that will help you make great decisions about what is best to feed your horse. Then you can be sure that you have a good supply of food.

Also, remember that depending on what your horse is doing in his life, the different seasons are going to act differently upon his body. It might become important that you switch his feed or change what you are giving him as far as amounts go, during the different seasons. This is also a question you are going to want to discuss with your vet, and make sure that you are doing what is right for your horse.

An important part of both training your horse and bonding with your horse is what you are giving him for snacks. He will come to love the snacks that you give him, as long as they taste good and are good for him. This means that you should keep a great supply of the snacks that you know your horse loves on hand, and be sure to talk to your vet about what is appropriate for your horse as well.

When you own horses, you already know that there is a lot of stuff you need to be aware of, and a lot of different conditions that you have to be sure to watch for and to treat for. One of the problems with owning horses is that you can only do so much for them to get them out of the weather. With a dog or a cat, you can take them inside when it is very hot or very cold, but with a horse, you have to make decisions based on what you can do, and usually you only have a barn to take them into.

Like other animals, horses can be affected by the extremely hot weather. You want to be sure that your horse always has plenty of shade, and plenty of water, but sometimes this isn’t enough. If you are living somewhere that it is very hot in the summer like Wyoming is, you have to be sure to take precautions so that your horse isn’t affected by heat stress. There are several things that you can do to make sure that your horse can handle the heat.

No matter what the temperature is, working is going to make a horse hotter because working makes them use all of their muscles and expand more energy. If your horse is working, he is going to get hotter. Therefore, on very hot days, you have to be sure that you are resting your horse. It is fine to turn him out to pasture, because chances are that he won’t work any harder than he should. However, you are going to want to avoid riding him or making him do any work on very hot days.

Like all other animals, horses need to have fresh and safe water that is there for them at all times. You have to be sure that you are refilling your horse’s water, and that it is kept cool. Warm water isn’t going to be as good for him as cool water will be.

Remember that your horse depends on you to protect him from the heat. Be sure that you have done your research so that you know what the best ways are to keep your horse cool and safe when it is hot outside, and be sure that you follow through with these things so that your horse remains healthy.