Before buying or choosing a new horse, it is important to check its health. Although it is impossible to be 100% certain that a horse is completely healthy, there are a number of tests which can identify most potential health risks. Following is a checklist.

One begins with the general external appearance. The coat should be even, shinny and lie flat. The body should be well filled out, with well toned muscle. It should not be overweight or underweight. It should stand evenly on all four legs, with all four hooves pointing straight ahead. It is normal to rest a hind leg (but not a front leg), provided that it is not always the same leg which is rested.

Run your hands slowly down each leg, feeling for any swellings, bumps or hot spots. Give special attention to joints and the bottom of the leg. Check that each hoof is smooth, even and crack free.

Lift each foot in turn and carefully check the sole to ensure that it is correctly shaped and has no apparent injury. Both the angle and tilt of all hooves should be correct and uniform. If the horse resists lifting one or more feet, it may just be inadequate training but it could also be due to a reluctance to lift a good hoof and thereby put more weight on a bad one. Unless you are very familiar with hooves, you may wish to ask a professional farrier (blacksmith) to advise you on these various points.

Check the gums. They should be pink, shiny and moist. If they are dry, tacky, pale or any color other than salmon pink, there is a health issue. If one presses gently on the gums (careful with your fingers!), at the point where you are pressing they will turn white but as soon as you remove your finger the color should completely return to pink within two seconds.

Check the teeth (you may want to use the services of a horse dentist) for spurs, unevenness or excessive wear. Try feeding the horse hay and watch how it eats. It should use both sides of its jaw equally and eat steadily. Dropping hay or leaving hay partly chewed indicates a problem either with the teeth or the jaw joints.

Examine the horse's droppings. They should be firm, with a mild and inoffensive odor.

The horse should appear alert, interested in things around it, and happy. It should move its ears in response to noises and hold them in an upright position.

Have the horse taken to an exercise ring and exercised at all gaits (e.g. walk, trot, and gallop). It should take easy, smooth strides of equal length and with the weight evenly spread on all four legs. It should not favor any leg. Circle the horse in both directions (left inside and right inside) to make sure that it performs equally well in both directions.

The horse should not sweat (except during hot weather) or breathe hard until it has been worked at a fast gait. As it speeds up, there should be a gradual but moderate increase in respiration. As it slows down, the respiration should quickly follow. Once its stops, it should quickly return to its resting heart and respiration rate. It should not show any sign of discomfort or limping either before or after vigorous exercise.

Ask the current owner about the horse's medical history. Ask if he will give you permission to talk with the horse's regular vet. Ask to see the medical records and inoculations book for the horse. In particular, ask if the horse has ever had colic, laminitis or any other illness. Be wary of any incomplete or evasive responses. Ask what the horse's normal diet is (horses fed a natural diet of grass, supplemented by hay, are less likely to have digestive problems than horses fed large on grains and feeds). Finally, ask the seller as to what written guarantee they provide in the event that a problem is found after sale, as this is an indication of the confidence they have in the horse's health.

Dr. Doug Stewart is the owner of Horses for Sale and the author of Healthy Horse.

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Written by Doug Stewart using tags: buy horse, equine, equines, horse, horse care, horse health, horses, Pets

Food and care for horse forage feed is necessary for the proper functioning of their digestive system as it is the horse's most natural diet. A horse usually consumes about 2% or more of their body weight in feed each day although an individual horse's nutritional requirement will vary depending on their age, weight and activity.

Beets can be a good nutritional additive for some equines . Pelleted feed - Examining feed pellets vs. traditional horse food. antioxidant nutrients are to given to the horse .Ideally at least half, preferably all, of a horse's daily feed should be made up of forage feed. As forage feed is such an important factor in any horse's diet consideration should always be to quality providing the highest quality forage feed available.

Simply put, forage feed it is grass or hay. Land with plenty of grass provides enough forage where hay is not necessary. If your pasture has limited grass growth, always make hay available to the horse. During winter time, hay is a key ingredient to keeping the horses body temperature up. The highest quality forage feed should be made available to your horse. We know that a horse consumers about 2% or more of their body weight in feed each day - so the proper portions and nutrition is paramount. As you will read below, nutritional supplements in the right portions are great additions to forage feed.

The addition of barley should also be considered -- especially in the winter time. Barley provides great nutrition and can be a substitute when grass is sparse. Make sure the barley is unrolled and un-crushed. Soak the Barley in water for two hours prior to feeding.

Of course, there are are oats and sweet feed. Oats are a common food source and of great nutritional value. Sweet feed generally consists of oats, corn and pellets. The healthy mixture is then topped with molasses, a flavor which horses love.

When should a horse be given these supplements? If you have a mature horse with minimal activity should thrive on good quality forage without a need for supplements. Most horses with a good pasture will benefit from supplemental forage during the winter months. If you feed working horses, stabled horses, and growing or breeding horses, it is a good idea to considered additional feed.

All horses should always have access to water. This is most important just prior to feeding. Feeding times should be at regular intervals and the horse should be given a few hours to digest prior to strenuous exercise. Horses should not exercise just after a feeding, as this can contribute to respiratory and cardiac problems. In addition, a horse should never be fed directly after an intense workout.

Ration balancers (also sometimes called diet balancers) are nutrient dense feeds meant to be fed in small amounts. They are an ideal base to most feed programs. Hopefully this quick look at the types of horse feed available has helped clear up some of the confusion at the feed store. Sweet feeds are feeds that have added sugar to make them more palatable to the horse. Usually the sugar is added in the form of molasses. The high sugar and starch content in these feeds can be the cause of behavioral issues and health problems.

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Horses demand more than just a casual feeding and brushing. Just ask any horse owner or veterinarian and they will quickly tell you that these animals require a great deal of care and patience. The upkeep and maintenance for large animals can be overwhelming if you do not make them part of your daily routine. Here are 7 Simple horse grooming tips that any horse lover will find helpful.

Cleaning the hooves of your horse is one of your main duties. Hoof picks are inexpensive and these should always be a tool that you have on hand. You can routinely check the hooves of a horse every day and use this to dislodge any small pebbles or other debris that is found. These types of things can ruin the hooves and feet of these animals. If you do not clean the hooves regularly it can create a painful situation for your horse, and you run the risk of the animal going lame or becoming victim to infections.

Wash your horse's face. Humans wash their faces after any rigorous exercise that causes sweat and horses should be treated the same way. Sweat, moisture, and dampness can build up on a horse's face and cause fungal infection of not removed properly. Many times the horse's face is forgotten, but this is an awful mistake. Do not use a sweat scraper on your horse, but rather a horse-specific squeegee. These tools are softer and work better with your horse's face as it ensures that the experience is pleasurable and painless for your horse. Squeegees also help avoid any unnecessary hair loss from your horse's face.

Using a different sponge, you must also clean the rest of the horse's body. It is really important that you don't use the same sponge you used on the horse's face as you could cause cross contamination, which could cause disease and illness, especially on your horse's face.

A horse's tail is a lot like a girl's ponytail and should be washed, conditioned, and detangled weekly. Brushing should occur daily if possible in addition to the weekly tasks listed above. If you would like, you may utilize a tail bag to keep the tail protected and detangled, but you must be sure to tie the bag below the horse's tail bone. If you manage the tail on a daily basis, you will prevent snarls and sores from developing and you will also have a happier horse.

If your horse has a coat that is a darker shade, it is important to keep your horse out of the bright sun when he's not participating in activities. Therefore, you must provide some much needed shade. This will help to prevent their coat from fading or changing colors. Also, after a sweat ride or exercise activity, you should rinse your horse off with water before sending him out into the sun again. The salt in the sweat could increase the rate of the fading process. However, a simple rinsing could prevent this from happening.

Don't forget that over bathing your horse can be just as bad as not bathing him at all. So do not over shampoo or wash your horse; you can create a dull look for his coat. You should at most be bathing your horse once a week with shampoos and soaps.

Coat polishing sprays are great to use on your horse after you've given him a bath. When you use coat polishing sprays, your horse's coat will really shine. Moreover, your horse's coat will be protected from any dust build up that commonly causes skin infections and allergies.

Following these 7 grooming tips will not only improve the overall health and happiness of your horse, but will keep him looking good too.

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Written by Riche Goldmann using tags: horse grooming, horse health, horse maintenance, horses, Pets

Horses demand more than just a casual feeding and brushing. Just ask any horse owner or veterinarian and they will quickly tell you that these animals require a great deal of care and patience. The upkeep and maintenance for large animals can be overwhelming if you do not make them part of your daily routine. Here are 7 Simple horse grooming tips that any horse lover will find helpful.

To begin with, clean the hooves of your horse. Horse hooves, just like human feet, are extremely important and require cleaning almost on a daily basis. Buy a hoof pick, which is inexpensive, and use it to pick out any small pebbles or other debris that may have gotten stuck inside. Dirty hooves can ruin the feet of your animal as they create painful situations for them potentially causing infections or your horse to be unable to walk.

Making sure to wash and clean the face of a horse after a ride or other exercise is necessary in order to prevent hair loss and infections that can occur from fungal infections. Dampness, moisture and sweat can damage the coat of your horse, and sometimes the face of the animal is forgotten. Instead of using the rigid sweat scrapers to remove water from the hips and legs of a horse, you should use the Squeegees that are made specifically for horses. This is more comfortable for the animal and it really does a better job. Using these products can also help you avoid scraping away bits of hair from the animals body.

Using a different sponge, you must also clean the rest of the horse's body. It is really important that you don't use the same sponge you used on the horse's face as you could cause cross contamination, which could cause disease and illness, especially on your horse's face.

The tail of a horse requires the same kind of maintenance as a girl's hair. It must be washed, conditioned, and detangled weekly. The tail should also be brushed everyday to prevent serious tangling and to prevent snarls and sores on your horse. If you want, you can use a tail bag to protect your horse's tail, but be certain to tie the bag below the horse's tail bone.

Horses with darker coats need to spend time in the shade, outside of the sun. The sun can turn their coats a different shade and cause damage. It is also important that your horse be rinsed with water after coming from an intense ride, or after a rigorous exercise activity. The salt in the sweat can also speed up the fading process and cause damage to the coat of your horse. However the rinsing will stop this and is something very simple for any horse owner to do.

Remember that bathing your horse is part of good grooming, but you need to exercise caution. If you give him too many shampoos you can create a dull coat. Regular bathing with soaps and shampoos should be a once a week process at most.

Using a spray made for coat polishing should be done after you have bathed your horse. When you use this product it will make the coat shine and it prevents dust from adhering to the hairs. Less dust means a healthier coat on your horse and decreases the risk of skin infections and allergies.

Following these 7 grooming tips will not only improve the overall health and happiness of your horse, but will keep him looking good too.

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Written by Riche Goldmann using tags: horse grooming, horse health, horse maintenance, horses, Pets