Horse maybe?

Question

My aunt might be boarding her horse at my house for a while. We have a field in the back of our house but what do we need to do besides put a fence up? How often do we need to ride it? And how much hay does he need? details!

Answer 1

he/she should have some kind of shelter like a run-in shed (a large shed with 3 walls) or a stall. Your aunt should tell you the horse's feed schedule. Horses require a lot of time both riding and attention. It depends on the horse, if hes a sport horse (such as an eventer) that needs to stay in shape then he should be ridden atleast 5 - 6 days a week. If hes just an old retired horse he can be ridden 1 or not at all in a week, it just depends on the horses purpose and discipline. make sure you have proper fencing that if horse safe, no poisonus plants (example: tansy or foxglove), look for holes that the horse could step in and hurt himself and fill them. good luck!

Answer 2

First, hot tape and capped t-posts are the cheapest way to get a safe fence up...stay clear of barbed wire if at all possible.

You can excercise (ride) the horse every day, if he's sound and healthy.

How big is the field?  If it's an acre, split it into two- 1/2 acre lots and rotate as he grazes one side down about 50%...if the grass is good, he may not need hay during summer months.

Keeping the pasture mowed to about 6-8"  is ideal, in my experience.  

Horses are herd animals, so it would be nice if he had some company...even a goat if another horse isn't available.

During the winter I feed about a half a 60-70 lb bale a day when I'm feeding squares.  I prefer to keep a round out for demand, though.  They're grazing animals, so I like that they can "graze" upon demand.

Answer 3

U will need a water trough

and also a feed bucket

It depends on what breed the horse is

if its a TB it will need 4 biscuits ( get ur aunt to show u what they are)

If it is something else only about 2 biscuits a day.

U can ride it from everyday to twice a week. just if u ride it everyday it will need more food.

gd luck

Answer 4

Wow, have you got your plate full. If you don't want to be investing a lot of money for nothing I would suggest making sure the horse was comming first. When you do know for sure start off by deciding what type of fence you want to use (electrical, wood, synthetic). Find out what type of fence the horse is used to. Maybe think of building an adjoining riding ring so that you have an inclosed area to ride in. This way you won't ruin the grass in the horses pasture. You can also make sure the area is level and free of  ruts, bumps and uneven ground that could cause the horse to trip or injure himself while your riding. A sectioned off mud paddock wouldn't hurt either so if its wet or raining the horse won't ruin the pasture grass and could still go outside to exercize even though its muddy. Next you'll need to build a shed/lean-to or a one stall barn. Make sure the structure is to code and is structurally correct. Don't forget to have buildings for your hay and straw/shavings to keep them dry and out of the weather. Research your local hay/bedding suppliers in your area so you have everything set up "before" the horse arrives. Is your Aunts horse used to living on pasture?  If  he isn't used to living on pasture you will want to make sure to have a stall for him where you can keep him stabled and gradually get him used to eating that much grass round the clock to avoid colic. Even if your aunts horse is on pasture I would still recommend feeding hay as well that way when winter comes along it isn't a shock to the horses system when the grass is gone and hay is the only option.Talk with your aunt and make sure to keep her horse on his feeding routine and keep him on the same diet he is used to (at least at first) and don't make any drastic changes to his diet. All diet changes should be done gradually to avoid colic. Always have fresh, clean water available to him no matter what. On really hot days check the water frequently to make sure he has enough. You might like to put a trough in the pasture with an automatic watering system to make it easier but still check it periodically to make sure its functioning properly (the same goes for his stall if he is stabled. If he is used to being stalled most of the time he will probably need to be exercised until he is free ranging on pasture. Horses do not "need" to be ridden. They need to have the space to exercise or have you exercise them. I'm sure that you will have no problem riding him often since he is right in your back yard but start out in the pasture and let your aunt teach you how her horse likes to be ridden. If you are an inexperienced rider ask her for some lessons. Only ride within your experience! Don't try anything you don't know how to do without an experienced rider coaching you. Ask her to teach you how she lunges him in case you don't have time to ride. Ask her what he likes and dislikes. When you do ride on your own without your aunt make sure someone is watching you until you and the horse know each other and feel comfortable and in control of the entire situation. Even then venture out slowly and alway tell someone where you are going and when you decide to ride, inside or outside the pasture/ riding area. If something was to happen while your riding you want someone to know where you are! (I like to always carry my cell phone) It would always be perferable to ride with someone else. Realize that having a horse is a full time job. That horse depends on you for everything it needs, all the time. It is a large responsibility so think it through and decide if that's really what you want to do. Hope some of this info helps you! Good Luck!

Answer 5

Well the horse will need a shelter. You don't just put a horse in a field. A lean to shelter will work. As for feeding, your aunt should tell you what she has been feeding the horse. Some horses do better on different hay and some require supplements, and etc. With riding, you should also consult with the horses owner. She may not want you riding him/her. She may want the horse exercised by different methods such as lunging. These are questions you should be asking your aunt, who owns the horse.

Answer 6

ur aunt should give u feeding sedules.

Answer 7

Ok well a horse isnt just a pet! =)

A horse needs a nice big pasture or stall or even paddock. In this case a pasture. This will be good because you wont have to buy feed. Also a horse needs to be ridden an hour a day or 3-4 times a week. You need to know a lot about horses before taking care of one. (not saying you dont). Its not like a hamster where you can just jump right in and get one. You have to know how to groom, clean tack, bathe, ride, and most importantly spoil. just kidding but you know be a good owner. So i would have a long meeting with your aunt to ask her as many questions as possible. you dont want to be stuck with the horse and say to ur aunt that u no a lot when you dont. (if thats the case). But otherwise i would have a sit down meeting on everything!

good luck have fun!!!!!!!!!!!1

Answer 8

That's awesome, BUT! You need to realize a horse isn't like a dog. They take A LOT of work and A LOT of money. I myself have 3 horses and I work them all at least once a day. Work being anything from riding, to lunging, to just saddling and unsaddling. The more time you spend with your horse the better. Just being out there around them, gives them the chance to get to know you better.

You should try and ride the horse everyday, if that isn't possible, at least once every other day. Now I'm not saying you have to go out on a 4 hr trail ride everyday(that would be great if you could!) but it isn't very realistic. Just getting the horse out for 30 mins will make a big difference.

About the hay? It depends on the size of the horse. If you have a good pasture and h/she is going to have full turn out you don't need to give h/she hay in the summer. And with hay as high as it has been, you will want to save as much as possible. I start feeding hay about the middle of Sept or beginning of Oct. Depending on the weather. My horses are about 14.2 up to prolly 15.3 and I feed them about half a large square bale a day in the winter. That's roughly 2-3 flakes a piece.

What I do, do is feed them grain once a day in the spring and summer months and twice a day in the fall and winter. Mostly to just get them up to the house so I can check them out and make sure they are all OK. I get my grain in bulk with my neighbors and it is a sweet feed/corn mix. They go crazy for it. Your aunt should be on top of his/her feeding times and what h/she needs, so forth.

Another thing is you will need to get a farrier out every 6-8 weeks to trim his/her feet, put shoes on, whatever. H/She will need to be wormed every 6-8 weeks as well. You can just pick up some oral wormer at your local farm supply store. It's like a white paste in a syringe that you just squirt into the horse's mouth.

I hope I helped. There is so much more. If you have any questions, just e-mail me. I will be happy to help! :)

Answer 9

she SHOULD give you a feeding sheet on what the horse needs to be fed and how much. its good to split the feed up into 3 small meals a day to prevent colic and groom him every day, this includes bushing and picking his/her feet. IF you know how to ride  and tack up proplery then ride him/her 5 days a week(sundays and wednesdays can be his/her days off)and IF you dont know how to ride then ask your aunt to teach you how to lunge a horse and you can do that. these are the absolute basics.

Answer 10

i have had horses for many years so email me your questions at [e-mail]    ill answer anything so tell me do u ride how long a little about the horse and your questions

anyone who sees this answer can email me horsey questions