I'm getting a horse next month. ANY tips please?!?

Question

i can horse ride put the saddle on etc i know the basics of mucking out, but i don't know much about feeding, how often do i and what is best for it? it will probably be outside most of the time except nights in the winter, in the summer it will be out all the time. but please any and all tips will be very much appreciated about feed and just anything. also the prefer company right? but anyway thanks

Answer 1

Aww congrates on getting a horse! I remeber when i first got my horse. My dad picked me up from school, said that we were going to go look for a horse today that he might buy for me, and well we bought her!

Well enough about that.

Unlike what alot of people think, this isnt something that you just know. Some horses are different and need different amount of feed. So the first thing you should do if you are planing on buying a horse. Ask the person your buying the horse from, what they feed her, and things she cant have.

My mare has grass to eat during the summer, and she has plenty of it to fill her up. But other wise horses only need about a half a bale a day. But if your pasture doesnt have enough grass to feed your mare. Then i suggest just giving her a giant bale. That way she will still munch on the grass in the pasture, but she will also have the opition of eating from fresh hay.

And After riding i would give her a nice scoop of oats, or sweet feed.

We give my mare some oats every now and then. And after riding i give her two scoops of sweet feed.

Oh and some money saving tips. I would buy hay a few weeks before winter starts. And buy alot! Hay goes up alot during the winter. ANd keep it in the barn. That way it doesnt become bad.

Good luck! and have fun with your horse!

Answer 2

Congratulations! After a ride, reward your horse with one scoop of oats and send him/her out into the pasture. There they can eat as they please. But make sure that, in your pasture there is not a bunch of long stalks or too much grass. He/she could overeat. Monitor their consumption for the first week to see if everything goes well. Go to a wholesale horse supply store that has all you could need in the feeding department. I go to Welsh's. You can also buy off the internet, Welsh's has a website! Anyways, have fun and I hope all goes well!

Answer 3

my tip is... dont get the horse till you know what your doing... im 18 and i've only just got a horse... I have spent 4 years learning about horses and there's still things I myself dont know to do (or not to do). You do not just need to know about feeding, you need to know about how to recongnise lamness, when to call the vet. For example... a girl on my yards horse was being ridden from younger than the age of 2, it's stifle had completely come out of the soccet (knee joint) and she didnt know anything about it as she didnt know much about horses, niether did any of her family. If you want the best quality of life for your horse I suggest you wait a while till you know much more. then you can provide for it better.

But if you are determind to get it now make sure you have someone around it every day that knows about horses very well to keep an eye out for any problems... and deffinatly get the horse insured!!!!

By the way... the person who said feed oats has no idea what they're on about... if its your first horse you should NOT feed it oats, oats give a lot of energy and will have your bouncing off the walls when your riding it, oats are fed when competeing or racing to give the horse energy. You best off getting a compound feed like horse and pony cubes/mix however mix will be more interesting for the horse. and a bit of chaff to stop the horse bolting it's feed.

A horse should eat 2.2% of it's body weight. to mesure body weight the cheapest way is a weight tape. get it from a tack shop and find out how much your horse weighs then find 2.2% of the body weight. the amount of hard feed the horse should have depends on how much work it's doing... if your only riding it once a week etc it needs 10% of cubes/mix and chaff and 90% of hay/haylage. the more work it does the more hard feed your horse needs.

Answer 4

  Not all horses prefer company, my mare has to be kept on her own because she's very aggressive. But, this really depends on the horse, and if the horse you're getting has been used to company all it's life, then it will definitely need a friend.

  As for feed, once again, this really depends on what the horse you're getting is used to. Ask it's old owners all these questions, and then it (the horse!) will be able to continue it's old routine, and horses love routine. I've had horses that need feeding 2 times a day, and others that are happy out in the field on grass/ additional hay in the winter.

   Personally I like to spend as much time with the new horse as possible when it first arrives, but NOT riding it for at least 3 weeks. This gives it a chance to settle in. However, he/she will need exercising, so this could give you a good opportunity to walk it round your villiage, and get it to know any local 'terrors', ie maybe a dog that always barks, or somewhere where there's a lot of construction work going on. Basically, the horse will hopefully settle into it's new surroundings, and by this point you will have got to know it pretty well.

   I wish you good luck, and remember that any bad experiences you may encounter will only make the good ones taste sweeter (:

      

Answer 5

Bond with the horse. Once you have that, there is no other relationship like it. Feed something like carrots every day, either as a treat or in the feed. And have loads of fun.  

Answer 6

hah i think i'm about at the same level as you are! i can train horses, i can ride and jump and do all that but when i got my horses out on my pasture i WAS SO WORRIED!! i still worry hahah... but i think it might be just a first or a new owner thing?  my Friend owned horses for 10 years at a boarding farm before she moved them to her place and she was even worried about it so it's okay to be concerned and ask about it.

anyways.. if you are doing showing..then you might not want him to be outside during the hottest and sunniest time of the day because his coat will get sun burnt, unless you get one of those fly sheets.. most show horse owners keep the horses in all day and then put them out at night, depends... i personally like the horse to be out 24/7 IF possible

and when you get your pre purchase vet check ask the vet what to feed it or how much, and ask the previous owners what the horse ate, and how much, and what type of food, because you don't want to change the horses diet right when it gets to your place.

every horse is different and eats a different amount, my Friends Qh's ate grain in the morning, and 2 flakes of hay a day.. while my friends 2 tb's at twice that! and both worked equally hard

so depends on what the horse is doing and what size and breed it is

oh and CONGRATS on you new horse!!! how exciting!! i'm a new horse owner as well and i don't think i'll stop worrying till next summer... i'm sooo nervous for this winter!  

Answer 7

good luck they are so much fun! i got mine 1 1/2 years ago. you  want to build a relationship that's really strong so just spend loads of time grooming and handling on the ground like lunging as well as riding. Also have fun at the same time but just make sure he sees you as like his herd leader and that way he will respect you. with regards to feeding if you know what he is on i'd keep him on that and only change it if he loses weight or becomes hot headed. When i first got mine it was a bit of a nightmare coz he was just left in a field, skinny and 18hh but now i wouldn't trade him. Make sure you have loads of fun though as thats the main reason of having him and he will be more relaxed with this. Good Luck!

Answer 8

Make sure they always have hay around them.

Answer 9

i keep my horse out all the time except in winter to, this is what i feed my horse...

in winter: haylage twice a day, one scoop of coolmix in morning, one scoop in evening

in summer: no haylage, one scoop of coolmix a day

and my horse is usually working for 30mins-1hour a day- walking, trotting, cantering and jumping  

Answer 10

The internet is a great way to find things out about horses.  Join a knowledgeable board or just read different articles.  The thing you must keep in mind when reading these articles (and getting advice from anyone else) is that everyone has their own opinion when it comes to horses and how they should be fed, etc.  Just take in the basics (unless you have a special needs horse) and go from there.  It takes a getting used to, but soon you will get to "know" what your horse needs.  Just remember...feed at least 2-3x a day (preferably nice hay if available in your area) and always provide clean, fresh water on a constant basis to your horse and a regular schedule of worming is needed also.  Each horse is a bit different...but that is the "bare basics" that a horse needs.  Also, it will depend on your area of which you live.  

Answer 11

First find out what feed it's currently on so you can continue with it; if you are going to give the same amount of work & grazing time you probably won't need to change anything.

If you do decide to change the feed - because he/she is is more/less work than before, the pasture is different or they're gaining/losing weight - do so gradually. Consider the breed, individual temperament, weight & height and the frequency and intensity of work. Without knowing these things, I can't suggest anything other than:-

Make sure they always have water & that when stabled they always have hay. If they're on pasture 24/7 all year 'round, they may need hay in the field in winter.

Forage should make up at least 8/10 of what your horse eats (preferably more) & your horse should eat no more than 1% of his bodyweight per day (you can use a weightape to estimate weight & then calculate it).

If you give a bucket feed, the majority (at least 2/3) of it should be roughage - chaff (chopped hay or straw) and/or sugar beet, and it must always be dampened to prevent choking

Good doers may not need any supplementation to their diet if grass is adequate, but you can keep them happy with a 'token feed' of a bucket of chaff & carrots

Most horses and ponies will do well on a cool mix/pasture mix or horse & pony cubes, and you can vary the amount to suit their needs. This can also be given to good doers if the grass is poor or they are in harder work & need more energy. This is a particularly useful type of feed for a new horse owner as you really can't go wrong (straight feeds such as corn, oats etc require experience to judge), plus they also contain vits & mins and usually have feeding instructions on the sack; ask your local supplier about low energy cubes/mixes or go online as lots of feed manufacturers have websites with guides, and are often ready & willing with advice.

Learn to judge whether s/he needs more or less by observation; eg. if he's listless, lazy when ridden or losing weight, he needs a bit more feed - add a little more & wait a few days to see if there's a change and so on. Eventually you will get to know your horse's needs well and will be able to judge when he needs a change in diet.

Different feeds have widely varying energy contents designed for different purposes, and high energy (eg competition mixes, also corn & oats) are usually fed in smaller amounts, but you shouldn't need these. It's far easier to go with a lower energy mix and just give more if they need it, so you don't risk your beloved calm mount turning into a volcano!

And of course remember the most important rule of feeding horses; feed little and often. Most horses have their daily ration divided between 2 or 3 feeds so that their small stomachs can deal with it - their digestion is designed to cope with constant but small amounts of food, this is the other reason for chaff in bucket feed, it stops them eating too fast and getting indigestion or colic.

And yes, horses are gregarious which means they prefer being part of a 'herd', most prefer to graze with at least one other animal which is why most people keep horses at stables with other people's animals, or buy a goat or sheep to keep them company (yes, this works!)

Good luck with your new horse, have fun!

Answer 12

err no Cassy B u must never feed a horse and then straight away turned out. You have to wait 1 hour after u have fed ur horse to ride it. When u come back from a ride u should wait 1 hour before u feed it. Not all horses need to be fed twice a day find out from their previouse owner what they where fed. It is not best to feed a horse oats unless you really want them to have a energy boost. I feed my horses 1 scoop of chaff and 1 scoop of pasture mix. They have this once a day and still manage to go and win. If you are serious about competions use a competion mix. Dont introduce new foods to ur horse straightaway u need to do it gradualy and over time. You should really know this if you want to own a horse as it is one of the basics.

Answer 13

You should've known this before you got a horse. I have to feel a little bad for the poor thing.

Feeding.. How big is the horse? What will you use it for? Will it have a very active life, will it show? From your questions I can assume you're keeping the horse on your own property. Lucky you.

Where do you live? Do you have acres and acres of grass? Some horses don't even need to be fed in the summer months when they're on many acres of lush grass with a run-in shed, outside all day. Those are easy keepers, though; you need to call the people you're buying your horse from and ask what the horse's dietary habits are. How many times a day does he/she eat? What food does he/she like?

Yes, horses generally prefer company, as they are herd animals. If you don't have any other horses, generally animals like goats make decent company.  

Answer 14

Isn't this a great feeling your first horse! I remember that precious memory many years a go.

Let me give you a excellent Web-Site for your first.

It looks like you already know a lot, and a long with your experience you will learn so much more, as we never stop learning. At 55 I am still learning!

Please also try http://www.ces.purdue.edu/horse/index.ht...

Although, it looks to me like you already know a lot!

You have a lot of fun! Just add a lot of Love, and you and your new baby, will be best of friends!

Answer 15

Why didn't u find any of this out before u thought of even getting a horse?!

Answer 16

Some pastures also feed hay, so you need to find out if your horse is just on pasture alone or they are feeding hay too and what type of hay are they feeding.

You may also want to suppliment with a grain mixture.  I feed a 3LB coffee can of rolled barley corn myself, because it puts/maintains weight but doesn't put fire in the horse's brain as oats tend to do.

With the grain, I feed a 1/2 Cup of Apple Cider Vinegar and Corn Oil, then twice a week I feed a 1/2 3LB coffee can of red flakey wheat bran made into a hot bran mash (Add about the same of warm water) then mix that into the barley corn mixture and feed.

Best luck on your new horse!