THis is my first horse, i have a couple of questions?

Question

I am saving up money and my parents said i could get my first horse in January. I have taken western and dressge lessons for about 1 year now, and have grown up around family and others horses. I am not totaly new, but of course being a first timer, i lack the owning experience. i am boarding at my aunts house. She has just a coverd shelter thing, but no stalls. It is just a large paddock-8 acers. She also has a small paddock-1acer, on the other side. My question is, is it safe to board my horse there. She or he will not be put in at night, seeing as there is no stall to be put in. I will be coming over in the morning and at night, so what should i do? SHe/he will have free paddock range all the time except when i ride? is that safe? Also what do i feed. I will ride like 3 times a week or more and my aunts horses(2) ride like 1 time per month and all they get is hay? or should i have my dad build a stall for my horse in the small paddock? HELP HELP HELP

Answer 1

Welcome to the World Of HORSE OWNERSHIP!!!   Firstly, never be afraid to ask someones advice - Secondly you DONT always HAVE TO take that advice.  Ask and keep asking - Your Vet, Your Instructor, Your Horsey Friends and Your Feed Store??  Soak any information up like a sponge and then pick out what works for you!!  If something doesnt sound right to you or doesnt work ask someone else until you find what does work!! A few things you should check on in your paddock.  Is the fencing adequate - will it keep your horse on the right side of the fence??  It sounds like your Aunt has horses in the paddock allready - My advice would be to introduce your new horse to her horses slowly - perhaps keep your horse in the 1 acre paddock for a week or so, so that they can get used to each other first.  However all horses have to establish the pecking order so be prepared for some squabbling when you do put your horse in their paddock.  Feeding very much depends on work load, the horses general condition and whether or not he is a good "doer", and also what kind of feed and is available in the paddockhow nutritional it is.  Get some advice from your Vet and Feedstore here, its a good way to introduce yourself to your vet before you need him in an emergency.  If the vet wants to charge you for this advice - Find another Vet!!  You probably wont want to use that one anyway!! Beleive it or not, in my oppinion, horses can live without stalls!!  You need to decide whether your horse really needs one ??  Some horses dont do well in stalls - you wont know until you try.  What are the NORMAL weather conditions like in your area??  Does the paddock have adequate natural shade or shelter??  Free Paddock Range is a good thing - Horses dont like being cooped up in a box any more than you or i like being locked in our bedrooms.  It also sounds as if you havent purchased your Horse yet.  My advice would be to get someone to help you choose a horse that you beleive has a lot of experience in Horses.  Maybe your instructors could help with this or your Aunt.  You dont want to end up with a horse that is not right for you or a horse that has injuries or medical problems.  I hope this has given you some things to think about - GOOD LUCK with it and REMEMBER keep asking and ENJOY.

Answer 2

providing you have stable fencing around the paddock nothing sharp etc thats a fab start!

your horse will be fine with a shelter. you can always put rugs on!

you don't need a nutritionalist i've had horses all my life and never used one i've always recieved complments from judges- if needs be ask somebody at your local feed store.

if you think you will only feed it hay but are worried its not getting enough vitals you could put a mineral l**k in the field (you can get big ones in bucket type things)

you just need to play it by ear, if you think your horse is losing weight feed it more.

i always use a feed balancer which most makes do a version of. I do think your horse could do with more feed because you have said you will be riding more. it's all about keeping an eye on your horse and adapting to their needs.

don't worry about it

Answer 3

Lol, sorry but this is just so sweet.

24/7 turnout with shelter as and when desired is just perfect for a horse. You don't need to build a stable but if it gets really cold or his coat is thin you may need a rug in bad weather.

Grass and hay are great - it is, after all, the natural diet of a horse. Some horses may need a little supplementation if they are doing a lot of work etc but in general grass and free access to water are the main things he will need.

as for safety, since your aunt's horses are there I guess the field itself is already horse -friendly so the only thing you would need to do is make sure that none of her horses are especially aggressive towards a newcomer.

Answer 4

My horse is outside 24/7 WEATHER permitting, if it is going to rain or thunder or snow or stuff like that he comes in his stall. I board him somewhere. Where my horse used to be, he never had a stall, he had a little run in shed in his paddock..thats what I would build if I were you. You would be surprised that most of the time even during the rain, the horse would rather be outside than in the run in shed.

Answer 5

i know you are eager to get a horse but i really suggest that you wait and give your self a few years to really devlop your skills and horsemanship...i doubt you will take my advice but i used to want a horse when i first started riding but never could and looking back now i know i would  have just ruined the horse.i think a horse should have a shelter all the time(not necessilary be in it 24/7 but i suggest boarding at a nice facility and calling an equine nutritionist for his diet plan as skipping this step will only cause major problems in the future.just having a horse in a paddock all the time i personally think it not safe.you would have to search it all the time for any dangerous plants and i would assume you know all of the plants by now because you are considering a horse and you would have to check for any other harmful things and i just dont think its a good idea...

Answer 6

Having many horses, we had a three sided structure (a lean to) where the horses could get out of the rain, sun & wind if they chose.  Ours mainly choose regardless of weather to be outside.  They would bed down under the trees at night & had the freedom to run & play when every they wanted.  Also, if danger came near they could get away on their own which is much safer instead of being confined & kicking out stalls & injuring themselves.  Make sure your fence line is secure at all times.  Feeding: Hay (make sure it is not molded) at night we also gave ours a good quality oat mixture & sweet feed on occasion.  Make sure you worm religiously to avoid any problems & clean & check feet daily.

Answer 7

You're horse will be fine without having a stall...as long as she has access to the shelter to get out of the weather. Depending on how easy of a keeper she is, she may need to be supplemented with grain in addition to the pasture and hay (by the mid-end of the summer, 3 horses would probably have that 8 acre pasture pretty much eaten down completly).

She'll likely be much happier being turned out with the other 2 horses than being separated by herself.

Answer 8

Ok so it is fine to have your horse out at night you just want to make sure that your area doesnt have a lot of foxes and coydogs. You might also want to keep a small light on out there. Its really better if they can be out as long as they want to be its bad for them to be cooped up in a stall. You just want to make sure that they have a place to go if it rains.

as for grain, if you are buying the horse just see what the old owner has them on. You are going to want him or her on a little bit of grain. but you are not going to need to much unless you start working him at least 5 days a week even then you wont need to much. talk to your local vet on what you should put your horse on when you get him.

good luck have fun!!! Its so much fun getting a new horse!!

Answer 9

Having your horse outside 24/7 with the ability to go in an out of a shelter is great, it is the most natural thing you can do for them, and the most healthy. You find that horses outside all the time are less prone to sickness.

And your horse should be fed some food to keep up its weight, but it really depends on the weight of your horse, if it's an easy keeper or not, what its breed is, ect. To find out how much it should be eating. As your vet for his or her opinion on the matter. :)

Answer 10

your horse will be fine living outdoors on the grass if you get the right kind of horse that won't put on weight too fast. I recomend a quater horse or a paint. Becasue the horse will be on grass all day you won't have to feed much. NO hay in spring becasue the grass will b so good and probaly for most/ part of the summer. Then when there is less grass I would give them a flake twice a day. Then by winter you should have them up to AT LEAST 3 flakes per day.

Grain is really up to you.some horses dont need much. If you find that your horse is very energetic I would give him barley any.

And about the stall. I wouldnt build one yet but if your horse gets too fat it might be necessiary. Or you could just attatch a gate to the shelter.

Hope I helped!!

P.s. an equine nutritionist is NOT necessiary. both of my horses are in perfect condition and I've never used one. A pasture is PERFECTLY safe.

Answer 11

your horse should be fine outside, especially if there are two other horses there to keep him company. It may take time for your horse to adjust esepcially if he was used to being in a stall all the time. The primary food you should be feeding your horse is hay, about 6-10 flakes a day (depending on how much grass he will be eating). Check with a vet, and they will have better advice for you. As far as building a stall, you can do that later on down the road, but for now your horse will be fine.

Answer 12

Provided that the shelter is large enough to accommodate all three horses, your horse is better off being out 24/7.

Some horses are fine just with pasture and a good mineral supplement, or mineral block free choice.  Also be sure there is a salt block available, and plenty of fresh water.  If the horse needs additional feed, hay may be enough, or some need grain or pelleted feed to keep enough weight on....you'll have to determine that later.

If the horse you get in January is used to being stalled, it may not have enough of a winter coat built up which would affect whether it would be ready to be kept out 24/7.

In colder months, hay should be available free choice....the fermentation in the gut keeps the horse warm.

Answer 13

Your horse should be fine staying out in the apddock all the time.  He/She will have access to shelter if needed due to rain or whatever.  All of my horses are kept outside except if the weather calls for freezing rain.  We do put them up for that.

You may be able to build a stall under the shelter by using gates, or maybe your dad can build a permanent stall just in case your horse should ever need to be put up.

Unless your horse is crazy, he/she should be  safe in the paddock.

If you are riding for long periods of time 3 or more times per week, you may want to give your horse a scoop of feed before you ride (maybe in the morning and ride in the afternoon).  If you are not riding your horse for long periods of time each time you ride, you do not have to feed much grain at all.  If the horse you get is chucky, do not feed grain at all until he is in slimmer shape.

As long as your horse has grass, it won't be necessary to feed hay.  However, if the paddock doesn't have much grass in it, you will need to feed 2 flakes of hay 2 times per day.  You can increase or decrease this depending on whether the horse is eating all the hay or not and whether or not the horse needs to gain or lose weight.  Whatever you do...DO NOT OVERFEED YOUR HORSE!  It is usually easier to put weight on a horse that needs it than it is to get weight off a horse.

Horses that are left outside tend to have fewer health problems and have better social skills, so leave your horse out.  I am certain that my friend has had so many health issues with her horses because she puts them up nearly every day regardless of the weather.  My horses, on the other hand, are much heartier and they all stay out in all types of weather (except freezing rain).

Congrats on your first horse!  You can find a lot of useful information on-line.

Answer 14

Relax,  she'll be fine.  Just put her in the small paddock for at least the first couple of weeks (a month is better).  That will give her a chance to get sued to the other horses and them used to her.  This reduces the fighting and kicking and turns it from the get out of here or we will will hurt you severely to the OK lets find out where in this herd you are going to be kind (mush less violent).

I feed on can of grain when I ride but do not feed at other times if the pasture is good enough.  But then again I seldom ride less than 5 miles and sometimes cover 15.

Edit (poor typing skills)

I feed one can of grain when I ride... the can I use is a 33 oz. coffee can which is about 3/4 gallon.

Answer 15

As long as the have shelter then being out all the time is fine. Free range is also fine just make sure to check the padock like once ot twice a week and make sure nothing is broken or anything. I would feed what ever feed your Aunt feeds to make it eaiser as long as your horse does well on it.

Answer 16

im sure you wont take this advice but, ill give it anyway. For thousands of years horses lived outside alone without the pampering of humans, your horse will be fine. I suggest you go to clinics and talk to horse people aside from your aunt about your horses and what owning a horse is really all about. when you own a horse that horse is now dependent on you. remember that. your horse will be just fine, and i bet happier that they arent in a stall. its better for their joints, blood, and body to be out moving around and getting natural exercise. dont stop taking your lessons now that you own a hosre, a good horse person realizes that they can never stop learning and there is always new techniques to do things and new inventions coming out. happy horse owning!

Answer 17

Horses are actually very self-sufficient in many ways.  For example, you don't need to keep one in a stall at all! In fact,it is unhealthy for a horse to be confined in such a small area for so long.

As long as your horse has a 3-sided shelter that will protect him from rain and storms, he will be fine, and will just run into it whenever he needs shelter or shade.

The safeness of it all depends on the fencing.  Many rural areas will either use a chainlink fence, or will put a mesh on the lower half of a board fence to keep out stray dogs if they are a problem.  Otherwise, it is perfectly fine.

Make sure water is available 24-7.  

If you feed your horse grain, then do it early in the morning, and then when you come over at night.  The person who sells you the horse will be able to tell you how much they fed him, so don't forget to ask how much, and what, was fed.

Either of the paddocks will be fine.  as long as there is water access your horse will be VERY happy in all that grass!

Some people, like your aunt, feed their horses a little more naturally, with just hay and grass.  That is because a horse's body can actually do very well without any grain at all as long as they are ridden very lightly.  You may ask your aunt to help you with this if you are interested in doing it yourself, or you may continue feeding your horse the grain he is accustomed to.