Keep Your Horse Healthy and Happy at Home

There are so many advantages to having your horse live at home that sometimes you overlook the conveniences of a barn setting. Things like the companionship of other horses and opportunities for regular exercise take extra effort to ensure at home. Luckily there are lots of simple and effective ways to keep your horse happy and healthy even if you don't have years of training experience.

Make Sure They Exercise

Riding them is one of the best ways to keep your horse in shape. If the terrain allows, take them over hills to help build muscle and endurance. Practicing over jumps can also challenge their fitness, and many horses find it fun. You can find used horse jumps that will help control costs in setting up a jump course.

Work Indoors In Bad Weather

You don't need a huge arena to keep your horse in tip-top shape. If you aren't able to set up an exercise course, or if the weather simply keeps your horse indoors, you can still perform obedience training and practice groundwork and technical maneuvers in spaces as small as a barn aisle. Try putting a piece of plywood down in the aisle to simulate crossing a bridge. This is great for keeping horses tuned in to obstacles they may face in a show ring or even on the trail. Have your horse practice backing up, both in open areas and into tight spaces like stalls and chutes.

Keep Them Safe

It's easy to get excited about bringing your horse home. In that excitement, you may not have fully thought your barn and arena setup or training routine through. The first thing you need to do when you bring horses home is to ensure they are safe. Make sure that barn and arena footing is suitable for any weather conditions, especially if you live somewhere that is prone to ice. Check your fencing regularly for any repairs that might be needed or damage from weather or animals.

Enjoy Their Companionship

There is a lot of work to keeping horses at home. Take some time out of chores and training to simply enjoy the companionship of your horses. Chances are that's at least partly why you brought them home.

Tips For Choosing A Boarding Stable You Can Trust

If you are thinking about buying a horse and don't have your own stable, you may be tasked with looking for a local boarding stable you can trust. You don't want your horse to be placed somewhere where it won't be safe. Below are some tips to take into consideration when comparing different boarding stables in your area before you make your decision.

Quality Of Care

Your top concern when choosing a boarding stable should be the health and safety of your beloved horse. When you check out any stable, be sure to look at the health of the other horses being boarded. Is the feed and hay top quality? Do you notice there is fresh water available? Is there enough space for the number of horses at the stables to be comfortable? A good stable will also have the proper type of wood horse jumps for the horses to use. They should be high quality from sellers like the one found at www.olddominionjumps.com.

Safety

When inspecting stables, you will also want to ensure your horse will be safe while staying there. All fences, windows, ceilings, stalls and doors in the stables should be safe and free of any hazards. Any fences outside of the stables should be sturdy enough to keep the horses in and not in need of repairs. The property should also have a phone, fire extinguishers and a first aid kit available for both the horses and caretakers to use in the event of an emergency.

Cost

Another factor you must consider when searching for a stable is the cost. Each stable will vary with regards to how much they charge for boarding your horse. Oftentimes, the fees will reflect the popularity of the stable and what it has to offer. You will have to figure out how much you can afford.
These are just a few of the things taken into consideration when searching for a stable to keep your horse at. You want to ensure your horse is happy, healthy and well taken care of. The decision of choosing a boarding stable is not always an easy one.