Introduction To Horses:

I can remember being in elementary school and hearing someone talk about horses and it bothering me. Why? Because just about everyone who had ever seen a horse alluded to it as being a "black stallion" or a "brown stallion" or a "yellow stallion" and if I ever asked what kind of horse it was, the same answers applied. It would be like people referring to someone they know as "the white man" or "the yellow man" regardless of if it was a man, woman, boy, or girl of any number of nationalities. So without further ado, we learn the gender definitions:

- Foal: unisex term for a baby horse
- Filly: female, young
- Colt: male, young
- Mare: female, mature
- Stallion: male, mature, uncut**
- Gelding: male, *, cut**

* = Colts can be gelded early, or stallions cut late, therefore there is no set "age" for a horse to be considered a gelding.

** = "Cut" refers to the act of being gelded (Castrated, cut, and gelded are all interchangable. Castration is the act of removing the testicles from a male, thereby reducing testosterone and "studly" behavior)

There will be sections on colors and breeds so don't worry! I just wanted to give a basic intro first!

So You Think You Want A Horse?:

A lot of people romanticize horse ownership. They see horses in pastures and think "That's nice, I want that!" Or they might see horses competing at a local show, or a TV special, and think "Yes! That's what I want to do!" What most people do not understand is that there is a lot of hard work involved in horse ownership.

Daily Horse Chores:

- Feeding: Usually done morning and night, though some people do it morning OR night, this usually makes sure that morning feeders are up quite early.

- Mucking: Stalls must be cleaned daily to ensure healthy hooves and healthy horses overall! Stall requirements have their own section.

- Grooming: Dirt, sweat, mud, shavings, and whatever else your horse manages to find should be removed from their coat daily.

- Turn In/Out: Horses must be taken out of their stalls and returned to them every night, they can't do this on their own!

(Possible) Exceptions:

- Pasture boarding: Horses do not go in stalls and stay outside, this will eliminate the mucking and turn in/out chores, but doesn't mean that feeding and grooming can go unattended!!

* You may want to be sure that your horse is provided with a run in shelter if they are turned out 24/7! Whether they use it or not is up to them, but at least they will have the option to get out of the rain/snow/ice/hot sun during the day/night if they need to! If you provide a run in you should also be prepared to muck it out. It should be a retreat from the elements and should provide your horse(s) with a nice place to ride out the weather!

- Grooming: Not necessary every day in most cases, especially if a horse is not being exercised or if the weather is good. Horses' coats are usually their only defense against the elements and a coat that is clogged with heavy mud, caked dirt, or dried sweat cannot insulate a horse properly!

Expenses:

- Board: Unless you have a place of your own for your horse, be prepared to pay board to keep them at an appropriate facility. Board ranges from basic pasture board to full service boarding. From personal experience I have found that board around here ranges anywhere from $150/month all the way to $750/month. You should shop around to find out what facilities provide the services you and your horse(s) require. You may not need everything a full service barn offers and a lower-end facility might serve your purposes just fine and save you money!

- Feed: Unless your feed is provided by the place you board your horse, you will need to provide your own. Feed ranges quite widely depending on the type you use and the amount you purchase at a time. For example, my horse eats Legends 10 sweet feed. It comes in 50 lb. bags and costs about $10.00. The bag will last me about 6-7 weeks, depending on how much I feed him at a certain time of year.

- Farrier: A farrier is a person who trims your horses' feet and will provide shoes if your horse requires them. Most horses need to be shod and you should always take your farriers' opinion into consideration when making this decision - remember (s)he has most likely seen many more horses' feet than you have! Horses can be shod by either a cold shoeing method (where a pre-formed horse shoe is hammered to fit your horses' feet and then attached) or a hot shoeing method (where a piece of metal is forged and made specifically according to your horses' foot shape). Hot shoeing is more expensive than cold shoeing, but some people feel it is the best way to go, especially if your horse has difficult feet or a lameness issue that could be helped with corrective shoeing).

You should be prepared to have your horses' feet trimmed/shod about every six (6) weeks. Some horses can go longer, some need it sooner, you will have to adjust your farrier schedule to fit your horses' needs. If you (and your farrier) decide your horse would do fine "barefoot" without shoes, then you will need to learn what your horses' feet should look like so that you can get the farrier out in time to ensure your horses' feet do not get over grown. You will eventually figure out a schedule that works well for your horse. Keep in mind that sometimes your horses' front feet will be on a different schedule than their back feet and you may need to set up two different appointments. Usually a farrier will charge a farm-call fee, so it is in your best interest to try to keep your horses' feet on the same schedule if at all possible! Farrier work is not to be taken lightly and you must find a farrier that both you and your horse(s) feel comfortable with! Remember that your horses' feet are the base for their many-hundred pound body, so keep in mind - "No hoof, no horse!"

- Vet: If you can't afford the vet, you can't afford the pet!! Perhaps this rings especially true with horses because they are so large and require much more intensive procedures than many other animals will need. You will need to track down a large animal vet, preferably an equine vet, and set up a schedule with them for vaccinations and other routine work. Vets are needed to perform *Coggins tests and to provide many different vaccinations. You will also need your vet's help if your horse colics** or injures itself in any way that you cannot take care of by yourself. A vet you (and your horse!) can trust is definately worth their weight in gold and the bond is not to be taken lightly. When you are choosing your vet remember that one day you may rely on this person to make a difference in whether your horse lives or dies in any given situation.

* Coggins tests and vaccines will be explained in their own section.

** Colic will be explained in its own section.

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