BAREFOOT
BOOTED
By Carole Herder
President of Cavallo Horse & Rider
The Trusted Authority in barefoot
and booting.
If you would like to send us your horse’s hoof measurements, we would be happy to help you choose the best size and style. Please call Cavallo Customer Service at 1-877-818-0037 or email [email protected].
Four Ways to Assist Your Horse Through Season Change
&
48 / Sport and Trail Magazine
Different weather patterns and vegetation growth have a significant impact on animals who live outside. Transitioning between seasons can be challenging, especially when conditions change dramatically. Properly managing some vital practices will provide your horse with the best chance for weathering these potentially severe fluctuations.
The
Photo Credit: Brian Minear
SEASONALLY AFFECTED
Exposure to excessive wind, rain and sun can take a toll on your horse’s immune system. Physical protection for your horse means a safe, adequately spacious, clean and dry shelter. We can easily get caught up in the glamour of building these big, plush, beautiful stables with all the bells and whistles. I have seen a few barns that are posher and more well equipped than some homes for humans. However, when it comes to shelter, all your horse really needs is cover from the rain or excessive sun and refuge from the wind. Although stalls are great shelter, they’re just shelter for your horse, not a place to store him. When stored in a stall, for too long, your horse feels sad, bored, lonely, forgotten and stressed out. This can happen when the weather is very bad. A horse in this situation can develop a disorder called ‘learned helplessness’, which happens when the horse feels he has no control to change or alter the circumstances of his life and further, that any step he might make results in unwanted results. This is a pre-cursor to what some refer to as the silent epidemic of equine depression and it’s the reason horses develop habits like cribbing, weaving and stomping. Your horse is essentially a wild animal and does not respond well to confinement, restriction or aloneness.
plush, beautiful stables with all the bells and whistles. I have seen a few barns that are posher and more well equipped than some homes for humans. However, when it comes to shelter, all your horse really needs is cover from the rain or excessive sun and refuge from the wind. Although stalls are great shelter, they’re just shelter for your horse, not a place to store him. When stored in a stall, for too long, your horse feels sad, bored, lonely, forgotten and stressed out. This can happen when the weather is very bad. A horse in this situation can develop a disorder called ‘learned helplessness’, which happens when the horse feels he has no control to change or alter the circumstances of his life and further, that any step he might make results in unwanted results. This is a pre-cursor to what some refer to as the silent epidemic of equine depression and it’s the reason horses develop habits like cribbing, weaving and stomping. Your horse is essentially a wild animal and does not respond well to confinement, restriction or aloneness.
change or alter the circumstances of his life and further, that any step he might make results in unwanted results. This is a precursor to what some refer to as the silent epidemic of equine depression and it’s the reason horses develop habits like cribbing, weaving and stomping. Your horse is essentially a wild animal and does not respond well to confinement, restriction or aloneness.
restriction or solitude.
“Care, and not fine stables, makes a good horse.” - Danish Proverb
FOOD AND MEDICINE
It’s important to select feed and
quantities of food based on the health
and activity level of your horse. If your
horse is more sedentary for a period, or
older, he will need less food than if he
is an extremely active competitor. An
older horse may need his hay soaked
to make it easier to chew and digest. If
your horse seems to be struggling, it is
always best to try, or at least consider,
natural remedies and preventative
care over chemical compounds from
big pharmaceutical companies. This
line of thinking then opens the
controversial issue of worming; as
some companies and even some
veterinarians want to sell wormer
products. It can be a big business for
them. If you do give your horse
commercial wormers, it is good
practice to do it when conditions
change, and I have even heard that a
full moon encourages the parasites to
move together at the base of the
intestinal tract, which would seem like
a very good time to blast them. Either
way, give your horse a cycle of
probiotics after the worming to help re-
balance the natural flora in the gut.
Your horse’s digestive system consists
of millions of micro organisms in his
miles of intestinal tract that contribute
to either his health and wellness or
create disease and impaction. It’s good
to keep things as consistent and
regular as possible throughout
changing conditions because the
weather can really affect the growth of
crops and the composition of the
forage he is munching on. Again, a good
way to breeze through these
fluctuations is by providing a high
quality Pro-Biotic to support and
promote the healthy bacteria. And be
wary of the ingredients the feed