5 Examples Of Horses Health In Winter

There are certain things that need to be considered when we are having to deal with winter.

We will have a step by step look at the top 5 ways to keep your horse healthy during this time.

Horses, like all living beings, have certain basic requirements.

1. Being the correct weight and what that looks like

2. Feeding, hay. Young stock to our seniors.

3. Feet

4. Warmth

5. To Stable or not

Today we will think about What a good weight looks like.

Horses bodies can be scored by using a simple guide called body conditioning scores. They are measured either in a 1 to 9 grid or a 0 to 5 depending on how detailed you choose to go. Here we will do the 0 to 5 system.

The optimum score for your horse should be 3. The horse is well covered not thin nor fat. Horses that are either under or over weight can suffer health complications that can have long term implications for their well being and of course performance.

To check your horses weight you may like to use a measuring tape. These can be purchased from your horse feed shops or from your vet. (They are sometimes given away free with worming products)

To use a tape, make sure your horse is standing square (all four feet in a square pattern)

Put tape around girth to wither area

Tighten up tape.

Read the tape measure.

(Images thanks to www.purinamills.com)

Come back next time to see helpful information of winter feeding.