Equine Management

1
Equine Management

• AnS 216

2
Basic requirements of a horse

• Food
• Water
• Shelter
• Health care
• Hoof care
• Exercise

3
Nutrition

• Requirements may change
• Temperature (season)
• Type of use / activity
• Age
• Feeding Plan
• Roughage source
• Concentrate feed
• Trace mineral salt block

4
Water

• Available all the time
• Average consumption 10-12 gallons / day
• Majority of drinking done at feeding time
• Snow does not substitute for water
• Clean water troughs / buckets
• Warm water in winter

5
Horses housed outdoors

• Adequate space
• Outdoor facilities should have good drainage
• Waste management
• Water troughs
• Safety of horses

Outdoor pen 12 ft x 12 ft
Pasture turnout 0.1 acre / horse
Paddock 500 sq ft / horse
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Fencing

• Considerations
• Sturdy durable
• Safety
• Height requirement
• Maintenance
• Cost
• Types
• Wire
• Wooden board
• Post rail
• Electric fencing
• High Tensile wire
• PVC

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Shelter

• Protection from environment
• Cold, rain wind, sun
• Wind break
• Open front shed
• 100 sq ft / horse
• Location important
• Open side face away from prevailing wind
• Width vs. depth

8
Stall housing

• Ventilation
• Adequate lighting
• Safety
• Watering device
• Feeding area

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Stall housing
10
Stall housing

• Size requirements

Minimum size 10 ft x 10 ft
Preferred size 12 ft x 12 ft
Stallion stall 14 ft x 14 ft
Foaling stall 16 ft x 16 ft
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Bedding

• Protects feet legs
• Absorb moisture from waste
• Requirements
• Dust free
• Absorbent
• Readily available
• Easy to dispose of
• Affordable

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Bedding

• Straw
• High comfort
• Little dust
• Highly combustible
• High labor
• Large volume of waste
• Wood shavings
• More easily disposed
• Less labor
• More dust
• More expensive
• Careful of black walnut

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Waste Management

• 37 lbs feces / day
• 2.4 gallons urine / day
• 51 lbs waste / day
• 70 lbs waste / day (including soiled bedding)
• 12-13 tons of waste / year for 1 horse!

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Waste Management

• Manure storage
• Spread manure
• Compost
• Manure disposal

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Health Care

• Know what is normal for your horse
• Regular vaccinations
• Geographical location
• Type of use / activity
• Age
• Regular deworming
• Rotational program
• Awareness of parasite life cycles
• Annual dental exam

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Health Care

• First aid kit
• Know your veterinarians phone number
• Quarantine stall
• New horses
• Sick horses

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Hoof care

• Trim every 6-8 weeks
• Shoes
• Work
• Therapeutic
• Know your farriers phone number

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Exercise

• Pasture
• Will obtain exercise himself
• Stall
• Requires exercise

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Costs of maintaining a horse

• Initial costs
• Horse
• Equipment
• Board / pasture rent
• Feed
• Bedding

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Costs of maintaining a horse

• Veterinary care
• Farrier
• Vaccinations
• Dewormer
• Riding lessons / training
• Estimated cost - 2458.50 (HIH 120-5)

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Costs of maintaining a horse

• Other Costs?