New to horse ownership?

Here are some notes I wish someone had given me in advance.

There is a lot to learn before bringing your first horse home! Often new owners are strongly encouraged to board their first horse at a commercial facility, so they have a support system to help as they learn the ins and outs of ownership. Others want to have horses at home, and we can attest to the extra magic in sharing sunrise and sunset while outside with your horse. With that magic comes daily care in all weather. Rosemary Farm has approved first time owners, but only with careful consideration and extensive advance planning. Here are a few things to consider;

 

General Medical Care

FIND A VET!

  • Horses live 30+ years. Accidents and medical emergencies can happen at any time, but certainly increase as your horse ages.

  •  Medical care cannot be underrated in terms of advance planning. IN many rural locations there are limited resources, and inclement weather makes care a challenge. To this end, relationships with an equine vet and equine dentist must be established in advance.

  • Many equine vets only make emergency calls (to your farm or house) if they already have a relationship with your horses, so that needs to be established before an emergency happens.

  • If you do not own a horse trailer, you need a plan in place for trailering in case of equine medical emergency to a hospital (as you understand they can’t fit in a car!). The nearest equine hospital to our location is either two hours east to Rhinebeck, or two hours west to Cornell. While your location may be different, the need for safe and immediate transport is the same.

  • Being financially prepared for equine medical emergencies, or surgery (colic surgery can run $10-$15k) is important. There are various forms of equine care credit, and insurance, to have in place, ready for such a need.

  • Having an end of life plan in place (again, the body cannot be placed in a car). Burial, cremation, or commercial disposal is better to plan in advance when one is not emotional.


FIND A TRAINER!

  • Even if you don’t want to ride, a qualified trainer can help be a support system to safe handling and enjoyable interaction with your new horse. They will also already have your address and know what your horse looks like if they run off, and you are sobbing in a field. Trust me, have support peeps ready.

  • Having basic skills for care (knowing how to halter, blanket, take temp, pick hooves, wrap legs, trailer load, etc) is key to everyone’s safety; Basically, a 4H level of overall husbandry is recommended. If these skills are lacking, an instructor may be arranged, or volunteering at an equine rescue can help prepare you.

  • Salt, salt, salt, and other basic supplements have to be supplied, as your horse cannot leave to go get them. Sounds obvious once said, right?


FIND A HOOF TRIMMER!

Here at Rosemary Farm we use qualified barefoot hoof trimmers. A horse’s hoof needs to be trimmed every 6-10 weeks, depending upon the horse. Radically overgrown hooves are cause for prosecution, so this is quite serious. People ask ‘how come in the wild they don’t need that?’. Well, to be honest, mustangs have better hooves then the average domestic horse, who has been bred for looks or speed but not necessarily for great feet. Here we witness 30 different breeds all living in the same environment, and this is clear. Most of the horses people will be adopting will require regular hoof care.


VARIOUS EQUINE RELATED TERMS:

Bute, choke, founder, cushings, EPM, dental floating, stocked up, pastern arthrodesis, sidebone, rainrot, string halt, kissing spine, burdock, frogs and chestnuts, ‘devils horns’, dropped pasterns, heaves, support limb laminitis, abscess, nebulizer, sheath cleaning… just a few of the many words bandied about this week. Google and try not to be terrified, it will not all happen to your horse.