Anything For Animals

posted by admin on May 10

Horses and Ponies are just as much part of the family as dogs and cats - so lets focus on them in this article.

I have put together 10 great tips for saving your horse or pony from discomfort or boredom, and made them into a nice easy-to-read little list:

1) Safety First - Tie a small knot in the end of your lead rope to prevent it slipping clean out of your hand if he is startled or puts the breaks on!  This way he can’t get loose in an unsuitable environment.

2) And if he does injure himself, use salty water for his wounds - a really effective and cheap antiseptic.  Disinfectants shouldn’t really be used as they slow the healing process.

3) And talking cheap - use vinegar as a fly repellent.  It is just as effective as store-brought preparations, and is completely natural when washed off in the rain (and onto the grass your horses eat!).

4) Stop your horses from refusing to eat worming tablets or creams by storing them in the fridge overnight - they lose their smell when chilled - so he might no notice them in his breakfast!

5) Reduce the amount of foot-scraping your horse does at the stable door by putting a rubber mat there.  This way he won’t wear his hooves out on the rough ground - and if it no longer makes a noise, he may stop doing it so often!

6) In really cold weather, remember to leave a decent sized plastic or rubber ball in the water trough to prevent if from freezing completely over so your horses can still drink through the night!

7) And in really warm weather, flies and midges are more attracted to sweaty or dirty horses, so make sure you rub him down regularly and/or wash often with a shampoo that contains a mild antiseptic to help deter bugs!

8.) Staying on the bug theme - when applying louse powder, make sure you start at the fetlock, and really work the powder into the hair roots all the way down the creast, along the spine and right to the roots of the tail.  There’s no point doing it unless you are going to do it properly the first time!

9) If you want to save yourself some trouble when shaving your horse’s whiskers - use a plastic safety razor instead of scissors - this way you can be a bit braver when making contact with his moving head!

10) And an obvious one to finish - but one that people seem to forget sometimes: Never tie your horse to a fixed object!  Always tie to a piece of breakable baler twine to prevent him from injuring himself if startled.

Go to 10 Top Time Saving Tips For Your Horses Maintenance  for more ideas.