Horse Care
A healthy horse is a happy horse.
Make sure your horse stays healthy by examining your horse daily. Daily checks will determine if he or she has any cuts, scrapes or other horse care issues. Also, check his hooves daily to make sure he has no health care issues.
Watch your horses expression. You know how your horse usually greets you at the barn, wide eyed and happy to see you. If his eyes are dull and listless, he probably doesn’t feel good.
Have you ever had the flu? Remember how it made you feel? You can look at someone who has the flu and actually see they feel bad. You can see it in their eyes. Horses are the same way. If you know your horse well enough, then you know when something is amiss.
A horse that is sick may have a loss of appetite also. This is a pretty good indicator that something is not right. I know that if one of my horses turns down food, something is up!
Check the horse manure. This could also be a good indicator of a problem. It lets you know how your horses digestive system is working. You should know what his normal manure looks like.
Normal should be well formed balls with enough moisture to stay heaped. There will be some roughage that has passed through undigested.
If it is very dry, this may indicate that he is not drinking enough water. If it is to loose, it could be that he has had to much water and salt. This could also mean that he has a bacterial irritation in his gut. If he has very loose manure for more than 3 days, you should consult your vet.
Salt Blocks
Always have salt blocks out for your horses. Try to avoid the ones that contain molasses or grain. They will love the sweet taste and may possibly eat it like candy. The plain white salt blocks will be sufficient. 
Salt is something that your horse needs especially in the summer months. It makes them thirsty, causing them to drink more water. In providing the best horse care for our friends, we should always strive to fulfill all of their needs and most of their wants.
Horses should drink plenty of water at all times. It is especially important in the hotter months. Not enough water can cause dehydration. That is something that you do not want to happen.
A good way to check if your horse is dehydrated is to perform a pinch test. 
Pinch a fold of skin in the neck and shoulder area and pull it away from the horses body. It should return to normal almost immediately. If it remains tented for 2-3 seconds, it may indicate mild dehydration. However, if it remains tented for 5-10 seconds, it could indicate moderate to severe dehydration. If your horse refuses to drink water, you should call your vet immediately.
Straight From The Horse's Mouth
Another thing to check in your horse care regimen is his teeth. Check your horses mouth and teeth on a regular basis. Once you become familiar with your horses mouth, you will be able to tell when something is not right.
Look at his gums and see if the color is normal. Normal color should be bright pink and moist. If they are very pale or white, this could be a circulatory problem. Bright red indicates poison. A dark grayish color shows that the horse is probably in shock. Call vet immediately.
Check his tongue to make sure there are no cuts. Put your finger inside the corner of his mouth and feel his teeth, making sure there are no sharp points or edges. If there are sharp edges, his teeth probably need floating.
Here are a few ways to tell if your horses teeth need to be floated.
- If they drop a lot of food while eating.
- If he has a very bad mouth odor.
- If he tosses or shakes his head when wearing a bridle.
- If there is a lot of hay or grain in the water bucket.
A vet exam will let you know definitely what type of horse care he needs. Good teeth are a must for the well-being of your horse. It is very important to provide him with the best horse care and dental care that you can.
