Horse care is serious business
Animals need regular checkups as well as daily attention

When you watch Maggie Hines ride a horse, you would think that you are watching an equestrian a few years older than Maggie's 13 years. Her gracefulness on the back of a horse, performing both dressage and jumping, is a testimony to her years of dedication to the sport. Maggie, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ken Hines of Wichita Falls, has always known that horses would be a big part of her life. Maggie told me that she fell in love with horses even before she knew what one was. Her mother, Kathy, told me a humorous story about little Maggie whinnying like a horse while the young tot was riding in a shopping cart.
Maggie fondly talks about her first horse, a gray pony named Angel. Together they won numerous grand- and reserve-champion ribbons in horse shows. When it came time for Maggie to move up to ride a bigger horse, she and Angel parted ways. But this horse always has kept a special place in the young rider's heart.
Maggie was heartbroken to hear from Angel's new owner that the horse had had to be transported to the veterinarian when she developed the classic symptoms of West Nile virus. Angel's new owner had not vaccinated any of her horses for West Nile virus. Under the care of local vets, Angel received medical support to help her fight the deadly viral disease. Happily, at the time this article goes to press, Angel is showing improvement and should recover.
Inoculating a horse for diseases is only one part of basic horse care. Everything from inoculations to hoof care should be done under the guidance of a veterinarian or a horse-care specialist. To find out more about the care of horses, I turned to local horse expert and riding instructor, Adrianne Thompson. Thompson, owner of Mesquite Tree Farm Riding School, said, like all pets, horses require regular, daily care and basic medical attention to live healthy lives.
Without water, no animal can survive. If horses are kept on pasture, they must have access to a water tank at all times. When a horse is kept in a stall, there should be at least two five-gallon buckets of water that must be refilled several times daily. Thompson also recommended using automatic waterers for stalled horses, but these must be cleaned out on regularly.
When it comes to feeding pet horses, Thompson pointed out that horses are natural grazers. In the wild, wandering and nibbling as they go, they seldom have more than a mouthful of grass at a time. A wild horse may be able to obtain all the needed nutrients while grazing. However, because of the physical demands riders sometimes put on their mounts in training, it is necessary to supplement their grazing with hay and grain.
Hay is the primary food of the domestic horse. Hay may be made from several different types of grasses, alfalfa or a mix of grasses and alfalfa. Thompson suggested that at least one-half bale per horse per day be given as a regular part of its diet. Oats, sweet feed, commercial grain mixes and pellets are also good ways to supplement a horse's diet. Also, have salt or mineral blocks available for your horse to ingest free-choice. Feed stores carry inexpensive mineralized blocks that are specially formulated to meet all of a horse's basic nutritional needs.
The foot is the most important part of a horse, and it is vital to keep it well trimmed and regularly shod if the horse is to remain sound. In the wild, Thompson explained, horses naturally keep their hoofs in good condition by constantly moving over rough terrain. However, keeping horses in stalls or on soft, grassy pasture allows their feet to grow faster than moving about can wear them down. So horses must have their hoofs trimmed regularly. Horses that wear shoes must be seen by a farrier or horseshoer every six to eight weeks. Whether shod or barefoot, horses should have their feet picked out every day because dirt and mud can become compacted inside a hoof, trapping pebbles or debris against the sole and causing painful bruises on the sole of the foot.
A horse's teeth also require special attention. Since a horse's teeth continue to grow throughout its lifetime, they may become longer and longer. Uneven tooth wear can cause sharp points to form that affect the way a horse chews. If a horse's food is not chewed properly, it will not be digested, and the horse will begin to lose weight. It is important to have a veterinarian check a horse's teeth once a year. If sharp points have developed, your veterinarian can file them down. This process is called "floating" the teeth. For horses in serious training or even for the pleasure horse that is ridden regularly, a "performance float" or "bit seat" is recommended to round the horse's teeth where they come into contact with the bit.
Another medical condition that affects horses is colic. Colic is a general term for a horse stomachache. It is caused when a horse consumes something such as noxious weeds, sand or too much grain. Symptoms of colic are repeated rolling, pawing, looking at and poking the sides, and a refusal to eat. If a horse should display any of these signs, a veterinarian should be contacted immediately. Follow his instructions carefully until he arrives to treat your horse. All horses showing signs of colic should be considered to be in a potentially life-threatening state and treated promptly.
Parasitic worms are another menace to the health and well being of horses. Because domesticated horses usually are restricted to feeding repeatedly on the same pasture, they are exposed to several species of parasitic worms. A regular program of deworming horses is essential to maintaining equine health. Paste dewormers are easy for the horse owner to administer, and feed and tack stores carry many brands of effective deworming products with instructions for their use in a cyclical parasite control program. Horses can also be given a daily dose of dewormer pellets as an additive to their food.
Horses are susceptible to communicable diseases just as human beings are. Equine vaccinations are an inexpensive way to ensure your horse's long-term health. Thompson vaccinates the horses under her care twice a year. Spring and fall shots should be standard practice for all responsible horse owners. Thompson pointed out that show horses that travel to many events should be given additional booster shots because they come into contact with so many horses. Included in most vaccination programs are inoculations for influenza, rhinopneumonitis, eastern and western strains of encephalomyelitis and tetanus. Other inoculations are available for common illnesses like rabies and equine distemper.
Horses are special animals that require special health care. Since God gives us dominion over the creatures of the earth, we have a responsibility to care for the animals that we have domesticated to serve our needs.
FYI: The Top of Texas K9 Search and Rescue Association is still in need of donations. If you are interested in helping this team be trained, please call 689-9247. Remember, the Top of Texas K9 SAR is your search and rescue team. Help the trainers and their dogs be prepared to serve you.
Eamon P. Riley is a professional dog trainer and animal behavioral consultant. For suggestions or comments, he can be emailed at dogmanusmc@aol.com or by calling 689-9483.