Horse management practices vary between areas and individual horsemen. In general, however, the principles of good management are the same everywhere.

Stable Management

The following stable management practices are recommended:

(1) Remove the top layer of clay floors yearly; replace with fresh clay, then level and tamp. Keep the stable floor higher than the surrounding area so the floor will stay dry.

(2) Keep stalls well lighted.

(3) Use properly constructed hay racks to lessen waste and contamination of hay. Do not have hay racks in maternity stalls.

(4) Scrub concentrate containers as often as necessary and always after feeding a wet mash.

(5) Remove excrement and wet or soiled material from the bedding daily, and provide fresh bedding.

(6) Practice strict stable sanitation to prevent fecal contamination of feed and water.

(7) Lead foals when taking them from the stall to the paddock and back as a way to further their training.

(8) Restrict the ration when horses are idle, and provide either a wet bran mash the evening before an idle day or turn idle horses to pasture.

(9) Provide proper ventilation at all times by means of open doors, windows that open inwardly from the top, or stall partitions slatted at the top.

(10) Keep stables in repair at all times to lessen injury hazards.

Kind and amount of bedding

Select bedding material by availability and price, absorptive capacity, and potential value as a fertilizer. Bedding should not be dusty, too coarse, or too easily kicked aside. Cereal grain straw or wood shavings generally make the best bedding material.

A soft, comfortable bed should insure proper rest. The animal will be much easier to groom if his bedding is kept clean. A minimum daily allowance of clean bedding is 10 to 15 pounds per animal.

Ways of handling horse manure

Clay floors cannot be cleaned by flushing with water, and hard stable floors of concrete, asphalt, or wood require considerable bedding to provide softness and comfort. These conditions make it impractical to handle horse manure as a liquid. But horse manure is relatively dry and well adapted to handling as a solid.

In large horse establishments, the use of automatic gutter cleaners can eliminate much of the hand labor in handling manure as a solid. Automatic gutter cleaners may be (1) located in the alleyway or immediately outside the barn, (2) covered except for trapdoors, and (3) designed to carry the manure from the gutter directly into a spreader.

Some large establishments fork the manure from the stalls into the alley and then load it by means of a scraper or power loader. But this method is more messy and less convenient than an automatic gutter cleaner.

Both small and large horse establishments face the problem of what to do with horse manure after it is removed from the stable. Because the feces of horses are the primary source of infection by internal parasites, fresh horse manure should never be spread on pastures grazed by horses. The alternatives for the disposal of horse manure are as follows:

(1) Spread fresh manure on fields that will be plowed and cropped if there is sufficient land and this is feasible.

(2) Contract with a nearby vegetable grower to remove the manure.

(3) Store the manure in a tightly constructed pit for at least 2 weeks before spreading it; this allows the spontaneously generated heat to destroy the parasites.

(4) Compost the manure in an area where it will neither pollute a stream nor offend the neighbors; then spread it on the land.

Care of the Feet

The value of a horse lies chiefly in his ability to move; therefore, good feet and legs are necessary. The important points in the care of a horse's feet are to keep them clean, prevent them from drying out, trim them so they retain proper shape and length, and shoe them correctly when shoes are needed.

Each day, clean the feet of horses that are shod, stabled, or worked and inspect them for loose shoes and thrush. Thrush is a disease of the foot caused by a fungus and characterized by a pungent odor. It causes a deterioration of tissues in the cleft of the frog or in the junction between the frog and bars. This disease produces lameness and can be serious if not treated.

Trimming and shoeing

Before trimming or shoeing, a horseman should be able to recognize proper and faulty conformation. The slope is considered normal when the toe of the hoof and the pastern have the same direction. This angle should be kept in mind and changed only as a corrective measure. If it should become necessary to correct uneven wear of the hoof, correct gradually over a period of several trimmings.

Before the feet are trimmed, the horse should be inspected while standing squarely on a level, hard surface. Then he should be seen at both the walk and the trot.

The hoofs should be trimmed every month or 6 weeks whether the animal is shod or not. If shoes are left on too long, the hoofs grow out of proportion. This may throw the horse off balance and put extra stress on the tendons. Always keep the hoofs at proper length and correct posture. Trim the hoofs near the level of the sole; otherwise, they will split off if the horse remains unshod. Trim the frog carefully and remove only ragged edges that allow filth to accumulate in the crevices. Trim the sole very sparingly, if at all, and never rasp the wall of the hoof.

The following list describes the common faults of the foot and tells how to correct them by proper trimming.

Splayfoot.—The front toes are turned out and the heels are turned in. Trim the outer half of the foot.

Pigeon-toe.—The front toes are turned in and the heels are turned out, the opposite of splayfoot. Trim the inner half of the foot more heavily; leave the outer half relatively long.

Quarter crack.—A vertical crack appears on the side of the hoof. Keep the hoof moist. Shorten the toe of the hoof and use a corrective shoe.

Cocked ankles.—The horse stands with the fetlocks bent forward, most frequently the hind ones. Lower the heels to correct. However, raising the heels gives the horse more immediate comfort.

Contracted heels.—The heels are contracted or shrunken. Lower the heels and allow the frog to carry more of the weight. This tends to spread the heels apart.

Horses should be shod when they are used on hard surfaces for any length of time. Also, shoes may be used to change gaits and action, correct faulty hoof structure or growth, protect the hoof from such conditions as corns, contraction, or cracks, and aid in gripping the track. Shoes should be made to fit the foot and not the foot to fit the shoe. Reshoe or reset at 4- to 6-week intervals. Do not attempt to shoe a horse without first getting instructions from a farrier.

Care of the foal's feet

Foals may damage their limbs when the weight is not equally distributed because of unshapely hoofs. On the other hand, faulty limbs may be helped or even corrected if the hoofs are trimmed regularly. Also, trimming helps educate the foal and makes shoeing easier at maturity. If the foal is run on pasture, trimming the feet may be necessary long before weaning time. A good practice is to check the feet every month or 6 weeks and, if necessary, trim a small amount each time rather than a large amount at one time. Tendons should not become strained because of incorrectly trimmed feet. Usually, only the bottom rim of the hoof should be trimmed, although sometimes the heel, frog, or toe of the hoof may need trimming. The hoofs are trimmed with a rasp, farrier's knife, and nippers. A rasp is used more than the other tools.

Before the feet are trimmed, the foal should first be inspected while standing squarely on a hard surface and then inspected at the walk and the trot.

Treatment of dry hoofs

Hoofs may become dry and brittle; sometimes they split and cause lameness. The frogs lose their elasticity and are no longer effective shock absorbers. If the dryness is prolonged, the frogs shrink and the heels contract.

Dry hoofs usually can be prevented by packing them with a specially prepared formulation, applying a good hoof dressing, keeping the ground wet around the watering tank, and/or attaching wet burlap sacks around them.

Exercise

Horses should exercise as much as possible on pasture. They will develop strong, sound feet and legs from outdoor exercise. If no pasture is available, exercise mature animals for an hour or two a day under saddle or in harness.

Horses with bad feet frequently cannot exercise on roads. Those with faulty tendons may not be able to exercise under saddle. Allow these animals to exercise in a large paddock, by longeing on a 30- to 40-foot rope, or by leading.

Transporting Horses

Horses can be transported by trailer, van, truck, rail, boat, or plane. Most horses are transported in a one- or two-horse trailer drawn behind a car or truck. The requisites for good motor transportation, regardless of type, are as follows:

Provide good footing.—The floor of the vehicle should be covered with heavy coco matting made for the purpose, sand covered with straw or other suitable bedding material, or rubber mats. Clean the floor covering at frequent intervals while in transit to avoid ammonia and heat.

Drive carefully.—Drive at a moderate, constant speed as distinguished from fast or jerky driving, which causes added stress and tiring. If weather conditions make the roads unsafe, the vehicle should be stopped.

Make nurse stops.—Nurse stops should be made at about 3-hour intervals when mares and foals are transported together.

Provide proper ventilation.—Provide plenty of fresh air without drafts.

Teach horses to load early in life.—When horses will be transported later in life, they should be accustomed to transportation as youngsters before they get too big and strong. This can be done by moving them from one part of the farm to another.

Provide health certificate and statement of ownership.—A health certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian is required for most interstate shipments. Foreign shipments must be accompanied by a health certificate that has been approved by a government veterinarian. This takes several days. Branded horses must be accompanied by a brand certificate, and all horses should be accompanied by a statement of ownership.

Schedule properly.—Schedule the transportation so that animals will arrive on time. Show, sale, and race animals should arrive a few days early.

Have the horses relaxed.—Horses ship best if they are relaxed and not overtired before they are moved.

Clean and disinfect public conveyance.—Before using any type of public conveyance, thoroughly clean and disinfect it. Steam is excellent for this purpose. Remove nails or other hazards that might cause injury.

Have a competent caretaker accompany horses.—Valuable horses should not be shipped in the care of an inexperienced person.

Use shanks except on stallions.—When animals are tied, use a 5/8-inch cotton rope shank that is 5 feet long and has a big swivel snap at the end. Chain shanks are too noisy. Always tie the shank with a knot that can easily and quickly be released in case of an emergency.

Feed lightly.—Allow horses only a half feed of grain before they are loaded for shipment and at the first feed after they reach their destination. In transit, horses should be given all the good quality hay they will eat, preferably alfalfa, to keep the bowels open, but no concentrates should be fed. Commercial hay nets or homemade burlap containers may be used to hold the hay in transit, but they should not be placed too high.

Water liberally.—When transporting horses, give them all the fresh, clean water they will drink at frequent intervals unless the weather is extremely hot and there is danger of gorging. A tiny bit of molasses may be added to each pail of water, beginning about a week before the horses are shipped, and the addition of molasses to the water may be continued in transit. This prevents any taste change in the water.

Pad the stalls.—Many experienced shippers favor padding the inside of the vehicle to lessen the likelihood of injury, especially when a valuable animal is shipped. Coco matting or a sack of straw properly placed may save the horse's hocks from injury.

Take along tools and supplies.—The following tools and supplies should be taken along in a suitable box: pinch bar, hammer, hatchet, saw, nails, pliers, flashlight, extra halters and shanks, twitch, canvas slapper or short piece of hose, pair of gloves, fork and broom, fire extinguisher, and medicine for colic and shipping fever provided by a veterinarian.

Check shoes, blankets, and bandages.—Whenever possible, ship horses barefoot. Never allow them to wear calked shoes during a long shipment. They may wear smooth shoes. In cool weather, horses may be blanketed if an attendant is present in case a horse gets entangled. The legs of racehorses in training should be bandaged to keep the ankles from getting scuffed or the tendons bruised. Bandages are not necessary on breeding stock except for valuable stallions and young animals. When bandages are used, they should be reset often.

Be calm when loading and unloading.—In loading and unloading horses, always be patient and never show anger. Try kindness first; pat the horse and speak to him to reassure him. If this fails, it may be necessary to use one of the following techniques:

(1) Sometimes the use of the twitch at the right time is desirable, especially if the horse is tossing his head about.

(2) When a horse must be disciplined, a canvas slapper or a short rubber hose can be used effectively; these make noise without causing much hurt.

(3) If a horse gets very excited and is about to break out, dash a bucket of water in his face; usually he will back off and calm down.

(4) A nervous, excitable horse may be calmed by a tranquilizer, which should be administered by a veterinarian.

(5) If a horse will not move or is kicking, grab his tail and push it over his back. In this position, he cannot kick but can be pushed along.

Control insects.—In season, flies and other insects molest animals in transit. When necessary, use a reliable insecticide to control insects. Follow directions on the container label.

M. E. Ensminger

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