|
Owning a horse or horses can be a very expensive exercise. Feeding, shows, tack and general horse care all add up to a rather large bill at the end of the month. In many cases this can and does get exacerbated by exorbitant veterinary fees, which can be avoided by knowing some basic horse care.
One of the more common ailments for horses is colic. There are a number of causes of colic, including feeding too soon after exercise, or exercising your horse too soon after eating, (allow a minimum of three quarters of an hour before and after eating to prevent colic), as well as feeding too much Lucerne or other green grasses. Walk the horse as much as possible and avoid allowing him/her to lie down or roll as they may ‘cast’ themselves (twist their gut), and this can be fatal. But keep them moving, you want to be able to get their stomach to start working and passing either urine or stools. You will be able to tell when they have colic, as generally they will be lying down and kicking or ‘looking’ at their stomachs, as well as avoiding food. If you cannot get their tummy to work after walking around for about an hour, then call the vet as they may have to drench them, (with an oil based liquid), to make their tummies work.
For weepy eyes, first clean them up using clean cotton wool, and warm water. Make sure there is nothing in the eye, then use an eye powder like Teramycin Eye Powder or similar obtainable from your local vet or tack shop. To keep flies away from the eyes use a fly fringe on a halter and wipe the face with Eucalyptus oil. In fact this oil can be used all over the horse in small doses to keep the flies away. Have a talk to your local homeopathic shop and purchase a few must haves; like oils to keep flies away and to treat flaky/dry skin for the animals. As well as “rescue Remedy” (a natural treatment to help relax the bowels for treatment of colic as well as general relaxation).
For small wounds clean with warm water, clean cotton wool, and a mild antiseptic (like Dettol or Savlon). Make sure that the wound doesn’t require stitches, and clean out all the little pieces of dirt. Spray with an antiseptic spray or powder and if it is going to be impossible to keep it clean, bandage the wound. However make sure that it gets at least six hours of fresh air a day to help it heal and prevent infection.
To help prevent swelling and sore legs, especially after a show or working on hard ground, poultice using Epson salts and water. Liberally sprinkle the Epson salts onto a bandage pad or cotton wool, then sprinkle warm water on as well. Alternatively use Ice Gel and rub directly onto the legs then bandage. The next morning rub down the legs with warm water, and allow the horse to walk out for at least two hours.
There are a number of causes of lameness in a horse or pony. Eliminate the obvious first, check the feet for stones, and make sure if the horse has recently been shod, that he hasn’t been ‘pricked’ (when a nail is placed to close to the frog of the horse’s foot). Check for new bumps on the legs or wounds. It is best to let the horse rest for a few days before calling out the vet, unless a more serious problem is suspected, as many horses come right after a few days off work.
|
| |
