Horses are amazingly beautiful and sensitive creatures. Horses require not only understanding and patience to have a horse as a pet, it also requires a whole lot of care.

Hoof Care
Taking care of the feet also involves checking the condition of the shoe. If a horse has extra soft hooves, use some iodine to harden them up. A hoof pick is used to remove dirt from the hooves. There is a place for your horses hoof print, feeding records, breeding information, photos, medical information and emergency contacts. Hoof oil is used to put a sealing, protecting and shiny seal to the hoof. Once a month grease the feet with hoof moisturizer.

Teeth
Good horse care should also include floating of the teeth, and regular worming. Floating is a process that will normally be performed by a veterinarian.

Wormers
Many horse wormers are available in a palatable tasting paste that even the novice can administer. Check labels to determine the types of parasites for which the dewormer is effective against.

Grooming
A happy, comfortable horse will be more pleasant to ride. To some people, their horse's shining coat means a symbol of status and pride. Horses sweat over their bodies, so hosing down and grooming after exercise is much appreciated by the horse. A grazed horse requires less grooming than a stabled horse because the natural oils in the coat help protect them from the weather.

A number of brushes are available which serve different purposes. Brush the forelock and face, being careful to stay away from the eyes. Use a damp sponge or cotton to clean the eyes and nose of the horse. Like many other tissues in the body, muscle is built onto a framework of collagen. Scrape the body brush with the curry comb to get the oil off. Don't use a body brush on a horse's head. It is used to take off oil and dirt. Look for any drainage from the eyes and make sure your horse's ears don't have anything in them. Use water to remove any stains that were not possible to remove by normal brushing.

Bathing
Be sure to reapply and clean the mitt as you go along. Simply place the mitt on your hand, squeeze a small amount of shampoo into the palm of your hand and begin to wash. Remove excess water using a sweat scraper.

Sweat scraper
This is just like a squeegee, except it is used on a horse not a window Nice lather with an easy rinse out. It leaves the coat naturally shiny with no residue left behind. It gives a great shine with no oily residue. The mild, super rich lather rinses quickly.

Fly Spray
Prior to riding or turnut thought should be given to fly care. Fly spray, Fly masks and fly sheets are very helpful items; they prevent the horse's skin from the bites. Be careful not to get fly spray in horse's eyes.

Blankets
You will need to watch how the temperature fluctuates in the barn to decide what is best for your blanketing system. But, if you are willing to do this, it makes it easier to cool him and groom him. Look for a blanket that does have a light color, and is durable enough to not tear when a horse rolls. A nylon sheet is a good fall sheet; it prevents wind from cooling the body too much. Look for blankets that have shoulder gussets, for free movement. Washable cotton with nylon surcingles. All of your blankets should have wither protection and a shoulder gusset.

Chest / Tack Box
It is a good idea to have a safe storage area for your equipment when it is not being used on the horse.

Water / Feed
Remember the water, fresh and plenty of it as a horse can drink up to 55 litres per day. Normally, a pleasure horse in good body condition that is getting good-quality hay or pasture needs little grain.


Vaccines / Worming
Make sure your horse has all the vaccinations that are normal for your geographical location. Put your horse on a good worming program to control intestinal parasites. A horse should be wormed by a vet at least two times a year.

Remember, horses must be cared for daily. As you can see horses are very complicated and you should never own one unless you know what you're doing. Horse care is a satisfying aspect of owning a horse.