Spring is finally here.
The horses are shedding those big winter coats, everything is covered in
hair.
Vaccinations:
Now is the time to have the vet out to give your horse a checkup and
vaccinations before the mosquitoes hit.
Except for tetanus and rabies, most diseases we
commonly inoculate against are carried by biting insects.
Horses will need
booster shots.
Teeth:
Ideally your horse's teeth should have been floated in
the fall months, to help him get the most benefit from his food in
the cold winter months. But because of the way horses chew, their
molars wear unevenly and can develop points that cut the
inside of the cheek. Have the vet do a quick
checkup catches potential problems before they affect your horse's comfort
and health,
and possibly your safety. If necessary, your veterinarian will float the
teeth to smooth sharp edges. Checking younger horse's
teeth to
make sure the adult ones are coming in properly is important too. Why
wait until your horse is dropping his feed or tossing his head
and fighting a bit while ridden?
Feet:
Depending on your horse's feet and the kind of
riding you plan to do, you might want to talk to your farrier about shoes.
"Au naturel" is
best for a lightly ridden horse with good feet, but when hooves wear
excessively or split, or your horse moves gingerly on anything
but soft ground, shoes might be necessary. In any
case, proper farrier work is essential to your horse's comfort and
soundness.
Avoid problems with a regular six to eight-week trimming schedule whether
the hooves look as if they need it or not. Remember,
those hooves
support one thousand plus pounds of horse.
Conditioning:
With nice weather, we want to spring into riding
but if we overdo it in the first weeks of
spring, we may not have such a good summer.
Unless you've been riding all winter, you and your horse will both need to
get back in condition. And if you have used an indoor arena
all winter, be prepared for some high spirits the
first ride or two outside. Start slowly with lots
of walking. Build up muscle and wind
gradually before you head out for day long trail rides.
Consider also that your horse's skin will need to become re-accustomed to
saddle
and girth. Watch for signs that the girth is rubbing before a sore develops.
Feed:
Spring is also the season to guard against
laminitis. Introduce your horse gradually to pasture. During
the transition to rich spring grass,
continue feeding hay and limit the amount of grazing. It's a great
temptation to simply turn the horses out on grass as soon as possible,
but if your horse does founder, he'll be compromised for the rest of his
life.
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