Horse Insights

How about finding the best specific practitioner for your horse?  What is the situation that constitutes a need for a practitioner?

First, you want to purchase a horse, if you don’t already have one.  Consult your veterinarian, have him or her do a “vet check” to ensure the horse is sound.  Others that may be in consult with you during this stage of your horsemanship could be an equine chiropractor (to ensure the soundness of the steed for the job title you have for it).  This could be a jumper, pleasure horse, cart horse, trail horse – many different disciplines here.

How do you intend on getting your steed home, by the way?  Trailering the horse has its own cautions.

But, once you have your horse home, you may need to find a trainer – check out this site for some good ones, and ask around at horse events you attend.  Usually a few top up lessons, if you are a good horseman is sufficient.  If you are “green”, it is a good idea to take the time to get a trainer to check out your perspective purchase before hand, ensuing it is not too much horse for you to handle, and helping to ensure it has no bad habits – difficult to break.

You also want to check with your vet for proper feed for the horse.  And speaking of vets – is yours a large animal vet?  Some of them only deal with small animals.  Some only treat animals that come to their place of business.

Once home, the horse will need a good farrier – one who understands your horse’s anatomy, and one who understand if you want your horse shod, or want to join the growing barefoot horse movement.

And feeding the horse – ensure the quality of feed, and the vitamins and minerals your horse may need – ask at the vets; and the feed store – many knowledgeable experts out there.  Use their knowledge.  Once your horse is home and settled in, and all of a sudden it seems off its feed.  Do you get an equine dentist?

Then, riding your horse, it seems it is a chore for the horse to carry you – perhaps a need for an equine massage therapist?  Perhaps a need for some acupuncture to alleviate the suffering and get the horse back on track.  What about hydrotherapy?  Is it necessary?  What exactly is it?

Purchasing a horse is not a light undertaking.  Insurance – do you get it or not.  Insurance for those who ride your horse, as well as for you.

And, though we don’t want to think on it, what happens when the horse is in need of being “put down”, or put to sleep?  Whether due to illness, injury, or age – what do you do?

Maintaining a horse is akin to having a child, the care they need.  But, as with children (and grandchildren) – multiple equine practitioners make the “burden” light.