Horse Care Guidelines

Horses should be maintained in a body condition score of three or more in most cases.
However, horses gaining weight and being fed adequately, highly conditioned performance
horses and horses with certain chronic health conditions may be in lower body condition
scores and still be acceptably nourished.

Horses more than 20 years of age may not
maintain their body condition well even with special feeds. Horses should have free
access to natural or constructed shelter that is well-ventilated with adequate space and free of hazards.
Stabled horses should be allowed exercise daily.

Horses should be free of significant
health problems or should be receiving appropriate health care to prevent
unnecessary discomfort and promote prompt return to wellbeing. The horse
should receive adequate hoof care to allow the horse to stand in a normal posture
and move at all gaits without discomfort.

Some health and hoof problems (such as
heaves or founder) in horses, particularly those that are longstanding, may not be
resolvable, but this should be determined by veterinary exam.

Horses are extremely hardy and are strong survivors. Typically, if horses have access to clean water and
free-choice forage, they can survive extreme weather conditions. Obviously, a disease-and-parasite-control
program and a constructed or natural shelter would help provide for the horses’ wellbeing.

Horses, like all animals, need regular, preventative health care as well as veterinary care for
problems as they arise. Horses should be observed for wellbeing at least once every 24 hours.
Vaccines are often indicated to prevent infectious disease. Also, deworming and various
environmental management practices are necessary to prevent health problems due to internal parasites.

The recommended basic vaccines for horses are Eastern, Western and West Nile Virus Encephalitis and Tetanus.
Other vaccines may be useful in certain situations. Most horses will benefit from being dewormed two to
four times a year; young horses need to be dewormed more often.

Kentucky law requires that horses have
a negative Coggins test before being taken to a congregation point such as shows, boarding stables
and trail rides. Regular hoof care is important to a horse’s wellbeing to prevent hoof problems and to
allow normal movement.

Horses can adapt to a wide variety of environmental extremes if they are acclimated and have adequate feed and water. Horses with free access to shelter will often choose not to use it when it seems logical they would do so. Acceptable shelter
may be natural, such as trees, or constructed, such as barns. In some circumstances, natural shelter offers advantages over constructed shelter. Horses do benefit from shelter, particularly as it acts as a sunshade and wind screen.

The shelter should be of adequate size for the number of horses using it to avoid fighting among the animals.
Individual stalls should be big enough for the horse to turn around. A 12-foot x 12-foot stall is adequate
for all but the largest horse. The shelter should be tall enough so the horse’s ears do not touch the ceiling with the
horse standing in normal posture with the head held higher than the withers.

The shelter should be adequately ventilated to help prevent respiratory infection and should be free
of hazards that might cause injury. Finally, it should have good footing and be well-drained.