Ensure these 'WINTER CAUTION' tick boxes are ticked daily.
It's a lovely time of the year BUT please tick these boxes each day.
A few daily WINTER CAUTION tick boxes to share.....
- When turning out in muddy fields, try not to encourage / allow your horse gallop off into the field through heavy mud. It's real 'tendon pulling going' right now so walk them right through the muddy area, before letting free.
- If leaving a haynet on the fence on the side of the field, please ensure it is tied up high and firmly high, so that even when it's been eaten out, that it won't hang low enough for your horse or pony to paw and get his leg caught up in. Nylon haynets are so very dangerous if used incorrectly.
- Try not to tip dirty water buckets onto the yard. It will freeze over night and creates a dangerous ice rink for horses when it gets to morning. Remember, their shoes are metal.
- Check your horse's ears for warmth and also his condition daily by pulling the rug back from the rear and check for signs of tucking up. Remember your horse will feel the wind and rain more than the cold, so rug up accordingly. Some breeds are more hardy than others!
- Break ice every morning.
- If bringing in at night, let the mud dry naturally then brush of around the fetlocks, then treat with topical applications for mud fever if prone to this condition.
- Ensure ad-lib hay is available, especially if grass is limited and your horse is prone to digestive upset this time of the year.
- Ample feed and supplementation is more important than ever at this time of the year to ensure he's getting everything he needs. Try feed little and often whenever possible. We can tailor make a formula to suit his specific situation. Linseed oil fed in daily feed will help condition too.
