Looking After Your Horse After You’ve Been Riding

Looking After Your Horse – Equine fences for horses built by Three Shires Countryside Management of UK

Every horse owner needs a safe and reliable equine perimeter fence to keep them from running loose, wandering into traffic and/or getting into any other kind of situation to injure themselves. Since keeping horses secure and contained is a constant challenge, it becomes paramount to choose the right equestrian fence. Such a fence plays an important role in good horse management.

While we’ll be discussing the various aspects of fencing for horses on our blog, let’s first take a closer look here at the most important member at the center of an equine fencing system – your beloved horse.

Looking after your horse by taking care of your horse properly is extremely important, both in the stable and in the field. It is not only essential that you groom your horse when it’s in the stable but it’s also vital that you take extra steps to ensure their comfort after you’ve been out for a ride.

Looking After Your Horse

Here are a few steps that you should follow in order to ensure the best care for your horse:

1.    As soon as you get off the horse you should loosen the girth or cinch; this is the piece of equipment that is used to keep the saddle in place.

2.    It’s important for your horse to cool down so if you’ve been out for a strenuous ride then you should walk for a while until the horse’s pulse and heart rate return to a more normal state. You can usually be sure that the horse has cooled down if it is no longer puffing.

3.    Attach the stirrups to the saddle – this takes a big weight off the horse’s back and makes the recovery process much faster. In order to lift the stirrups, pull the loop at the back of the saddle through the stirrup and attach them.

4.    You should only unbridle the horse in a safe place – i.e. wherever you tacked it up.

5.    Safely tie the horse up and undo the girth – or cinch – put it up onto the saddle unless it is wet or dirty – then you may wish to take it off completely.

6.    Next you should take the horse’s saddle off, but make sure you hit it high enough so that it doesn’t hit the horses back.

7.    Next you should take off the horse’s blanket that is placed under the saddle; this can be washed in a household washing machine. You should always make sure the blanket is clean and dry because a dirty blanket can cause chaffing to the horse’s skin.

8.    You should always clean the horse’s back to remove any saddle marks. If the weather is warm you could use a damp sponge; if it’s cold then stick to a dry towel to dry and clean away the marks. When the marks have gone, be sure to brush the hair flat in order to prevent it from becoming matted.

9.    Even though you always clean the hooves thoroughly before a ride, make sure that you check them after too in order to make sure they haven’t picked up any rocks.

10.  Take your horse to its stable and feed it. You should probably wait for about an hour after a ride before feeding.

This article was written by professional rider Stephanie Podmore; for all of your equestrian fencing needs, she recommends www.threeshires.com.