All horses need protection from outdoor elements, whether it is a stall in a barn or a run-in shelter in a pasture. Straw or wood shavings should cover the floor, even those equipped with rubber matting, to serve as bedding for comfort and warmth. Clean bedding is also essential for healthy hooves, so the stall will need frequent cleanings, depending on how much time the horse spends in it.

The average horse will eat, per day, up to five pounds of grain, 20 pounds of hay, and drink up to 12 gallons of water. Where fresh grass is available, the hay requirements lessen. Many varieties of grain and hay are available to meet special nutritional requirements. Treats such as apples and carrots are not only fun to give, but they are healthy snacks that horses love.

Medical treatment is a necessity. Horses will need to have a veterinary checkup, including vaccinations, at least once a year (preferably twice.) Required vaccinations will vary depending on what the horse is used for, the environment it lives in, and where it will be traveling. Horses also need de-worming approximately every eight to 12 weeks, once again, depending on its environment. Some areas are more prone to different types of bacteria and parasites. Horses should have their teeth floated (filed evenly) as needed to help them chew. Frequency of treatment will depend on age and diet.

Horses spend a lot of time on their feet. Hooves need trimming and possibly shoeing every 4 to 6 weeks. The type of shoes needed, if any, depends on footing conditions and performance needs. A blacksmith can give any recommendations for special shoes or treatments.

Daily grooming and hoof cleaning is not just important, but a fun way to bond with a horse. Essentials include a hoof pick, curry comb, body and dandy brush, mane and tail comb and fly spray. Cleaning out the hooves daily will remove any foreign objects and identify any loose shoes, which will prevent injury and lameness.

Caring for a horse is a lot of work, but worth the effort. Your reward will be a happy, healthy horse that cares a whole lot for you.

Winter is upon us, already baring its teeth with unprecedented snow storms. If we humans struggle to stay warm and dry during the winter, imagine the situation for horses. It is of the utmost importance that horse owners care for their animals in the right way during these cold winter months. Here are five tips for the best practices for caring for horses in winter.

1. Cold weather and wet weather means greater calorie requirements.

Horses, like all warm-blooded animals, maintain a constant body temperature. In cold, wet, and/or windy weather, the internal furnaces of horses and other mammals require more calories in order to maintain body temperature. For example, a 1,000 lbs. horse already consumes roughly 15 lbs. of hay each day; as the weather drops to freezing levels, the same horse would require 17 lbs. of hay per day to prevent any degradation of body condition. Wet weather and windy weather increases the horse's calorie needs even more, especially if the horse is without shelter.

2. Sometimes a little fat is helpful.

Horses are designed to survive on a forage diet – in other words, grass and hay. In general cereals are not recommended feed for most horses. However, in the fall months before cold weather strikes, adding grains to horse feed helps the horse to add a layer of fat. The protective fat will insulate the horse from cold weather, provide energy reserves, and mitigate the need for extra feed during the winter months.

3. Keep water above freezing.

Envision a blustery day in midwinter, with steely, overcast skies and maybe even a few flurries. On a day like that, one of the most comforting activities is to sit with your feet near the fire and sip a cup of hot tea. No one would want to cozy up with a glass of ice water. In the same way, horses don't like drinking cold water in the winter, but by dehydrating themselves their risk of colic and impaction increases. To prevent this from occurring, remove any ice crystals that form in the water, and keep the water between 7 degrees and 18 degrees Celsius.

4. Keep horses away from the beauty parlour.

Throughout the fall and winter months, allow the horse's coat to grow. Its natural winter coat is its best defence against cold weather. Although it may be tempting to trim the hair within the ears and around the fetlocks, resist the temptation for the sake of the horse's health. Furthermore, make an effort to keep the coat dry; once the horse hair gets wet, it loses its ability to insulate the horse from the cold, just as walking outside in the winter with wet hair is unpleasant for humans.

5. Don't let horses slip on the ice.

A broken leg for a human means a cast and some time on crutches. A broken leg for a horse sometimes spells death. Therefore, protect horses from snow and ice during the winter by trimming hooves every six to eight weeks. For horses who will stay outside during the winter months, remove horseshoes. Horseshoes can easily become backed with ice, which greatly increases a horse's risk for a fall.

These five tips are certainly not exhaustive, but provide a good place to start for caring for horses during winter months.

The best thing to do in cases like that is to let the horse sniff each tool before you use it. With skittish horses, I'll talk in a calming voice about everything I'm about to do. Hearing your voice can relax them too. If your horse is "thin-skinned" or very sensitive to touch, try to have a light touch.

It's important to gather your equipment before bringing in your horse. You can keep all your tools in a large bucket or a carryall. You'll need:

• curry comb (not metal - those are not for horses) used in a circular motion to stir up dirt and hair;
• dandy brush - a stiff brush used to remove the dust, hair, etc stirred up by the curry comb;
• body brush - a soft brush which can be used over the entire body;
• towels - used to give a final polish and remove sweat after riding;
• mane comb - used on short manes or you can use the dandy brush on long manes and the tail;
• sponges for the face and dock; and
• hoof pick.

If you're riding your horse that day, you'll need to plan on grooming him twice. One grooming will be more thorough and the other will be a touch up.

Exception for pasture-kept horses
When grooming a pasture-kept horse, the body brush isn't used on its body. The body brush will remove the important natural oils in their coats that protect them from the cold and wet. Only use the body brush on the mane and tail of pasture horses.

The hooves
Before riding, pick out the hooves with the hoof pick. Pick up each hoof and clean it out with the hoof pick. Starting at the heel, work downward scraping out all the dirt. Do not dig into the sensitive frog (the fleshy v-shaped area of the foot). Check for any tenderness or heat. Check the shoe to make sure that it's not loose or worn out. Make sure that the nails aren't sticking out either.

After riding, check the hooves again. This will be a simple check to remove any stones, debris or dirt picked up during the ride.

When you are picking up the hoof, do not act timid. If you are nervous, the horse will be too. Horses can kick if they feel frightened. If you lightly touch the leg as you reach for the hoof or grab the hoof without running your hand down the leg, the horse might startle and kick. The best way is to calmly and confidently run your hand down the leg (on the inside of the front legs or along the back of the back legs down to the hock and then down the front of the leg) . As you get to the fetlock, grasp it and say "Up" as you start to lift it.

VCAGK7PHRYCH

A horse spends a lot of time in a stall or a corral, and keeping these areas clean is important to maintaining good health. The horse’s skin and hair are somewhat of an air conditioning system that adjusts with the climate. Keeping the animal clean will promote good functions in this regard. As for washing a horse, a mild shampoo will work just fine and, just as with humans, it should be rinsed thoroughly.

As for feeding supplements, a reasonable person would not eat power food, then sit down to watch television and go to bed. The same holds true with a horse. Grain is fine before doing a fair amount of exercise, such as a trail ride or Gymkhana type events. The extra calories and sugars will be burned as fuel. However, graining the animal before a training session will make the horse over energized, with the physiological need to burn that fuel. When this happens, good communication has been lost, since both the horse and rider are no longer on the same page.

Understanding the nature of the animal goes a long way toward knowing what will have a positive result, and what to avoid in training, and in everyday associations. A dog is basically aggressive by nature, and they respond to communication that is delivered in a firm manner. Conversely, horses are timid by nature, and by recognizing this, communicating with the animal can be relatively straightforward and uncomplicated.

Obviously, the best horse and rider teams are the ones that work in rhythm. Whether riding or grooming, talking to the horse in a calm, even tone will put the otherwise timid animal at ease. Smooth and even movements around a horse are important as well. Once a horse becomes familiar with a person's manner and tempo, that animal will be relaxed and responsive.

Along with common sense, patience and consistency are essential elements in the care and training of a horse. When the animal can begin to expect certain things, and is given time to absorb new things, the door is open for establishing trust, and a bond.

About 500,000 horses and ponies are suffering pain and illnesses related to obesity, says the research by World Horse Welfare – that is almost half of the 1.35 million horses and ponies in the UK.

Many equine lovers do not understand the problem because they don’t have the experience or equipment to check on their animal’s weight and are encouraged to follow a body fat guide for horses and ponies available from the WLW web site .

Keeping your horse fit

Roly Owers, WHW chief executive said: “Despite widespread media coverage of both human and pet obesity, we appear as a nation to be blind to this issue. Many people are unable to appreciate what an overweight horse looks like and the grave risks they face.

“We are literally killing our horses with kindness. Overfeeding a horse can lead to health issues, often causing excruciating pain. Overweight horses can also suffer from laminitis, heart and lung problems and even a diabetes-like condition, which can be as destructive as it is for humans.”

Laminitis is a foot condition that can lead to severe pain.

The WHW body fat guide helps owners feel their horses for excess fat when grooming. For a guide, check out the web site for a podcast and video on just how to find the fat on your animal. The charity suggests that horses and ponies are kept to a planned diet and not allowed to over feed and that owners should check for excess fat every month to six weeks.

Banned from keeping horses

In October, a Blackpool couple were banned from keeping horses for five years after allowing one to become hugely overweight. This is believed to be the first case of its type in the UK.

At Blackpool magistrate’s court, Keith, 60, and Lynn Hall, 56, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to their 12-year-old Shetland pony stallion, Dale.  The pony weighed in at 40 stone – about 10 stone over the Shetland average.

Mr Owers said: “This prosecution is likely to be the tip of the iceberg. We hope cases such as this will serve to highlight an escalating problem in our horse population, which, if left unchecked, will have serious consequences.”

Dale is now looked after by the WHW and is recovering well, although he will always be at risk from weight gain and laminitis

The key is horses actually like the cold and their bodies adapt for the cooler weather, so it’s crucial to base your care around their natural defences.

Of course, how you look after your horse over winter depends on the animal’s breed, age, and health.

First step in preparing for the colder weather is benchmarking current health. You know your horse or pony better than anyone and should be able to spot any bumps, bruises or ailments that should not be there, however slight.

Getting a feel for problems

Checking out body condition is something you can do while grooming by feeling over the horse as you go for anything suspicious. Feeling rather than just looking is advisable because any extra growth of winter hair may cover something that needs sorting out.

This winter coat is a greasy, waterproof thermal layer that keeps out cold and rain.

Consider changing the diet or put more food out, because a small layer of extra body fat can soon be exercised off in the spring but provides an additional layer of warmth in the winter.

A visit from the vet is also well worth considering to make sure immunisations are up-to-date and all parasites like fleas and worms have been dealt with.

Blanket coverage

Many owners opt for a winter blanket to give a horse or pony and more comfortable time in the winter.

Layered blankets – with a water and windproof external cover, a layer of insulation and a soft inner layer that does not rub or itch – are often suggested as the best winter wear. Don’t forget to keep an eye on the weather, as a blanket should be taken off as the weather improves to stop condensation caused by the animal sweating.

Make sure the blanket is warm – the weight keeps the coat flat and stops the winter growth retaining heat. The wrong blanket is double trouble as it does not keep the horse warm and stops the horse keeping itself warm.

Extra hay is a great source of warmth for your horse or pony when the temperatures fall.

Following a few safety tips will help horse lovers and pony lovers put their animals at ease:

• Check out the local paper and notice boards to see if there are any big firework displays in the area near where your horse is kept. If so, moving a horse or pony in to the stables for a couple of nights is probably a good idea, especially if they are nervy.

• Try and keep the feeding and grooming routine normal to avoid unnecessary stress

• If you think stress might be a problem, talk to a vet about sedation – for your horse or pony that is!

• Check out the field or stables to try and remove anything that might harm the horse or pony if they bump in to it.

• Try leaving the stable lights on or a radio playing to keep your animal relaxed

• Don’t forget to make sure your insurance is in order in case your horse runs free and causes an accident that may leave you liable to a compensation claim.

Once your horse or pony is safe and sound for firework time, consider taking your date to a firework party.

Watching a colourful display out on a crisp and cold autumn night is a romantic way to spend some time together.

A big tip for the guys is lots of women find wrapping up in coats and scarves and huddling round a bonfire for warmth romantic.

If you live out in the country, most towns or villages are likely to have a public display, often based at or near a pub.

Country lovers who near the coast can bring some extra sparkle to Guy Fawkes Night by letting off fireworks on the beach and watching the reflections in the sea.

Lastly, don’t spend this weekend alone – lots of horsey people and country lovers are looking for a partner and you can register for free on lovehorse.co.uk to find like-minded people for some firework fun and frolics.

Years after this traumatic experience, I have grown to understand the reaction of the horse, and I have grown to understand the magnificent creatures for what they truly are. Now, the owner of several horses, I have taken it as my mission to educate on proper horse handling and care.

In my area, winter can be dreadfully cold and quite damaging to the horse. In order to protect them, I have adopted some methods of horse maintenance. Proper blanketing, with a blanket thick and warm enough to keep horse hair down, is a great way to ensure that the elements do not harm the horse. After the blanket is removed, a brush should be used to keep the horse hair fine and even. With winter also comes extra feeding. It's very important to ensure that the hay is not mouldy or too dusty, either of which can damage the horse's digestive system. As the horse eats, the extra weight will provide some insulation against the cold temperatures. Finally, one should be extra cautious while riding in the winter as ice can be damaging and painful to a horse. Always try to keep a slow, steady, walking pace unless the ground has some cushion on it such as snow, and there is no danger of ice underneath it. With proper winter care, your horse will be happy and healthy for the spring months.

With spring, it is time to ease back into a riding regimen. First, it is advised to help the horse shed their winter coats by use of a shearing blade. With the extra weight, the horse will be ready for conditioning. It's advised to schedule a veterinarian visit as soon as possible to check for any issues. Once this check-up is complete, horse shoes is the next step if your horse uses them. Usage of horse shoes varies from owner to owner, but considering the damage that the hooves can go through, it can be a necessary thing toward helping your horses health. Finally, before riding full-out, a horse must be slowly conditioned if they have not been ridden during winter months. This conditioning will allow a horse to have a more enjoyable spring, free from injury.

Horses are wonderful animals, who with a little work, patience, and perseverance, can offer lots of fun and excitement in return. As with all animals, they require special care and attention, but the dedicated horse owner will find this care just as rewarding as riding.