Questions & Answers

Questions & Answers:

Will you be doing a course near Chemainus soon? Also there is no picture on your website so we can see the instructor. How will we know you to see you? - M. Smeets

Great comment! I will get a picture up!

I will be down on the Island July 15-23rd and would be happy to meet and teach a course! Feel free to touch base and we can see about setting something up.

I am down on the Island regularly so if a date this close doesn’t work I am happy to plan a course date for sometime in the future.

My horse has an abscess on his right front foot and is putting a lot of weight on his supporting leg. Should I wrap it? - K

Anytime you wrap one leg, it is a good rule of thumb to wrap the partner leg. When a horse is favouring one leg, a lot of strain is placed on the partner leg. By wrapping a stable bandage on both legs you will be providing support to that partner leg. This will help protect the partner leg from strain and injury risk while the sore leg heals.

When wrapping legs please ensure that you are not leaving the standing wraps on for more than about 12 hours at a time before unwrapping and rewrapping.

I have noticed that my neighbour leaves halters on his horses in the pasture, is that OK? - D

Ideally horses should not have halters on in the pasture. It does increase their risk of injury as halters can get caught. If for some reason a halter must be left on a horse either in the pasture or in the stall or paddock, ensure that it is leather, as leather will break under pressure. A nylon halter won’t break and can lead to serious injury.

Does my horse need a salt lick? - H

Horses, like humans require salt for healthy bodily function. How they get the required amount of salt depends on how you choose to provide it. You can use a loose salt/mineral mix developed specifically for your area that can be added to their grain or mash, or you might provide them a bin with free choice salt and or mineral. Horses tend to be quite good at managing their own salt requirements given opportunity and access. Some people choose to provide a salt block as opposed to loose salt. In both cases the salt and or mineral will survive more successfully under shelter of some sort. If you choose a sweetened mineral/salt combo, free choice may not be suitable for all horses.

If I live where there is a lot of snowfall, do I need to water my horse in the winter? - M

Many people differ on this subject. Horses First recommends that horses have access to tepid water at all times, winter and summer. Horses are at higher risk of impaction colic during the winter months and having access to tepid water continually can help reduce the risk of this life threatening illness. While horses will eat snow, it does not provide them with adequate hydration. Therefor, access to water remains key.

How much land do I need per horse? - S

This answer will vary depending on the location and living situation for your horse. If you are hoping to access pasture as your horses main source of sustenance than the rule of thumb Horses First works with is 1 acre of pasture per horse. Keep in mind that there will be sacrifice areas in every pasture. Also the ability to provide grazing rotation will help your pasture maintain its best quality.