Pine Shavings - Basic Horse Care

Having a horse is a huge obligation. Horses are, naturally, social animals designed to range in large spaces with their herd.

While they will learn to adjust to stable life, it is essential to practice your horse to fulfill its physical requirements. Also, a horse will become bored and discontented if it does not have the regular company of people and other horses.

Your horse will demand protection to shelter it from wind, rain, and the sun. A natural grove of trees supplies great shade, but for shelter from the elements, a three-sided enclosure works the best. Make sure your shelter is big enough to let all your horses to fit inside together, and shape it so the back wall faces the prevailing wind.

Horses demand a constant supply of fresh, clean water. If you decide to use a watering bucket, you must refill it at least twice daily and whenever it is empty. Placing the bucket inside a tire will keep it from being easily tipped over. A watering trough, supplied by a pipe, is better, but must be checked during winter weather to make sure the pipe and water surface have not frozen.

Proper bedding is primary for horses maintained in a barn or stable. Horses should not stand all day on a hard floor, and they will lie down to nap or relax. Pine Shavings are a popular bedding choice because it is inexpensive, warm, and comfortable.
Dust-free pine shavings are clean and hygienic. You can also apply rubber matting for a comfortable resting and standing surface, but you should put pine shavings on top of it to provide heat.

The stable must be made clean (‘mucked out’) daily. If your horse is stabled all day, it should be cleaned at least three times daily. To muck out the stable, you will take out any droppings with a shovel and wheelbarrow, and level the horse’s bedding.

After you have removed the droppings, part the foul bedding from the still-clean bedding material. Sweep, and then disinfect the floor with a stable disinfectant. Once the floor is dry, place the fresh bedding to its location, then add more fresh bedding material to make up for the taken soiled amount.

If your horse is stabled majority of the time, it will call for grooming daily to keep its coat safe. However, don’t over groom a horse that uses most or all of its time in the pasture. The natural oils in its coat assist to keep your horse warm and dry.

Pine Shavings Florida