PET CLASSIFIED'S      478-374-8398

                                 HORSE CARE

THESE GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR HORSE OWNERS ARE NOT INTENDED TO
REPLACE  REGULAR VISITS WITH A VETERINARIAN. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS
ABOUT YOUR   ANIMAL'S HEALTH, PLEASE CONSULT WITH YOUR VET.

NUTRITIONAL NEEDS
A HORSE'S DIGESTIVE SYSTEM IS MADE TO PROCESS LARGE QUANTITIES OF GRASS,      
  WHICH IS HIGH IN FIBER AND WATER. THE BASIC DIET FOR MOST HORSES SHOULD
BE  GRASS AND GOOD QUALITY HAY, FREE OF DUST AND MOLD. IN MOST CASES,
PLENTY OF  FRESH, CLEAN, UNFROZEN WATER BE AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES, EVEN IF
THE HORSE ONLY DRINKS TWICE A DAY.

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?
MOST OF THE TIME, HORSES SHOULD BE ABLE TO GRAZE OR EAT HAY WHEN THEY
WANT TO  AN EMPTY  STOMACH LENDS ITSELF TO A HIGHER RISK OF ULCERS, WHICH
ARE QUITE  COMMON IN RACE AND SPORT HORSES. HOW MUCH TO FEED DEPENDS
ON VARIOUS   FACTORS SUCH AS CONDITION AND ACTIVITY LEVEL, BUT MOST HORSES
SHOULD EAT BETWEEN 2% AND 4% OF THEIR BODY WEIGHT IN POUNDS OF HAY OR
OTHER FEEDS YOU HAVE TO WATCH YOUR HORSE AND MAKE SURE HE IS MAINTAINING
AN APPROPRIATE   WEIGHT. YOUR VET CAN HELP YOU TO DECIDE HOW TO FEED TO
KEEP YOUR HORSE FIT  AND HEALTHY.

A WORD ON GRAINS
MOST HORSES, EVEN FAIRLY ACTIVE ONES, DON'T NEED THE EXTRA FOUND IN
GRAINS, WHICH ARE HIGH IN CARBOHYDRATES. FOALS FEED" HIGHER ENERGY"
DIETS CAN DEVELOP BONE AND JOINT PROBLEMS. SOME ADULTS HORSES DEVELOP    
  CERTAIN MUSCLE DISORDERS RELATED TO EXCESS CARBOHYDRATES. IT IS ALSO       
 INCORRECT TO FEED A HORSE EXTRA GRAIN IN THE WINTER TO KEEP HIM WARM. HAY,
IN  FACT, PRODUCES MORE HEAT WHEN DIGESTED. ANY CHANGES TO DIET SHOULD
BE MADE    GRADUALLY TO AVOID COLIC (ABDOMINAL PAIN USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH
INTESTINAL  DISEASE)  OR LAMINITIS (PAINFUL INFLAMMATION IN THE HOOF WALL),
EITHER OF WHICH  CAN BE CATASTROPHIC. A HORSE OR PONY BREAKING INTO THE
GRAIN BIN BEING   ALLOWED TO GORGE ON GREEN PASTURE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN
FALL IS HEADING FOR  DISASTER. IF YOU TRAVEL WITH YOUR HORSE YOU MAY WANT
TO BRING HIS FOOD ALONG. FOR SOME HORSES, YOU MAY ALSO HAVE TO BRING A
SUPPLY  OF THE WATER HE IS USED TO.

VACCINATIONS AND DE-WORMING
ALL HORSES NEED VACCINATIONS AND MOST NEED REGULATE DE-WORMING. THE         
  SPECIFICS SHOULD BE DISCUSSED WITH AND EQUINE VET. EVERY HORSE SHOULD
BE PROTECTED AGAINST TETANUS. OTHER VACCINES ARE GIVEN ROUTINELY
INCLUDE  EASTERN AND WESTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS, EQUINE
INFLUENZA,  RHINOPNEUMONTIS (EQUINE HERPES), AND RABIES. VACCINES FOR
WEST NILE VIRUS ARE   ALSO AVAILABLE. ASK YOUR VET IF OTHER VACCINES ARE
APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR HORSE.

WORMS CAN CAUSE WEIGHT LOSS, POOR COAT, AND COLIC, WHICH CAN BE DEADLY.
IT IS      BEST TO HAVE YOUR VET TEST AND DE-WORM YOUR HORSE, OR ADVISE YOU
ON WHAT TO       USE AND WHEN. MORE IMPORTANT THAN TREATING WORMS IS
MINIMIZING THE HORSE'S
EXPOSER TO PARASITES. PROPER MANAGEMENT ENTAILS NOT PUTTING TOO MANY ON
TO  LITTLE LAND, ROTATING PASTURES IF POSSIBLE, AND REMOVING FECES
REGULARLY.

HOUSING, REST AND EXERCISE
CONTRARY TO WHAT YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, STRAIGHT STALLS ARE NOT
NECESSARILY   WORSE THAN BOX STALLS IF THE HORSES ARE TOGETHER, AND
SPEND MOST OF THEIR  DAY OUTSIDE. HORSES ISOLATED IN BOX STALLS CAN
DEVELOP BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS  FROM LACK OF COMPANIONSHIP AND MENTAL
STIMULATION. WHENEVER POSSIBLE,  HORSES SHOULD BE OUTSIDE WITH OTHER
HORSES EVERY DAY.

HORSES CAN GO INTO A LIGHT SLEEP WITH THEIR LEGS "LOCKED"SO THAT IT TAKES
VERY     LITTLE EFFORT TO REMAIN STANDING. IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE (REM OR
DREAMING) SLEEP, A  HORSE MUST LIE FLAT.  IT IS NOT HOW MUCH OR HOW OFTEN A
HORSE NEEDS TO DO THIS,   BUT TO TAKE NOTE OF CHANGES IN YOUR HORSE'S
SLEEPING PATTERNS.

HORSES WERE BORN TO MOVE. IN THE WILD THEY MAY WALK MILES IN A DAY,
SOMETIMES TROT, BUT RARELY GALLOP UNLESS THEY HAVE TO DAILY OPPORTUNITY
TO EXERCISE IS A MUST, BUT IF YOU ARE BUILDING YOUR HORSE'S STRENGTH  AND
CONDITIONING, FOLLOW A SENSIBLE PLAN AND DO IT GRADUALLY.

EXTREME WEATHER PRECAUTIONS
UNLESS IT IS VERY WET AND WINDY, HORSES TOLERATE COLD MUCH BETTER THAN
AND HUMIDITY. IF THEY CANT SWEAT, THEY CANT GET RID OF HEAT BUILDUP IN THEIR
BODIES. IF THE SUM OF THE TEMPERATURE IN DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AND THE
RELATIVE HUMIDITY IN PERCENTAGE IS 130, YOU SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT
EXERCISING YOUR HORSE OVER 150, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY REST IN THE SHADE,
AND IF IT SI OVER 180, MOST HORSES SHOULD NOT WORK AT ALL.

HOOF CARE

HOOVES SHOULD BE TRIMMED EVERY SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS FOR HORSES WHOSE
FEET DO NOT GET ADEQUATE NATURAL WEAR. DESPITE TRADITION MOST HORSES
DON'T NEED SHOES IF THEIR HOOVES ARE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO
STRENGTHEN NATURALLY. IN FACT, SOME HOOF PROBLEMS ARE DIRECTLY RELATED
TO SHOEING. HOWEVER, CHANGES SHOULD  NOT BE MADE SUDDENLY OR WITH OUR
EXPERT GUIDANCE. FINDING A VET PR FARRIER WILLING TO DISCUSS ALL THE
OPTIONS MAY BE HARD BUT WORTH WILD, IN ANY CASE, NEGLECTING THE FEET CAN
BE DISASTROUS TO THE HORSE.

TEETH
HORSES TEETH GROW CONTINUOUSLY. UNEVEN WEAR CAN LEAD TO SHARP POINTS
AND EDGES THAT CAUSE PAIN AND DIFFICULTY CHEWING. A HORSES TEETH SHOULD
BE CHECKED ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR AND FLOATED (TO MAKE THEM SMOOTHER) BY A
VET OR WELL-TRAINED EQUINE DENTIST AS NEEDED. DENTAL PROBLEMS, FROM
PAINFUL POINTS AND UNEVEN TEETH, MAY CAUSE DIFFICULTY CHEWING OR
"QUIDDING" WHICH OCCURS WHEN FOOD FALLS OUT OF THE MOUTH. OTHER SIGNS
OF DENTAL DISEASE MAY INCLUDE FOUL BREATH, UNDIGESTED HAY IN THE STOOL,
OR DISCOMFORT FROM THE BIT OR NOSEBAND, DENTAL DISEASE CAN LEAD TO
CHOKE, COLIC, AND WIGHT LOSS.
SPRING AND           
SUMMER
HAZARDS       FOR
HORSES

* WILTED RED MAPLE
LEAVES

* BLACK WALNUT ( E.G. AS
SHAVINGS IN BEDDING)

* OAK (ESPECIALLY
NEW-GROWTH LEAVES IN
THE SPRINGTIME)

* TAXUS SPECIES ( YEW,
JAPANESE YEW,
AMERICAN YEW, ENGLISH
YEW, WESTERN YEW,
OLEANDER AND ROSE
LAUREL

* RHODODENDRON AND
AZALEA

* WHITE SNAKEROOT,
RICHWEED, WHITE
SANICLE, JIMMY WEED,
RAYLESS GOLDENROD,
BURROW WEED

* YELLOW STAR THISTLE,
ST. BARNABY'S THISTLE,
RUSSIAN NAPWEED

*BLISTER BEETLES,
WHICH CAN SOMETIMES
BE FOUND IN ALFALFA
HAY, ESPECIALLY IN THE
MIDWEST AND
SOUTHWEST

* IF YOU SUSPECT THAT
YOUR ANIMAL HAS
INGESTED A POISONOUS
SUBSTANCE, PLEASE
CALL YOUR VET OR THE
ASPCA ANIMAL CONTROL
CENTERS 24- HOUR HOT
LINE AT (888)426-4435