How to care for a horse: a first-month checklist

Every day: feed, water, look and pick

The Merck Veterinary Manual says to check your horse regularly for signs of illness, especially during feeding and grooming. The common signs are not eating, diarrhea or dry or fewer droppings, coughing or sneezing, discharge from the eyes or nose, hair loss or itchy skin, and limping or not wanting to move. If a horse shows any of these for more than a day or two, schedule a vet exam.

Merck also says to brush your horse daily to remove dirt and check for skin problems, and that daily hoof care is essential: pick out the dirt and check each hoof for problems. Fresh, clean water should always be available, in every season, and you should never limit it unless your vet says so. Our hoof care guide covers what to look for under the hoof.

Colic is the emergency to know. Merck lists the usual signs: repeatedly pawing, looking at the flank, rolling, sweating, stretching out as if to urinate, straining, a swollen belly, loss of appetite and fewer bowel movements. Our advice: call your vet at once if you see them.

Every week: the slow-moving checks

These are our own suggestions. Once a week, walk the fence line and the shelter for broken boards, loose wire or nails. Scrub the water trough. Look at your horse from the side and run your hands over the ribs, to see whether the weight is rising or falling, which is easier to miss in daily glances.

Merck suggests mowing and breaking up manure in pastures, rotating pastures with other livestock and keeping the number of horses per acre low to reduce parasite eggs, and feeding hay and grain from a feeder so it stays off the ground.

Every six weeks: the farrier

Merck says horses need their hooves trimmed about every 6 weeks by a farrier. An extension article from the University of Minnesota says at least every six to eight weeks in summer, and that every six to twelve weeks may suffice in winter, when hooves grow more slowly. Whether your horse needs shoes depends on hoof health and the ground it works on, so ask your vet or farrier. The Minnesota extension article calls a street nail, any foreign object that enters the foot, an emergency: call your vet immediately.

Every year: vet, teeth, vaccines and parasites

Merck says adult horses should see a vet for a full checkup at least once a year, and horses over 20 should go twice a year or more. It also says horses should have their teeth checked by a vet at least once a year, and older horses may need it more often. Our dental care guide explains floating and the warning signs.

Merck lists these core vaccines: tetanus, encephalomyelitis from mosquitoes, equine viral rhinopneumonitis, influenza, rabies and West Nile virus, with boosters every 4 to 12 months depending on the disease. Other vaccines depend on where you live, and Merck says your vet can tell you which ones your horse needs. Our vaccination schedule guide goes through them.

For parasites, Merck says horses should be dewormed when a fecal egg count is high enough and your vet recommends it. A healthy adult horse with few or no eggs might not need deworming more than once or twice a year, while young horses need regular deworming.

Shelter, space, feed and company

Merck says horses need a lot of space, and some owners board their horses at a stable because they do not have enough room at home or the funds to build a proper one. In winter, horses usually do well in the cold if they stay dry and clean. In summer, heat stress is the main concern, so they need shade and plenty of fresh water.

Most of the diet should be forage, such as pasture grass or good hay. Merck says grain adds calories when a horse needs more energy, but too much can upset digestion and make a horse very sick. Our feeding guide covers the amounts.

Merck calls domestic horses social animals and says regular exercise with a handler or rider, along with time to move around alone or with other horses in a pasture, is best for health and happiness. It also says to limit exercise in hot, humid weather and after a long rest.

Your first month, and what to record

Practical advice from us: before the horse arrives, find a vet and a farrier and ask who covers emergencies. In the first week, note the horse's weight or an estimate, its condition and any health records the seller gave you. Book the first farrier visit, a dental exam and a vet checkup, and ask which vaccines and deworming plan fit your area.

Then keep one record. Write down the date, what was done and who did it for every vaccination, trim, dental visit, deworming and medication, plus weight, injuries and feed changes. When the vet asks about the last time teeth were floated or what changed in the feed, you will have the answer. Merck says your vet will review the horse's history of previous problems and treatments when diagnosing colic, so a record helps.