Caring for horses on a budget

In these economic times all horse owners are looking for ways to save money and keep their horses in good healthy condition. Housing - Healthy horses can thrive outdoors. Building a shelter for adverse weather is good enough for a horse. This will save money on barn maintenance and stall cleaning. Cleanliness - flies, ticks and mosquito's are responsible for a lot of viruses and diseases. Keeping your horses environment extra clean will help with keeping these pests at lower numbers around your farm. Safety - Improving barns and keeping up with regular maintenance will reduce the risks of horse injuries. Always have a good working relationship with a veterinarian. Have a plan set in place so if an accident does happen you will have an idea of how much money it will cost to get good care for your horse. This helps ,because you can save little by little ,so if this does happen you can have some money saved to help pay for the accident. The number one thing that will help any horse owner save money is utilizing pasture. Forage should equal to at least 50% of your horses diet. Horse nutrient requirement depend on their age, weight, exercise, ect..... Most people over feed their horses leading to wasted money and overweight horses. Removing unnecessary grain from diets can lead to huge money savings. Take hay samples and do soil tests to see what nutrients your horse is getting and what your horse really needs. For the full article see : http://www1.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/horse/care/caring-for-horses-on-a-budget/">