Horse Management III

HORSE MANAGEMENT COURSE ONLINE STUDY AT HOME

Improve your equine health and welfare knowledge

Aims

• Identify the use and purpose of protective equipment for horses, including blankets, bandages and boots.
• Determine the procedures required to maintain a horses health.
• Develop a program to prepare a horse for showing.
• Prepare a management plan for a horse while away from it's home.
• Develop a plan for the management of a horse industry event.
• Analyse the management of a horse enterprise, including its marketing and financial viability

What You Will Do

• Explain the uses of a horse blanket in a specified locality.
• Evaluate three different types of horse blankets, in terms of various factors, including:
  • price
  • application
  • quality
  • longevity.
• List five situations when bandages are used on a horse.
• Describe the methods of bandaging horses, as listed above.
• Demonstrate the use of bandages on horses in two specified situations.
• Explain the different reasons why boots are used on horses.
• Describe the use of boots on a horse in two specified situations.
• Define terms used in the health care of horses.
• Describe the symptoms of five common ailments in horses.
• Develop a checklist for evaluating the health of a horse.
• Evaluate the health, using the checklist developed above, of a chosen horse.
• Describe, in an illustrated report, how to take a horses temperature.
• List the minimum components and their uses, of an equine first aid kit for two different specified situations.
• Explain different horse restraining techniques, including the use of:
  • stalls
  • twitch
  • sidelines
  • crushes
  • hobbles.
• Determine the criteria which must be satisfied before, and during, the isolation of a horse.
• Explain why the isolation procedure is used in a specific situation.
• Describe the use and maintenance of tools and equipment required for preparation of a horse for showing.
• Demonstrate plaiting using a fibre comparable to horse's hair.
• Compare the differences in showing under saddle, with showing on the halter.
• Write a plan for the preparation of a horse for showing, in a specific competition.
• List the situations where a horse might need to be transported.
• Explain the different methods of transporting a horse with respect to:
  • impact on the animal
  • equipment required
  • costs.
• Prepare a set of guidelines for the care of a horse during travel.
• Prepare guidelines for the care of a horse at a specified show.
• Plan appropriate procedures for the transportation of a horse, for two different situations, in terms of:
  • a timetable of events
  • husbandry tasks to be carried out
  • a list of equipment and materials required.
• List the factors influencing the success of different types of events in the horse industry, including:
  • Shows
  • Races
  • Competitions.
• Determine the minimum first aid facilities which should be provided for horses, riders and spectators at a specified type of event.
• Prepare a plan for managing a specified type of horse event.
• Write a report analysing the management of a nominated event in your locality.
• Evaluate the management of a horse event, such as a show, competition or race; with reference to:
  • organisation
  • promotion
  • success (or failure) of the event.
• Determine the factors affecting the profitability of two different specified horse enterprises you visit.
• Calculate the different costs involved in maintaining a specified breed/type of horse over one year, including:
  • manpower
  • agistment
  • feed
  • veterinary needs
  • transport
  • tack.
• Evaluate three different systems for marketing horses in your locality.
• Determine innovative marketing methods for different horse industry situations, including:
  • Stud services
  • Yearling sales
  • Riding instruction.

How are Horses Educated?

A horse doesn't automatically get born, become tame and be suitable to ride. It needs to be educated or trained, and as with any animal, the earlier the training begins, the easier it is. The following information will give you an idea of what is involved.

Getting used to handling
A foal should ideally be handled as soon as possible after birth so that it becomes comfortable with humans right from early in its life. Place a mare and foal in a small yard (don't separate them), and approach the foal slowly. Be calm and pat the foal gently. Lift the legs slowly and place your hand on different parts of the body gently. Spend no more than a few minutes doing this. Repeat the process frequently in the foal's early days. (If you leave these lessons for several months, the job will need to be handled differently as the animal will be much stronger).

Learning to be led
The foal must next be taught to be led in a headstall. The foal and mother should be moved into a restricted area, perhaps using a crush to separate them. The foal should be allowed to relax before putting any head collar on it. When relaxed it will sigh and chew: if tense it will hold it's breath and clench the teeth. It's normally best to secure the neck strap first, then put on a nose band. Place this gear on very gently. Once the head collar is attached, the mother can be led out. The foal will follow, being led by a handler. When it feels the collar the foal will create a fuss. The handler must hold the rope, but not restrict the foal too much. It usually only takes a matter of minutes for the foal to get used to being led. The process is repeated every day for at least 3 days; for 10 minutes at a time. Gradually the foal is taught to be led away from the mother

Other lessons and procedures
Foals must be taught a variety of other things including to be tied up, to have their legs handled and to eat solid food (weaning). As the foal develops other procedures may be necessary including castration, branding, vaccination (eg. tetanus and strangulation) and keeping official records. As the horse continues to grow the training will continue with the horse being taught:

• To wear a rug
• Handle a long rein
• Breaking (usually at around 18 months)

Breaking in a horse is an "expert" job and must be done properly. It requires an experienced handler, the right equipment, short effective lessons and a sensitive but firm attitude.