Autumn: the views are tinged with wonderful colours, the days begin to get shorter, the temperatures are milder and the insects, which annoy horses so much during the summer, decrease.
Take advantage of this magical season to take beautiful and evocative walks or to work in a perfect climate inside the stable.
With good equipment for you and your horse you will be able to face even the gloomy days typical of this season.
Cleaning and maintenance of facilities
With the arrival of autumn the horse will be outdoors less and less, it is therefore necessary to carry out a cleaning of the box.
Having climatically ideal days we can start by taking care of bedding which must be comfortable and chosen in such a way that it does not generate a large quantity of dust and does not retain too much humidity which can lead to respiratory problems for horses.
Once the box has been cleaned, it is possible to spray specific products to guarantee a longer life of the litter, but also a lower onset of mould, reduced bacterial development and bad smells, as well as a improvement of living conditions of the environment by animals.
There are different types of products on the market, obviously the natural ones that are preferable are those that guarantee respect for the environment, but also avoid bacterial resistance which then causes pathologies that are more difficult to treat.
Another very important practice is the control of structures where our horse will reside all winter. Let's start from the paddock and make sure that the fences of the pens are in good condition, in the boxes we check for any drafts, finally we inspect the drinkers. Everything must be ready to face the winter!
We sanitize the equipment
As we approach the coldest period of the year, it is very important not to arrive unprepared, therefore it is necessary to make a sort of inventory and therefore also a thorough cleaning of the entireequipment. As for blankets, even if they are not needed at the moment, it is important to evaluate their condition and then decide whether to repair them or buy new ones.
using sanitizing products based on plant extracts, we can obtain excellent cleaning and at the same time guarantee well-being for our animal which will come into contact with treated equipment without the use of chemical agents harmful to its health.
The welfare of the horse
In autumn, the horse's outings decrease, but it is very important that the transition from outdoor life to indoors, inside the stalls, is gradual.
Il paddock it is an excellent solution, especially if the horse is used to spending time on grass. However, the change of season and the sudden change in temperatures during the day can lead the animal to have problems related to the respiratory system. Cold with cough, irritation and phlegm, can be managed with products based on plant extracts specific to decongest the respiratory tract, also promoting physical performance.
Due to too intense training or ingestion of excess sugar, the horse can also suffer from gastric problems. In these cases, the use of a complementary feed based on plant extracts it can help restore the acid/base balance of the gastric and duodenal area, always to be administered on the advice of your trusted veterinarian.
Hoof care
The horse's health also depends on the care of the feet which are a very important and delicate part. The horse's foot consists of a sensitive internal part and an insensitive external part, i.e. the hoof.
A hoof can be defined as healthy when the horse puts it down calmly without any hesitation. If spots or atypical movements appear, this is a warning sign that should also be checked by consulting a veterinarian.
Therefore, to ensure the well-being of the foot, and therefore of the horse, it is important to take care of the hoof and the application of fat becomes essential, especially in autumn and winter.
Use of the grasso it is in fact useful for making the hoof elastic and waterproof and for protecting it from dust and external pollutants, as humidity and cold can ruin it and increase the risk of fractures.
The coat: how to take care of it in autumn
In autumn the mantle of the horse changes: the lighter hair is replaced by the thicker winter hair, which is less shiny and requires more grooming.
If the horse is active, and therefore sweats during sessions in the paddock, it is important to take care of the coat at the end of the work. If the frequency of showers decreases with lower temperatures, we can remedy this by using one dry shampoo, which does not require the use of water. With a few strokes of the brush we can make the dirt disappear, and if we choose a product based on plant extracts, we take care of the coat in complete safety!
Conclusions
Horses do not particularly suffer from the cold, but if they are not properly prepared for the arrival of low temperatures during autumn they could run into some problems. As we have seen, they are enough a few simple precautions to ensure that our four-legged friend can face the winter in the best possible way. Better not to wait and start now!
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You may also be interested in:
Horse: how to take care of the foot
How and why to clean our horse's stable
The respiratory diseases of our horse friends
