Take care of your horse

Regardless of the season and whether your horse is resting or not, it is important to take good care of it through regular maintenance. This can partly include things like vet checks, but also something as simple as inspecting your horse daily. We at Friska Leder have listed some things below that may be good for you to consider.

Get to know your horse's habits and body

Daily inspections

The most important thing is to get to know your horse's body, which you can do through daily inspections. When you brush, you can create a habit where you run your hand along the horse's body and legs. You do this to feel if there are any possible differences from how the horse normally looks. For example. if there are sores or heat that is not usually there. Some horses always have slightly swollen legs, but without daily inspections you may miss that the swelling is warm, which could be a warning sign of possible inflammation. Rumoring the horse is very good for blood circulation as it, for example, helps both muscles, joints and many other things in the body.

The most important thing of all is to get to know your horse's body and you do this through daily inspections.

Behavior and habits

In order to give your horse optimal conditions to feel as good as possible, you need to get to know all its signs. What does your horse look like when it feels good? What is a normal behavior for your horse? Is the box usually messy or is your horse clean? Does your horse tend to drink a lot or a little? Does your horse usually pee a lot? Also look at how the fur, eyes and nostrils look. Does your horse eat all the food? All this may sound like a lot to keep track of, but it is very easy when you get it into your routine, and above all when you have gotten to know your horse.

Since all horses are different, it is impossible to say that unusual movement in the box is a sign that something is wrong. This can be an indication of anxiety and stress. But it could just as well be that some horses move a lot in the box. Therefore, it is extremely important to pay attention when you bring home a new horse. Partly to get to know it and its habits, but also to be able to pay attention to any changes.

It is extremely important to pay attention when you bring home a new horse, both to get to know it and its habits but also to be able to notice any changes.

It is common for horses that move to new stables and owners to react to changes. Changes such as change of fodder, more grass than before, new outside times or different riding. What is also common is that horses get joint inflammation when they have recently changed owners/riders. It is not because the new rider is riding wrong, but simply because the horse is being stressed in a new and unfamiliar way. Avoid problems by taking it easy with the start-up when you get a new horse in the stable. Pay extra attention and inspect the legs carefully daily to detect small changes in heat/swelling.

What can I do to prevent injuries and help my horse's body?

Regular checks

Do regular checks such as:

Vet checks – Eva Skiöldebrand , veterinarian and researcher at SLU , recommends that you vet check your horses twice a year.
Dental visit – Should be done once a year unless your horse's dentist recommends more.
Visit by the Equitherapist - How often depends on how much your horse needs. Many times the horse is treated a few times over a short period and then takes a break for a few months.

Check your equipment

Check your equipment and especially your saddle at regular intervals. A saddle that sits incorrectly or presses not only creates problems in the area it loads, but can also create strain injuries. When the horse tries to relieve the pressure point, it can put the wrong load on its joints, which can lead to joint inflammation. It is therefore good to take out a saddle tester who can check how the saddle fits on your/your horses. A saddle may lie perfectly from the start, but as the horse's body and muscles change, the saddle may no longer lie as optimally. If you have young horses that are still growing, you should also pay attention to how the other equipment sits.

Contribution

You can also help your horse a lot with the help of carefully selected supplements. If your horses walk in gravel paddocks or paddocks with a lot of sand, it may be good to give flea seeds to avoid sand colic. We at Friska Leder also recommend that you give your horse joint supplements with high molecular hyaluronic acid from the time they start working. This is to maintain safe levels of synovial fluid. A good base is daily feeding of Conquer 200Pro and/or Chondrogen 100Pro to support the horse's joints during exertion.

We at Friska Leder also recommend that you give your horse joint supplements with high molecular hyaluronic acid from the time they start working. This is to maintain safe levels of synovial fluid.

Conquer 200 Pro

Chondrogen 100Pro

Stretching

The benefits of stretching your horse are that you strengthen and soften the body, increase flexibility and stretch the muscles. You can stretch your horse before or after the riding session and of course also on the days you don't ride. Examples of some stretching exercises can be:

Stand next to your horse with a treat and let the horse reach for the treat around you towards its hind leg. By allowing the horse to stretch around you, you force it to stretch its entire side and not just fold its neck.
Entice your horse with a treat to stretch his head down between and past his front legs to stretch his back and neck.
Drag a finger, pen, hoof scraper or similar under your horse's belly to make it arch its back and do the horse's version of a sit-up.
Drag your fingers along the horse's tail to get a similar effect to the above.

Try to get the horse to hold the position for a few seconds so that it does not slack off and you lose the effect of the movement. You rarely need to do the exercises many times, but 1-3 repetitions are usually enough.

Movement

Horses are made to be in constant motion and it is therefore important to give them these opportunities. Daily outings in paddocks are important for the horse both physically and mentally. If your horse has a rest day, it is still good to walk it or put it in the walking machine if there is one. If you have a walking machine at the facility, it is optimal to have a stay in the pasture, a walking machine and riding in combination.

How can I ride to prevent injuries and maintain my horse's body?

We often use the expression ride a lot and train a little. As we mentioned above, horses are made to be in constant motion but not for constant strain. It is therefore important to vary the riding sessions and not exert the horses hard too often as this will lead to overexertion injuries such as joint inflammation. For example, you can add walking breaks during the hard sessions and rather ride these sessions short and intensively than daily for long periods.

Walking a lot is both good for the function of the joint and for its recovery. When walking, it is easier for the joint to transport waste products out and transport nutrients into the joint. When the horse walks, the joint can naturally work to maintain even levels of synovial fluid. Walking for at least 15 minutes before and after the riding session is optimal for the horse's joints to soften and recover.

Tip!

If you discover heat and swelling in any joint during your daily inspection, you can give your horse a Conquest course (two Conquest Start Up syringes and one Conquest Follow Up).
After a harder training session or competition give a double dose of Conquer to boost synovial fluid.