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Storey's Guide to Raising Horses, 3rd Edition
Breeding, Care, Facilities
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Excerpt
The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by publishing practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment.
Edited by Deborah Burns and Lisa H. Hiley
Art direction and book design by Jeff Stiefel and Ash Austin
Indexed by Samantha Miller
Cover photography by © Bob Langrish, front, and © Dusty Perin, back & spine
Interior photography by © Bob Langrish, iv, 11, 17, 19, 21, 25, 26, 30, 51, 54, 56, 59, 71, 73, 74, 97, 102, 117, 124, 126, 140, 148, 167, 190, 204, 225, 226, 228, 230, 232, 242, 251, 255, 283, 297, 299, 300, 303, 306, 336, 342, 346, 352, 353, 358, 360, 367, 369, 371, 374, 376, 382, 388, 394, 399, 400, 414, 417; © Dusty Perin, ix, xi, xii, 3, 4, 6, 13, 14, 23, 24, 27, 39, 47, 61, 65, 85, 87, 90, 99, 101, 110, 114, 120, 123, 133, 146, 152, 162, 168, 180, 222, 224, 248, 252, 261, 262, 265, 272, 275, 277, 284, 316, 318, 322, 335, 337, 343, 378, 381, 398, 408; Mars Vilaubi, iii, 67, 69, 79, 96, 112, 118, 137, 194, 250, 267, 386, 387, 402 b., 403
Additional photography credits.
Illustrations by © Elara Tanguy, based on original artwork by Elayne Sears, except Elayne Sears, 99; Ilona Sherratt, adapted from an illustration by Richard Klimesh, originally in Horsekeeping on a Small Acreage, 2nd Edition by © Cherry Hill (Storey Publishing, 2005), 12; Jo Anna Rissanen, 104, 418
Text © 2020, 2009, 2000 by Heather Smith Thomas
Ebook production by Slavica A. Walzl
Ebook version 1.0
February 2, 2021
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other — without written permission from the publisher.
The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or Storey Publishing. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information.
Storey books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for premiums and sales promotions as well as for fund-raising or educational use. Special editions or book excerpts can also be created to specification. For details, please call 800-827-8673, or send an email to sales@storey.com.
Storey Publishing
210 MASS MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
storey.com
library of congress cataloging-in-publication data on file
To Velma Ravndal — my 4-H leader and mentor — who shared her love and knowledge of horses, and her high standards of horsemanship, with many eager young riders.
We learned from her that good horsemanship always has a purpose: to promote unity of horse and rider, always with the best interests of the horse at heart. My commitment to horses and my desire to share that commitment with others in my writing is a direct result of her inspiration and guidance during my youth.
Contents
Preface
Part I: Basic Horsekeeping
1. Facilities
Pasture
Barns
Stalls
Tack Room
Feed Room
Run-In Shed
Fences and Paddocks
Water
Make Sure All Facilities Are Hazard-Free
2. Feeding and Nutrition
Horse Digestion
Basic Nutritional Requirements
Roughages (Forages)
Concentrates
Pelleted Feeds
Supplements
Feed Each Horse as an Individual
3. Seasonal Care
Winter Care
Spring Care
Summer Care
Fall Care
Good Care Is Essential
4. Foot Care
What Makes a Sound Hoof?
Foot Conformation
Basic Foot Care
Going Barefoot
Thrush
White Line Disease
Foot Injuries
Diagnosing Lameness
5. Horse Handling
Horse Sense
Understanding the Horse's Temperament
Cultivating a Good Relationship
Punishing Bad Behavior
Holding a Horse
Tying a Horse
Handling Feet
Using Restraints Properly
Dealing with Bad Manners
Reforming the Mannerless Horse
The Overly Aggressive Horse
Part II: Health Care
6. Reading the Signs of Health and Sickness
Vital Signs
Body Language
Be Observant
7. Disease Prevention
What Is Disease?
How the Immune System Works
Vaccination Schedules
Vaccinating Your Horse
Adverse Reactions to Injections
8. Infectious Diseases of Horses
Tetanus
Equine Encephalomyelitis
West Nile Virus
Strangles
Influenza
Rhinopneumonitis
Pneumonia
Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA)
Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA)
Leptospirosis
Potomac Horse Fever (PHF)
Salmonellosis
Botulism
Rabies
Piroplasmosis
Anthrax
Vesicular Stomatitis (VS)
Lyme Disease
Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM)
Conscientious Care
9. Noninfectious Diseases of Horses
Allergies
Cancer
Heaves (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
Cushing's Disease (Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction)
Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS)
Hepatitis
Laminitis (Founder)
Navicular Syndrome
Muscles Tying Up (Exertional Rhabdomyolysis)
Headshaking
Other Diseases
10. Parasites
Internal Parasites
The Battle against Internal Parasites
External Parasites
11. Toxic Plants and Poisons
Toxic Vegetation
Blister Beetle Poisoning
Chemical Poisons
12. Skin Problems
Allergies and Hives
Photosensitization
Fungal Infections
Rain Rot
Scratches
Warts
Sarcoid Tumors
13. Mental Care and Mouth Problems
Sore Mouth
The Teeth
Tooth Problems
Dental Checkups
14. Eyes and Ears
Eye Problems
Ear Problems
15. Digestive Tract Problems and Colic
Signs of Colic
Types and Causes of Colic
Gastric Ulcers
16. First Aid and Medical Treatment
Emergency Situations
Dealing with Wounds
Fractures
Head Injuries
Choking
Shock
Burns
Snakebite
Porcupine Quills
Urinary Stones
Sheath Swellings
Alternative Treatments
Rehabilitation Facilities and Techniques
Euthanasia
Part III: Breeding Horses
17. Selecting Breeding Stock
What Breed?
Conformation
Selecting Broodmares
Selecting Stallions
18. Genetics
Inheritance of Traits
The Genetics of Color
Types of Breeding
Genetic Defects
Know Your Horses' Genetics
19. Keeping a Stallion
Facilities for a Stallion
Handling a Stallion
Extra Training
Pasture Breeding
Age and Fertility
Breeding Fee
20. Breeding the Mare
The Reproductive Tract
Sending a Mare to Be Bred
Breeding to Your Own Stallion
Understanding Heat Cycles
Teasing Mares
Preparing the Mare for Breeding
The Service
Artificial Insemination (AI)
Fertility Problems in Mares
21. Care of Broodmare
Care of the Mare before Breeding
Abortion
Udder Problems
Countdown to Foaling
22. Foaling
The Foaling Place
When Will She Foal?
Signs of Approaching Labor
Early Labor
Second-Stage (Active) Labor
Breathing after Birth
After a Normal Delivery
Final Stage of Labor
Care of the Mare after Foaling
23. Care of the Newborn Foal
Care Immediately after the Birth
Nursing
The Importance of Colostrum
Bowel Movements
Problems of a Newborn Foal
Premature Foal
Orphan Foal
24. Care of the Young Horse
Handling the Foal
Feeding the Foal
Health Care and Problems of the Foal
Weaning the Foal
Feeding Weanlings and Yearlings
Care of Weanlings and Yearlings
Epilogue
Horse Anatomy
Glossary
Acknowledgmnents
Additional Interior Credits
Index
Raise a Healthy, Happy Horse with More Books from Storey
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Preface
For thousands of years, the horse has served humankind; our history is inextricably linked with his. Until recently, he has been our chief means of transportation and source of power for farming. After the invention of tractors and cars, horses' numbers dwindled, but, since the 1950s, there has been renewed interest in horses — for sport and pleasure and for working small farms.
The horse of the twenty-first century has a distinct advantage over his forebears. In the early days, nearly everyone owned a horse, the principal means of conveyance. Many people did not have the aptitude, understanding, or patience to be good horse handlers or caretakers. Today, horses are no longer needed for transportation, and people who own horses enjoy and appreciate them. Now, perhaps as in no other time in history, the horse in the United States is owned by folks who respect him, seek to understand him, and want to do their best to take good care of him.
Our biggest stumbling block as horse owners comes from our Computer Age way of thinking: wanting to accomplish everything quickly, whether training a horse or learning to ride. Contemporary conveniences and time-saving devices have spoiled us; we want shortcuts. There is no shortcut to becoming a good horseman or horsewoman, a knowledgeable horse owner, and a good horse breeder. There's no substitute for time invested and the desire to learn all we can. It can take a lifetime.
Dedication makes a horse person. Only one who seeks to understand a horse can truly enjoy him. The casual horse enthusiast may admire a horse from a distance or ride one on weekends, but that person is missing a great deal. One who lives with horses, cares for them daily, and works with them, sincerely trying to improve horsemanship and understanding while continually thinking about them, their problems, and their personalities — that person will get the most satisfaction from horses.
Fully enjoying horses involves more than admiring them in pictures or watching one gallop across a pasture. The key to really enjoying horses is doing — feeding, grooming, breeding, showing, moving cattle, racing, jumping, or riding for pleasure. We all need a sense of belonging — a realm in which we feel at home and with which we identify. Working with horses and accomplishing something with them can give us this sense of purpose.
Understanding and experience make a good horseman. An intuitive "feel" for horses — a sense of what a horse needs at a certain time and how best to care for him — makes a responsible horseman. Part of fully enjoying a horse is caring for him as best we can: being able to tell when he's fit and healthy and when he isn't, and, if he isn't, being able to tell what he needs and whether he needs veterinary attention.
Your horse needs proper care — the right amount and right kind of feed, and enough of the right kind of exercise to keep him fit and in condition for the work he is to do. The good horse person cares for his or her horses as regularly and responsibly as possible, as one would care for and love a child or friend. When it comes to horses, the dedicated horse person is a perfectionist and will do anything and everything to take proper care of them and learn what that proper care entails.
Horses are unique creatures. The horseman must come to understand each horse in his care, learning what's best for each individual in a given situation. There is no substitute for the "eye of the master." The person who understands a horse will give him the proper amount of work and rest, reward and discipline. Horse owners have an enormous responsibility, for these animals are totally dependent on us for their existence and well-being.
Caring for a horse is a challenge, and there is much to learn. The serious student of horses today is fortunate because there are many sources of help and advice. This book does not attempt to cover all aspects of horse care and breeding but will be useful to the reader who wants to learn about the basics of good horsekeeping, raising horses, and their health and soundness.
My aim in this book is to provide useful information to the horse owner with special emphasis on horse care and "intelligent horsekeeping." This is a book not on training (although every time you handle a horse you are training him, for better or worse) but on horse husbandry — the art of keeping a horse fit and healthy in body and spirit. Learn from your horses and they will learn from you.
In this updated edition, I have included cutting-edge information from current research and have deleted a few passages that were based on outdated ideas or theories. Modern technology and medical research, for example, have given us new feed products for insulin-resistant horses and horses with muscle problems, new treatments for EPM, new vaccines for influenza, an equine vaccine for leptospirosis, and a vaccine for West Nile virus, which was unheard of in North America when this book was originally written.
Research has also given us better strategies for parasite control. Genetic research has shed more light on several devastating inherited defects in certain breeds and family lines of horses, and new DNA tests have given us ways to check for these when selecting breeding stock. Several new sections have been added to various chapters to bring the reader up to date on current horse-care practices.
For specific information regarding training horses, see Storey's Guide to Training Horses.
Author's Note: Throughout the text, except when referring to mares or fillies, I use the masculine pronoun to refer to horses. This is done for simplicity and reader ease.
Part IBasic Horsekeeping
1Facilities
Well-designed, user-friendly facilities will make your job easier when caring for horses.
Good horsekeeping involves two important, interrelated components: dedicated and conscientious personal care of each animal and the use of good facilities. Conscientious care entails regular daily feeding and maintenance if horses are confined and daily inspection if they're at pasture. But even with the best of care, if you don't have good facilities for your horses, they may become ill or injured. For example, a poorly ventilated barn may cause respiratory problems, a stall that's too small may get a foaling mare into trouble, a poorly designed or worn-out fence may invite injury, and a weedy pasture containing toxic plants may cause colic or fatal illness. If you strive to make sure that your facilities are adequate, safe, and in good repair, you can greatly reduce the risk of injury to your horses. And you make your own job of caring for each animal much easier.
The more natural the conditions in which your horse lives, the healthier and happier he likely will be. This usually means outdoors rather than indoors, at pasture rather than confined in a corral, living with a buddy instead of in isolation, and so forth. But we can't always keep our horses in an ideal situation and must make do with artificial conditions, striving to make the facilities as safe and horse-friendly as possible.
Pasture
If you have adequate acreage to provide pasture for your horse or horses, the pasture will be your most important "facility." All too often a pasture area is used as just a turnout space, with little thought as to keeping the plants healthy and protected from overgrazing. Horses tend to use some parts of a pasture more heavily than others. They graze the same plants over and over. They also trample out the plants in areas where they spend time resting or swatting flies or interacting with neighbor horses across the fence. To keep a pasture viable, you need a management plan to control or alternate grazing use.
Small-Pasture Woes
In a small pasture, horses may beat out the grass in certain areas near fences or watering places, under shade trees, and so on. They'll overgraze their favorite types of grass, leaving others. Horses also don't like to graze grass that grows where they have defecated.
Good pasture is the best feed for mares and foals and for growing young horses. Mature idle horses may not need all the nutrients green pasture provides and often get too fat (unless their time on pasture is limited or a grazing muzzle is used), but having pasture gives you some options for feeding and for allowing horses room to exercise.
The size of pasture needed to support a horse varies greatly depending on climate (a wet climate grows more grass than a dry one, unless you provide extra water with irrigation), soil fertility, and types of grasses growing there. It takes a lot more dryland acreage to support a horse than well-watered green pasture.
A pasture should be large enough for the number of horses intended to graze it and should carry several types of palatable grasses. A mix of clover or some other legume with grass makes good pasture; legumes are high in protein. A pasture with too much clover, however, can be detrimental to horses — if they eat too much, they may founder.
Genre:
- On Sale
- Feb 16, 2021
- Page Count
- 448 pages
- Publisher
- Storey
- ISBN-13
- 9781635860856
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