- Who is Minding the Horse?
The flight is booked, the tickets collected, the suitcases are piled in the hall waiting for the taxi, your yearly break to the sun is minutes away – but what about your faithful horse standing in the field or stable?
What arrangements have you made for his care while you’re away?
Every year the ISPCA gets call from the public about horses left in fields with no water, horrific cuts that have not been attended to, horses straying, injured or worse, on the road, with no owner to be found. Many of these poor animals have owners happily sunning themselves on foreign beaches, who have made no proper provision for their horse while they are on holiday.
Responsible horse ownership involves making arrangements for someone competent to look after your animal in your absence.
If your horse is normally kept in a field:
Your horse will need to be visited at least once, preferably twice, a day, by someone with a good knowledge of horses, who is reliable and competent to get help if your horse is in trouble.
They need to go out into the field and check your horse for lameness, cuts, swelling or heat in its legs, illness, swollen glands, snotty nose, laboured breathing, signs of colic or laminitis, or imminent birth if a brood mare is involved.
There is no point in their looking at the horse over the hedge on the way to work; he might be standing quietly with an injured leg that would not be obvious without approaching him.
You should leave the phone number of your Veterinary Surgeon, your Farrier, and a willing assistant if help is needed.
Does your helper have access to a horse trailer and vehicle equipped to tow it, if an emergency arises?
A week or so before you leave, it would be important to check that there is enough grass in the paddock to last the length of your absence, and that there is a reliable source of water. You will also need a back up water supply in case the main one fails – even a large 5 gallon drum that the minder could fill at home and bring in their car, would be adequate, in case of a drought, or a burst water pipe, leaving you horse with no water.
Now would be a good time to check the boundary for weak places that the horse could get through, for dangerous bits of wire or objects that could cause an injury, and rectify any problems.
If you use electric tape to fence your animal, ensure that the electric unit is working, that there is a good battery in it, and a back up available in case of failure.
Maybe your horse, or horses, is being fed out in the field? If so, ensure there is sufficient feed left to last the length of your holiday, and that your minder knows how much, where and when to feed. Horses are creatures of habit, and if their normal feed time is 8am, they will become agitated and unsettled if it is late, and thus more likely to have an accident.
Maybe a neighbour who overlooks the field where your horse is kept, could be asked to keep an eye on the horse as well, and given the name and phone number of the person looking after him, in case they notice anything strange, of if the animals escapes from his paddock.
Ensure that your animals are securely locked in their field, that they are freeze branded or microchipped, and there is a sign informing would-be horse thieves that your animals are so indentifiable.
Inform the local Guards of your absence, and tell them who you are leaving to care for your horses, in case they suspect your minder is an intruder or potential thief!
If your horse is normally kept in a stable.
You have three choices:
Arrange for someone to come to yor yard and look after your horse in your place, exercise, feed and water him, muck out, turn out, and generally follow your normal routine. If you were competing with your horse, this would be the most sensible regime to follow, again, ensuring that the person looking after him is competent. You may need to have them come to your yard several times before you hire them, and observe them riding, handling and working with your horse, before you commit to leaving your precious animal in their care. Teenagers can be over-confident about their abilities, and promise almost anything to be allowed to ride your horse. You are responsible for their safety, as well as the horse’s, and the last thing you need is a phone call from a furious parent to say that their daughter has been kicked by your animal while mucking it out. It is important that your horses’s feed is cut back if he is not doing as much work as usual, to avoid colic, tying up, or becoming over-fresh and difficult to handle.
The second choice is to send your horse to another person’s yard for the length of your break. Again, it’s worth taking the time to enquire about their competence, facilities, and stable routine. Will they be turning out your horse with strange horses? This could be a recipe for disaster. If he must be turned out with their horses, they should first be separated by a double fence or tape, and allowed to become used to each other before being put in the same field.
The third option is to let your horse off work, and turn him out for a short break while you are away. However, this must be planned for and done gradually. If a horse in full work is turned out to lush grass, he could get a bout of colic, an attack of laminitis, or could gallop about and injure his legs, so he needs to roughed off gradually over a period of a week or so before you go away, spending more time each day in the field, and having his hard feed cut back daily. Again, you will need someone competent to look after him, and if he’s very fit, he will be more prone to illness and injury.
It might seem after reading all this, easier to unpack the bags and stay at home! But with a bit of thought and planning, you can enjoy your holiday, and know that your horse will be waiting for you safe and sound when you return.
ISPCA Head Office, National Animal Centre, Derryglogher Lodge, Keenagh, Co. Longford, Ireland Website Maintenance
