STABLE CARE     

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STABLES, Feeding and the Importance of Bedding  

The stable should be bright and clean. The floor, the walls, the ceiling, the windows and the mangers must be cleaned thoroughly and regularly.  

The stable should have good ventilation without being draughty. The ceiling should not be so low that the horse risks hitting its head if it stretches its neck but neither should it be too high or too big, because then it will be difficult to keep normal stable temperature, which is about 10-12 ºC.

 Feeding is important for the hooves, especially the amount of vitamins and minerals in the feed. Factors such as the bedding’s contents, its thickness, and how it is taken care of, also have an influence on the horse’s hooves. The bed has to be just thick enough to give the frog of the hoof enough resistance when the horse puts down its weight on it.  

If the horse continually has to stand on very thick bedding and does not get enough daily exercise, the hoof mechanism cannot function properly and blood and liquids that transport nutrients to the hoof cannot circulate. The same thing will happen if the horse constantly works in a riding-school that has a thick bedding of wood shavings.

Stalls and Loose-boxes  

Stalls and loose-boxes ought to be provided with strong partitions which are high enough to ensure that the horses cannot bite and kick each other.

The stall needs to have a width at least 10 cm wider than the horse’s withers, so that the horse can lay down comfortably on its flank with its legs stretched out. The length of the stable has to be 2.8-3 m in order to avoid bedsores on the horse’s hocks.

HORSE SANCTUARY UK LIMITED is a company with charitable objects Registered in England and Wales No. 4593172

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