When the first rays of sunshine tickle your nose and make your horse’s mane glitter, it’s not far to the warmer season. And that means: time for a spring check! What sounds like an appointment at the garage is also important for your horse. After a long snow and winter break in the stable and cold temperatures, you should take a close look at your darling before the start of spring. With a complete check from head to hoof, you ensure that your four-legged friend starts the long-awaited grazing season healthy and lively. We reveal what is involved and what you should pay attention to.
Spring check-up for your horse: healthy all round – you should pay attention to that! Hand on heart: Bad weather and icy temperatures can tempt even the most motivated horse lover to neglect important care routines – for example everything to do with the horse’s coat or hooves. Due to the dense winter fur, it is also more difficult to spot minor skin injuries. That’s why you should first take a good look at your darling: How well cared for are his hooves? Does the coat and mane appear normal? What is the overall health of your horse? Is he eating enough and moving normally?
If If you notice lameness, injuries or other disturbing abnormalities in your horse, consult your trusted veterinarian in any case. If everything seems a bit “wintery”, but inconspicuous, you can continue with the animal spring care program.
Support horse coat change Not only the rider’s locker and stable are in dire need of spring cleaning after a long winter break: You should also bring your horse “to a shine” before the start of spring. Extensive washing units not only care for the horse’s coat, which has been plagued by winter, but also support the change of coat. Especially the change from winter to summer coat is quite a challenge for the horse’s body, since the metabolism has to work at full speed for several weeks.
But not only that: Depending on the thickness and length of the coat, the change of coat can be quite long and cause itching. A long bath with intensive grooming and brushing units can help to shed the loose fur more quickly. The blood circulation in the horse’s body is also stimulated by the massage units. This also supports the coat change process. It is best to use a gentle shampoo to care for the fur during the bathing session. With our Hair Care Pro you can give the horse spring look the finishing touch. It cares for the coat and mane, supports the shine of the coat and ensures that the horse’s mane remains tangle-free and easy to comb.
Hoof care The hooves of your favorite appear dull and brittle? Unfortunately not uncommon after a long winter break. With our hoof ointment, you not only put an end to the matt look, but also protect the horse’s hooves from external influences – for example on the pasture. With cold-pressed laurel oil and vaseline, it ensures healthy and shiny hooves and moisturizes.
Adjust lining Finally It’s time again for sunny rides, longer training sessions and extended pasture stays for your horse. But be careful: Because this change not only affects the horse’s muscles, but also its feeding.
With excursions into the lush green and the reopening of the pastures, the food intake of your four-legged friend automatically changes – he gets more fresh fodder from grazing. In order not to overtax the horse’s metabolism, this change should be made slowly. Therefore, never let your darling graze all day as soon as the first rays of sunshine appear. Before you let your horse graze freely in the meadow, lead it to the fresh grass for a few days and gradually increase the recording time. In this way, the horse’s stomach can slowly get used to the protein-rich grass. The procedure also reduces the risk of colic. You should adjust the amount of roughage accordingly during grazing and also taking into account the later meadow times. Easily digestible feed (such as mash) can support the horse’s metabolism during this transition. There are even more tips for building muscle for your horse and the right choice of feed in our guide.
Due to the change of coat and increased exercise in spring, you should also make sure that your horse’s mineral supply is guaranteed. Our vitamin E / selenium & lysine combination prevents vitamin deficiencies and optimally supports the horse’s metabolism thanks to natural ingredients. You can find out which feed additives make sense for your horse and what you should pay attention to in our guide article on the subject of additional feed for horses. (Advertisement)
Spring check for the horse: also check the pastures! This is what horse and rider have been waiting for all winter: finally the pasture is about to reopen. But before that happens, you should make sure that stepping onto the meadows is really safe for your darling. Before the start of the season, it is best to take care of the electric fence: are there any defects in the fence construction, have certain parts possibly not survived the winter and are any electric fence systems still working properly?
If the electric fence does not show any defects, you can devote yourself to the actual meadow check : Before using the green space for the first time, you should walk it and clear it of poisonous weeds as well as garbage and objects that may have accumulated there over the winter months. These checks are part of the service at many stables, but at some the horse owners themselves are also responsible. If you want to be on the safe side, it is definitely worth taking a personal look at the pasture conditions before the start of the season.
Even if the meadow has been put through its paces and nothing stands in the way of your horse going out to pasture, the first thing to say is: Quiet , brown! Because before your darling can go back to the pasture, you should warm him up and prepare his muscles for the upcoming additional movement. As cute as your horse’s high spirits associated with spring fever may be: it represents a risk and, in the worst case, can lead to tendon and muscle injuries. To prevent this from happening, our muscle power powder can also help. With valuable amino acids, it optimally supports the (re)building of muscles. For spring-strong horse muscles!
Spring can come If you heed our tips for the horse spring check, nothing stands in the way of a successful grazing season. Good preparation and the right (fur) care will help you and your darling to start carefree into the warmer season. Because honestly, what could be nicer than watching horses like Amadeus, Silbermond and Co. exuberant and happy in the lush green?
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