Working with Horses: Careers, Care, and Nutrition Essentials

Working with horses requires a deep understanding of their behavior, care, and nutrition. Horses are social animals and live in herds in the wild, so they thrive in the company of other horses.

In a domestic setting, providing adequate space and social interaction is crucial for a horse's mental and physical well-being. A minimum of 1-2 acres of pasture is recommended for a single horse.

Working with horses can be a rewarding and challenging experience. You'll need to gain experience and build layers of experience over time to ensure your safety and the horse's well-being.

If you're new to working with horses, it's essential to start with basic training and handling. This will help you understand the horse's behavior and body language, and you can begin with simple commands like walk, halt, and turn.

A basic harness can be very simple, depending on the job, and can cost anywhere from £350 to £1500. You can also make your own harnesses if you have leather-working skills.

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First and foremost, it's essential to understand the basics of horse behavior and body language. Horses are social animals and can be quite sensitive, so it's crucial to approach them calmly and confidently.

A good starting point is to learn about the different types of horses, such as Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, and Arabian horses, each with its unique characteristics and temperaments.

Working with horses requires a unique set of skills, and one job that stands out is that of an equine massage therapist. They travel to their clients, often spending time on the road.

Equine massage therapists aid horses' overall health by improving circulation, bringing in oxygen, and removing waste. This is especially important for horses with sore muscles or injuries.

A degree in Animal Health and Behavior is recommended for equine massage therapists, but it's not always required. Programs in health and nutrition are valuable and marketable for those in this field.

Equine massage therapists must have strong knowledge of horse physiology, particularly when it comes to muscles. This expertise helps them treat injured muscles effectively.

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Working as a horse trainer can be a very rewarding career, especially if you're passionate about horses. You'll have the opportunity to work directly with horses, passing on your knowledge and experience to future generations.

As a horse trainer, your job will be hands-on, requiring you to train horses to ensure they're safe and comfortable being ridden. This may involve creating workout and therapy plans, as well as developing race strategies.

A horse trainer's role is not just about training horses for showing or racing purposes, but also about understanding how nutrition, diet, and environment impact a horse's overall health. This is why it's essential to have knowledge in equine health, nutrition, and care.

The average salary for a horse trainer in the U.S. is around $31,280, making it a viable career option for those who are passionate about horses.

If you're passionate about horses, a career as a horse breeder might be the perfect fit. A horse breeder's primary role is breeding and caring for pregnant horses.

Their responsibilities extend beyond just breeding, as they also care for the horses and collaborate with other horse-related careers, such as nutritionists. This ensures the horses are properly cared for.

Horse breeders often show their horses at breed shows to find potential buyers, which is a great way to connect with people who share their passion for horses. Breeders can make an average salary of $29,680.

While a college degree isn't required to become a horse breeder, taking animal science courses can be beneficial. This can help you get started in the field and potentially earn a higher salary.

A career as a farrier can be a rewarding and challenging profession. You'll work with horses, shaping and fitting horseshoes, cleaning, trimming, and shaping hooves. Horses require routine shaping and trimming for mobility and balance.

Farriers work with a variety of horse breeds and specialties. They may work with horses owned for personal use, racehorses, or work horses. To be a successful farrier, you must have an understanding of a horse's health and be extremely detail-oriented.

Improper trimming and shoeing can impact a horse's balance and gait. It's essential to have a firm grasp on the basics of foot care and the anatomy of horses. Attending a horseshoeing school can provide the necessary training and knowledge.

While licensing and certifications aren't required to work as a farrier, many farriers are certified. Being part of a certification group, such as the American Farriers Association (AFA) or the Brotherhood of Working Farriers Association, can offer perks like discounts on supplies and health insurance.

Here are some of the certification groups for farriers:

Horse dental technicians work closely with equine dentists to diagnose and treat dental issues in horses. They take x-rays and perform other tests, as well as cleanings and preventive care.

A two-year vet tech degree is mandatory to become an equine dental technician. However, a bachelor's degree is preferred in the industry.

Equine dental technicians must be detail-oriented and thorough in their work. They need to be able to accurately diagnose and treat dental issues in horses.

A horse dental technician's average salary in the U.S. is $36,850, depending on location and experience.

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Taking care of a horse's hooves is crucial, as they can grow up to a quarter inch per month and need regular trimming to prevent cracks and laminitis.

A horse's diet should consist of high-quality hay and grains, as they are ruminants and need to digest their food slowly.

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For two horses, you'll need at least an acre of grazing, and probably more to allow for some pasture rotation. This will give them enough space to roam and eat without overgrazing the land.

Horses can be very hard on fences, often leaning over them to get grass or using them as scratching posts, so fencing should be at least 4 feet 6 inches high. This will help prevent them from getting injured by sheep netting or barbed wire.

Post and rail fencing is a good option, but it can be very expensive. If you can afford it, it's definitely worth considering for its durability and safety.

Most working horse breeds are hardy and can live out all year round, but they should always have a field shelter. This will give them a place to go when the weather gets bad.

A field shelter with a partial fourth wall is ideal, as it will protect them from the wind and rain in the worst weather. This will keep them dry and comfortable, and give them a sense of security.

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Supporting gut health is crucial for your horse's overall well-being. Regular turnout with appropriate companions can have significant benefits to gut health.

Providing free-choice hay or pasture whenever possible is a great way to promote gut health, and it's recommended to ensure they don't go more than 3-4 hours without access to forage. This allows them to graze naturally and digest their food properly.

Replacing some or all concentrate feeds with fat or low-NSC fibre sources, such as beet pulp or soybean hulls, can also be beneficial for gut health. These alternatives can help reduce the risk of digestive issues.

Reducing environmental stressors is also important for maintaining a healthy gut. This can be achieved by minimizing changes to your horse's environment and providing a calm and comfortable living space.

Here are some key management strategies to promote gut health:

Equine Nutrition is a crucial aspect of working with horses. Meeting the nutritional needs of your horse can significantly impact their performance, behavior, and health.

Horses need a high percentage of their diet to be roughage, and they should have access to grazing or hay at all times for their mental and physical health. Depending on the horse's workload and individual metabolism, they may need additional energy sources.

Forage should make up the bulk of your horse's diet, and high-quality grass hay along with legume hay such as alfalfa is ideal for horses in moderate to very heavy work. When choosing hay, look for hay harvested in early growth stages that is soft and has abundant leaves or blades.

A horse's protein requirements increase with exercise, and they need more protein to build and maintain muscle mass. The recommended protein intake varies depending on the horse's exercise level, but a study found that eventing horses had maximal protein and fibre digestibility when the diet provided 2.25 g crude protein per kg of body weight.

Here are the recommended protein intakes for horses based on exercise level:

Electrolytes, particularly sodium, need to be supplemented in the diet of horses in heavy or very heavy work. Even with free-choice salt available, horses with high sodium requirements may not consume enough to fully meet their needs.

Meeting nutritional requirements is crucial for your horse's overall health and performance. A high metabolic rate makes exercising horses particularly susceptible to deficiencies in key vitamins and minerals.

Horses need a high percentage of their diet to be roughage, and access to grazing or hay at all times is essential for their mental and physical health. This can be supplemented by good quality hay or haylage, especially in the winter.

To meet their vitamin and mineral requirements, consider using a comprehensive supplement like Mad Barn's Omneity, which provides 100% organic trace minerals, complete B-vitamin fortification, and optimal nutrition balance.

Forage should make up the bulk of your horse's diet, providing most of their digestible energy. However, additional energy sources may be needed if your horse is underweight, forage quality is poor, or forage availability is low.

Horses in heavy exercise require more energy, with a daily digestible energy requirement of 26.6 megacalories (mcal) per day for a 500 kg horse. This can be met by increasing forage intake, which will naturally increase as exercise levels increase.

Here are the estimated digestible energy requirements for horses of varying exercise levels:

Protein requirements also increase with exercise, with horses in heavy exercise requiring 862 grams of protein per day. However, high-quality forage can provide most of the necessary protein, and additional protein sources may not be needed.

To maximize forage intake, provide free-choice access to high-quality forage, and consider selecting hay that will meet your horse's energy needs. Pasture turnout is also a great way to support your horse's natural behaviors and provide an energy-dense, cost-effective feed.

Supplementing electrolytes is a crucial aspect of equine nutrition, especially for horses in light to moderate work. For these horses, salt is a simple and effective way to supplement sodium and encourage water intake.

Horses in light to moderate work need at least 2 tablespoons of loose salt per day in cool weather, while those in hot weather require at least 4 tablespoons per day.

Horses in heavy or very heavy work have significantly higher sodium requirements, and may not consume enough salt to meet their needs, even with free-choice salt available. They likely also need other electrolytes supplemented to replace losses in sweat.

Exercising horses and those in hot weather will sweat more and lose more electrolytes, which need to be replaced after exercise. To do this, choose an electrolyte formulated specifically for horses with appropriate levels of sodium, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

A sugar source like dextrose can help increase the absorption of these nutrients and provide a substrate for making glycogen. Electrolyte supplements should be given in addition to daily salt provisions to ensure the horse's sodium and chloride requirements are met.

Here are some guidelines for supplementing electrolytes in horses:

Grooming is an essential part of horse care, and it's a great opportunity to check for any problems such as lice. You should brush your horse's legs and feet daily to prevent mud from caking on them.

Most working horses in the UK are shod, especially if they'll be walking on hard surfaces, as shoes can cost around £100 a set and need to be replaced every 6-8 weeks.

You may want to consider keeping your horse barefoot, which involves trimming the hoof in a way that mimics the natural wearing process. This can promote a stronger, healthier hoof and prevent other leg and foot problems.

Good pasture management is crucial in preventing intestinal parasites, and research shows that pasture rotation systems can be effective. Removing dung from the field also helps, though it can be a time-consuming task.

It's essential to find a good vet who has experience with horses and check your horse over every day. This will help you learn to look out for signs of common problems like laminitis and colic.

Horses in light work can meet their energy needs from grass hay or mixed hay alone, without the need for additional calories from grains or fats. This is a great option for horses that don't require a lot of energy.

For horses in heavy work, alfalfa hay can be added to the diet to provide extra protein and calories. Oats can also be included to provide highly digestible carbohydrates.

Horses in very heavy work may benefit from a forage-based diet with added oil to provide extra calories. This should be introduced gradually to avoid digestive upset, starting with small amounts and increasing every few days.

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Horses in light work can meet their digestible energy needs from grass hay or mixed hay alone. These horses don't need a legume forage like alfalfa or additional calories from grains or fats.

For a light work diet, you can feed your horse a significant amount of mixed hay - about 11.5 kg or 25 pounds per day. This can come from a 10% crude protein hay.

Pelleted Omneity and loose salt are sufficient to fully balance their hay. You'll need to provide about 30 grams or 2 tablespoons of salt per day.

A sample light work diet might include 200 grams or 2 scoops of Omneity Pellets per day. This will help meet their nutritional needs.

Here's a breakdown of what a light work diet might look like:

A light work diet provides 100% of the horse's digestible energy needs. It also provides 145% of the horse's protein needs. The diet contains 8.8% non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) and 2.8% fat.

Horses in moderate work require a boost in energy supply. Alfalfa cubes can be used to provide this boost and serve as a carrier for added oil.

To meet the energy requirements, a diet that includes 12 kg of mixed hay with 10% crude protein is sufficient, but additional energy sources may be needed.

Hay alone may not be enough to support moderate work, so alfalfa cubes are added to the diet to provide an extra energy source.

A moderate work diet typically includes 0.5 kg of alfalfa cubes per day, which is added on top of the 12 kg of mixed hay.

The diet should also include a source of omega-3 oil, such as w-3 oil, which is added in the amount of 120 ml per day.

Salt and Omneity Premix are also essential components of a moderate work diet, with 30 g of salt and 120 g of Omneity Premix added daily.

Visceral+ is added to support gut health, as the risk of gastric ulcers increases with increased exercise load.

Here's a breakdown of the diet for a horse in moderate work:

Digestible energy is 100% of the horse's requirements, while protein is 151% of the requirements. The non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) content is 8.8% of the diet, and fat is 3.8% of the diet.

For horses in heavy work, alfalfa hay can be used to make up a portion of the forage. This allows for a more balanced energy supply.

A mix of forages and concentrates is often used to meet the increased energy requirements. In one example, oats are added to provide highly digestible carbohydrates.

These diets should be tailored to your horse's discipline, as endurance horses and racehorses have different nutritional requirements despite having the same energy needs.

A heavy work diet typically includes a mix of hay, alfalfa hay, oats, and beet pulp pellets, with added oil for extra calories.

Here's an example of a heavy work diet:

This diet provides 107% of the required digestible energy and 151% of the required protein.

Working with horses can be a dream come true for many people, and there are many different careers to choose from.

You could consider becoming an Equine Dental Technician, who examines and evaluates a horse's teeth.

Careers in saddlery include both saddlers and saddle fitters, with many people in the profession working in both areas.

If you're passionate about the welfare and care of horses, you might be interested in equine veterinary careers, which offer a broad range of roles from technicians and researchers to veterinary surgeons and nurses.

There are many different types of equine jobs, providing horse lovers with many career options.

Some equine careers require a degree, such as a BS in Animal Health and Behavior, which can lead to a salary of around $49,481.

Many careers in the equine industry are in demand and are an excellent fit for horse lovers, making them a great choice for those who want to work with horses.