Prevent Turnout Injuries With These Tips

Recent research has suggested that a significant percentage of horses get injured every year just by being in the field. Here are things that you can do to help your horse avoid injuries while being turned out.

•  Make sure that when you allow horses to be turned out, there is enough space on the field to cater to the number of turned out horses.
• If you are feeding on the field, you can provide more piles of forage compared to the number of horses there are in the field. Spread these piles out for horses to munch on.
• Limit the number of horses turned out in pasture and if you have to introduce a new horse into the team, do so gradually.
• Do not bring in other horses in the pasture while leaving one out all on its own.
• Check your fencing facility. Make sure that your fencing is not broken yet; if barbed wires are present, keep your horses off from them with the use of electrical tape.
• If horses are used to a schedule of turnout, stick to that schedule instead of having a lot of them standing around the gateway waiting to get to pasture.

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• Manage your feeding regiment and exercise programs appropriately so the horses do not have excess energy that they can use when out in the field.
• Observe about when your horse is grazing, check for rabbit holes and other hazards, such as wirings, and make sure that the gateway does not get too poached.
• You might consider allowing your horse to wear protective leg wear, but be aware that these may heat up the legs of your horse or cause friction on their skin, only leading to injuries.
• When you turn out horses, do so regularly, just to get off the extra excitement they would likely get when they are allowed to be free.
• When turning out horses, consider doing it individually or by pairs; just make sure that a horse will not be isolated.