Colic Prevention Related to my Management Style

Action Point: Insure that the horses are always unable able to break into the grain room and in insure that the buckets of water are never frozen.

Rational: In relation to my management style, the two most likely factors to occur that could cause colic include; the horses breaking into the grain room or the water freezes. The grain room has a simple latch, one that a clever horse could probably figure out. A sudden intake of large quantities of grain can cause colic and laminitis in equines.I carry water to my horses and pour it into buckets, if the horses do not drink from the buckets frequently enough in the winter the water will freeze. Equines that don’t get enough water are at a greater risk for indigestion, impaction, and other conditions.

Steps to Achievement: To achieve these goals I will purchase a ‘horse proof’ latch and install it on the door of the grain room and I will also purchase each horse a heated bucket. This way, it insures that the horses will not be gorging in grain and they will always have water.

Example of Purchases I will Make:

Latch: https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=30E06FCA-7B6A-11D5-A192-00B0D0204AE5

Heated Bucket:
https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/60-litre-13-gallon-heated-bucket/A-p8001031e;jsessionid=rSwbi+N+4s3CKt+yo8-QFQb4.pal-prod-com1 )

Insect Control

Action Point: Hang insect strips in the barn and remove tall weeds in the paddock.

Rational: While I use fly masks and fly spray in the summer months, an insect strip and the removal of tall weeds would greatly reduce the insect population for my horses. Insects can carry disease which can’t always be vaccinated for, cause horses to scratch or rub on things (damage mane/tail and coat), and cause stress for horses.

Steps to Achievement: The steps to achieving this goal include purchasing insect strips (available at my local feed store) and taking the time to cut down weeds. Both steps are easy and inexpensive.

Flooring

Action Point: Put rubber mats in the stalls and shelters.

Rational: The floors of my shelter/stalls are dirt. Porous materials are difficult to clean and easy for bacteria to multiply when other horses use the same stall. Dirt floors can only be cleaned by scraping away manure. Rubber mats can be cleaned with water and a disinfectant.

Action Point: Concrete flooring would be the best (and easiest to clean) choice, but is currently not financially feasible for me. Therefore in order to achieve my goal I will buy rubber mats such as these (https://www.amazon.ca/Rubber-Cal-Diamond-Rubber-Flooring-10-Feet/dp/B005SUIY0U/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1549224949&sr=8-5&keywords=rubber+horse+stall+mat).

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