The Ultimate Horse Care Checklist: Daily, Weekly, and Seasonal Tasks
Caring for a horse is a rewarding but demanding responsibility. A well-organized care routine ensures your horse stays happy, healthy, and ready for whatever activities you both enjoy. To make life easier, we’ve broken down the essentials into a daily, weekly, and seasonal checklist to help you stay on track.
Daily Tasks: Building Healthy Habits
Daily care is the cornerstone of horse management. These tasks help you monitor your horse’s well-being and prevent minor issues from escalating into major problems.
Feeding: Provide a balanced diet tailored to your horse’s age, activity level, and health needs. Ensure fresh water is always available.
Grooming: Check for cuts, swelling, or signs of discomfort while brushing. Grooming also promotes circulation and gives you a chance to bond.
Hoof Care: Pick out your horse’s hooves to remove debris and prevent infections like thrush.
Turnout and Exercise: Ensure your horse has ample time to stretch their legs, whether through turnout or structured exercise.
Stall Maintenance: Clean and refresh bedding to keep the environment hygienic and comfortable.
Health Check: Observe your horse’s appetite, behavior, and physical condition for any changes.
Weekly Tasks: Keeping Things in Order
Weekly tasks focus on maintaining your horse’s environment and addressing longer-term needs.
Tack Check and Cleaning: Inspect and clean tack to ensure it’s safe, comfortable, and in good condition.
Pasture Maintenance: Remove debris, fill in holes, and rotate grazing areas if possible.
Manure Management: Clean pastures and manage compost to control flies and maintain cleanliness.
Body Condition Assessment: Evaluate your horse’s weight and adjust feeding or exercise as necessary.
Scheduling Appointments: Review upcoming health and maintenance needs, such as farrier visits or vet check-ups.
Seasonal Tasks: Preparing for Change
As the seasons change, so do your horse’s needs. These tasks help you adapt and prepare.
Spring:
Transition your horse to spring grazing gradually to avoid digestive upset.
Schedule vaccinations to protect against seasonal diseases.
Plan for shedding season with extra grooming sessions.
Summer:
Ensure access to shade and fresh water to prevent dehydration and heat stress.
Apply fly repellents and check for pests like ticks.
Monitor turnout times to avoid the hottest parts of the day.
Autumn:
Begin preparing your horse for cooler weather by checking blankets and turnout rugs.
Monitor weight as grass quality declines and adjust feed if necessary.
Book a dental check-up before winter arrives.
Winter:
Ensure consistent access to unfrozen water.
Provide adequate forage to help maintain body temperature.
Check hooves regularly for signs of ice or snow packing.
Deworming: Twice a Year
Parasite control is essential for your horse's health. A strategic deworming schedule helps prevent resistance and ensures effectiveness:
Spring: Administer a targeted dewormer after the first frost when parasite levels are low.
Autumn: Deworm again after the grazing season to manage internal parasites.
Discuss a deworming plan with your vet to address the specific needs of your horse and environment.
Conclusion: Stay Organized with My Cheval
Managing these tasks can feel overwhelming, but with My Cheval, horse care becomes simple and stress-free. Our app allows you to schedule reminders for everything from farrier visits to vaccinations—and even your twice-yearly deworming—ensuring nothing is overlooked.
Stay organized, save time, and focus on what matters most—your horse. Download My Cheval today and experience the ultimate peace of mind in horse care.
