Need some advice on a few things please...

You Wont Forget Me

You Wont Forget Me

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Hi all, i have a few questions to ask you, but first i'll explain.
I have got a 5yo horse still in his early stages of schooling and am really feeling like i could do with some help/lessons now only problem is my mum and dad can afford to pay for them on top of everything else, i already help out to keep my horse by putting all my money from work towards his livery bill so it means i also cant afford to pay for them so im trying to find someways of saving money so i can get some help with him...

First question....
i have considered have him go barefoot, he currently has full set of shoes on, always has done. If i go barefoot what will i need to do to keep his feet good ect??


Second question...
He is a really good doer and feeds on fresh air so im thinking he wont need any feed at all (currently getting a little handful to keep him happen when other on yard get fed) but at the same time he's still young and growing so im wondering if he should still have it for that reason??


Third question...
He lives in at night to get him off grass for a while and he is on shavings which we get through quite a lot of, i have tried deep litering but it gets so messy as he lives like a pig, is there any other way i could cut back on bedding???


Last question...
Any other ways to save money on the yard???

Thanks for any advice and also thanks for reading :D
 
Would certainly suggest that you save money elsewhere in order to pay for lessons with a good trainer. It will help your horse develop correctly.

Consider only having shoes on the front as a first step if you are unsure about barefoot all round. You will need to think about how this will affect your ability to hack and the type of ground you will need to ride on.

Instead of shavings, use straw. Its so much cheaper in the long run.

Agree with what you say re feed. I think most horses are fed too much hard feed for the amount of exercise they do. Use a weight tape to gauge your horse and do a condition score. Go with what is right for your horse and you.

Instead of buying new rugs etc, put wanted adverts up on your yard. Most of us horse people have got unused or unwanted stuff that we would be happy to sell on to others.

Good luck.
 
First one, yes he probably could go without shoes,search through the forum for advice on diet and foot care. I would recommend you try leaving off his back ones next time he needs shoeing and see how he is,that will save some money as a start.

Feed ,he probably needs some extra vitamins/minerals in the winter as he is working and still growing, a supplement would provide these with a token feed of Fast Fibre or something similar,which is fairly inexpensive.

Bedding, do you have rubber mats, if you dont they would soon pay for themselves by reducing the amount of shavings you use,if you already have them he should not need so much bedding try giving him less.You could try straw ,it is cheaper than shavings.

Could he stay out at night, that would greatly reduce costs, he could come in for a while each day if you feel the need.

Keep him warm, he will eat less hay if he does not get cold.Dont buy unnecessary and expensive bits and pieces,they do not need several different conditioners,shampoos and bags of treats,rugs can be layered to save buying warmer ones.There are lots of ways to save money without your horse going short of what he needs.
 
We did originally have him on straw but he kept eating it and a number of people concerened us as because of the dust ect it can cause copd, anyone heard of this happening???

Unless you have horrid dusty straw then I wouldn't worry at all. People are just scaremongering.
 
My horses are always on straw, always have been and always will be.

I found a great way of saving money on livery - I married a farmer!!!

Possibly a bit drastic in your case though!:D:D
 
Furniture polish instead of mane and tail conditioner. Powdered geletine in his feed instead of expensive hoof suppliments. Search ebay. have a horsey tabletop sale - we all have stuff we've collected over the years - it can all be sold! Bulk buy stuff with other yard members. If you have time, offer to work in exchange for lessons.
 
If your straw is second rate then sprinkle it with a little mixture of Jeyes fluid and water in a watering can - it will damp down the dust and stop him eating it. Make sure that he has good quality hay/haylage at all times and then you will not need any hard food.

It does sound as if you are stuggling to keep this horse financially - is there anywhere you could keep him out on grass livery?

What breed is he/ie what are his hooves like? I have never ever had a horse that has successfully been ridden without shoes (despite the barefore fanatics on here!) but would (if a native breed) go with front shoes if he doesn't get out much.

But generally, keep him warm, keep him fed with hay and don't go wasting money on anything he really doesn't need :)
 
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