What daily checks do you do on your horse?

AmyMay

AmyMay

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My horse is out 24/7 at the moment - but is checked twice a day.

As long as he looks 'right' in himself and has no obvious injuries I'm happy.
 
Mine is out 24/7 at the moment so I only check once a day, but there's liveries back and forth all day so if aything was very wrong they'd notice.
I ride most days but if I'm just checking in the field I usually take an apple and some treats, a hoofpick to check feet, some suncream for his pink nose and aloe vera gel for his bits as they get bitten by flies. I run my hands down his legs and just look him over. If he's got a cut or something else I'd check that too.
 
He's out 24/7 and seen twice a day. If I can't get up for whatever reason I ask someone just to make sure he has his muzzle on and is on all four legs still.
If I have things going on that day, in the morning I go in, check his muzzle, have a feel up and down his legs and just do a general check to make sure he's okay. In the afternoon I bring him in and brush him, excercise him etc.
I don't know about others but I can usually tell if somethings not right with him, you get to know what they're like if they're fine, so if they're not you just pick up on it
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Four legs? Check.
Head? Check.
Hugely fat grass-tummy? Check.

In all seriousness, I pick out/dust her off daily so I actually check her top to toe, but that's just superficial. Her behaviour is the biggest indicator. Last time she was unwell (four years ago) she behaved very well out hacking - no pulling, spooking, nothing. After two minutes I got off and led her back and she spent a miserable day indoors passing copious amounts of gas. A few days later she was back to pulling/spooking. After a while I think that you get to know every little attitude and behaviour so innately that in the end you can tell the minute you look at them, 'Why isn't she slouching like usual? Why is she only half-heartedly devouring carrots? Why hasn't she brayed her head off for her fieldmates yet?' and so on.
 
Mine are 2 mins from my house and are checked 4 - 5 times a day. Water checked, fence checked, horses checked over visually, feet checked / picked, fed (yes, I know its summer but they're on drugs / supplements!) Obviously don't go through the whole palaver every time I check them.....
 
A- That their alll standing
B- Legs are all clean and working
C- No Blood
D- No Ticks
E- Fencing OK
About it!
 
Usually groom him daily anyway, so chick his legs, do his feet, check around the tail area for rubbing/runny poo stains etc, pick his feet out, feel for any heat in his hooves and check his heels for any scaps,cuts etc
Run my hands down his jaw to check to see if he has any dental problems, as he's at that age when he's cutting teeth etc.

Look at his eye/noise so would notice if there was any running etc but say if I was just checking him in the field, I'd just go up to him and make sure all four legs are firmly attached
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and that he seems his usually self.
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Mine is out all day and in at night. He gets checked all over every night, and I also check legs thoroughly on a daily basis.
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For two horses and one donkey:

Legs - all present and correct, no new lumps
Shoes - on and no risen clenches
Fly sheet/mask in place
No blood anywhere
Sunblock on pink noses
Fly repellent on
Fencing OK
Gates OK
Water OK

Twice a day minimum and we drive past them another couple of times a day.
 
My boy is out 24/7, he gets checked in the morning for cuts & scrapes, hooves picked out and has fly spray/suncream if the weather warrants it. He's checked again in the evening. This time it's a thorough check, hooves picked and quick trot up & down to make sure everythings okay.
 
My horse is seen to twice per day, usually by me. I make sure she is all still attached in the right places, walk all round and visually check her for cuts etc, check she's still her usual cheeky self wanting food, then I check all four legs and feet very carefully due to her past history of lameness and pick out feet. Then I cover her in fly spray and gel and sun cream and fly hat!
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Then the other checks such as check over the other two horses quickly, fencing/gates/water and so on.
This is done twice a day without fail, and if I'm not "on duty" then whoever is will check Maiden's legs too. I am paranoid about legs!
 
Ours are out 24/7 and check them once a day, sometimes twice. We are on a big yard so people are up there all day long and YO also does checks.

Always do a visual check all over and run hands up and legs, pick feet out and the walk up and down also gives you a general visual if they look ok while no nones around
 
is she behaving normally!
all 4 legs present and correct, shoes on, pick out feet
no wounds
apply fly spray and sucocreme
fly hat on
water
has something to munch on
fencing all up!

that would be a twice daily basic out 24/7 summer check
 
see if they are sound when they trot/canter to gate.run hands down legs and check body for any nicks when giving them groom/quick flick
pick out feet/wash.
check digital pulses.
check they are eating ok.
poo pick field-check fencing and for any ragwort/weeds.and auto trough is working.
weigh tape once a week/fortnight
 
i take a brush and hoof pick with me so everytime i check i do his feet (checking for changes to his shoes/hooves and injuries to his legs) and flick him off (checking all over for any changes). but i always make him walk towards me and watch him walk off to check he's sound and i give him a treat to check he can eat.
I also check the field/watertrough/any ragwort etc/ and look at the other horses in the field.

(someone nearby's horse was PTS recently - he was checked twice a day but no one had noticed that he wasn't eating/drinking until he was very unwell - he had a paralysed oesophagus and so couldnt eat).
 
I check the following-

Have water
run hands over legs
make them walk to check for lameness
check for any cuts/ injuries

thats about it i think?
 
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