| Trail riding is a great way to spend a lazy summer | | | | paying special attention to the area where the saddle |
| afternoon - you and your horse will enjoy the | | | | has been, as well as around the neck and flank area. |
| sunshine and the fresh air, plus a little bit of exercise | | | | 4. Rug up - if the weather's particularly chilly or windy, |
| never really hurts an animal. However, as much as | | | | put a cooler on your animal to keep him warm. |
| you're having fun, it might not be a bad idea to head | | | | 5. Walk and cool down - lead your horse around at a |
| back a little early and cut your ride a little short - | | | | steady walk, keeping up a brisk pace as a sluggish |
| why? Because you'll need to ensure you've spent a | | | | horse tends to cool down too quickly. His breathing |
| sufficient amount of time cooling down your animal | | | | and heart rate should return to normal. |
| before turning him in for the night. | | | | 6. Lead your horse to drink - don't give your horse |
| Steps to cool down your horse | | | | anything to drink until he has cooled down as cold |
| Upon returning from a hard day of riding and | | | | water in a hot belly can upset your horse's stomach |
| exercise, you'll probably notice a sheen of sweat on | | | | or even lead to a bad case of colic. Make sure the |
| your horse's body. Even in the winter, it's important | | | | water is cool but not cold and let him have about a |
| to cool your horse down and make sure his breathing | | | | third of a bucket. |
| and pulse have returned to normal. Horses that aren't | | | | 7. Check his legs - look for any signs of injury that he |
| cooled down properly can catch a chill and get very | | | | may incurred during the ride. Remove any stones |
| sick as a result of improper care. Here are some | | | | that are lodged in his shoes - they're particularly |
| steps for cooling down after a workout: | | | | painful and can critically lame your horse. |
| | | | Caring for your horse is an important responsibility for |
| 1. Walk the last bit home - when going for trail ride, | | | | any horse owner - do your research and get plenty |
| take it easy on the last stretch and walk the last | | | | of horse information from a number of reliable |
| couple of kilometres. | | | | resources. If you're a first time buyer looking for a |
| 2. Take a load off - remove your tack once you get | | | | stallion or mare for sale, know how much time and |
| back to the stable and give your horse some room | | | | effort is taken in properly maintaining and looking |
| to breathe - you can leave the saddle pad on if you'd | | | | after a horse. Horseback riding is a great hobby, but |
| like. | | | | you need to make sure everything from the feeding, |
| 3. Cool him down or warm him up - in the summer, | | | | the cleaning of the stables and the cooling down of |
| your horse will enjoy a nice hose down with cool | | | | the animal after a ride is done properly - your horse |
| water first. Otherwise, start rubbing the animal down, | | | | will thank you for it. |