care

HORSE HUSBANDRY - TOPICS & ISSUES
Care & Maintenance of Horses	Even though the Falabella horse is miniature in size, it still requires as much work, care and attention as their larger counterparts.
Day to Day Routine Part 1	Every morning the stables should be picked clean of droppings, and swept to remove any dirt and foreign bodies that may accumulate and be harmful to the horses. Bedding should be aired out for the duration that horses are out to pasture. Straw should be refreshed every evening to ensure a comfortable sleeping environment.
Day to Day Routine Part 2	Hay and hard feed should be given morning and evening, in measured amounts according to individual horse's requirements. Fresh water must always be readily available.
Day to Day Routine Part 3	Every morning, after stablework is completed, the horses should be groomed thoroughly, ensuring hooves are well picked out to avoid foot problems. This ensures that general condition, and hygiene is well-maintained, and ensures that eyes, and skin are free of dirt, and hair, alleviating fly irritation.
WORMING	Horses should be wormed every 6-8 weeks. Worming programmes may be obtained from veterinary surgeons
HOOF CARE	Hooves should be trimmed and filed every 6 - 8 weeks. This helps to ensure that the horn remains healthy, with less chance of splitting, or cracks. On occasion, hooves do get damaged and may require immediate attention to reduce further damage. Horses, who paw the ground in expectation of food, can wear a significant angle into the hoof. Unless rectified, this can develop into muscular-skeletal problems. The hoof must be trimmed in a balanced fashion. Daily inspection, and picking out, will greatly increase awareness of general hoof condition, and ensure quick attention is paid to current or potential problems.
PADDOCKS- SECURITY	Paddocks, and fields must be adequately fenced. Falabella horses have a tremendous jump, and subsequently to provide similar fencing to large horses is very wise. Gates must be locked in the event that there are no humans present, as some people would love to acquire a Falabella, even if at your expense. There have been in the past few years a number of thefts of Falabella Miniature Horses, much to their owners despair. All Falabella Miniature Horse owners should ensure their horses are made secure from such terrifying experiences as theft.
PADDOCKS- Husbandry	Fields should be kept clean of droppings daily, and an area should be set aside solely for the manure. This will help to prevent worm problems. If you want large roses, now is the time to dream. Manure, without too much straw provides black gold manure. Ensure that any and all poisonous plants, such as ragwort, are removed from the fields, and any area that horses can reach, through their fencing.
WEATHER - Shelter	In the hotter summer months, shade and shelter should be provided from the sun. Horses should be sprayed with fly repellent to help prevent sweetitch, and other fly related problems (see Citronella Magic). Ensure that the shelter provides protection from bad weather and wind, not just sun.
FLIES- Citronella Magic	Flies can cause an enormous amount of irritation. The most friendly, and pleasant, but highly efficient fly repellent is a mixture of essential oils. The mixture - 3 parts citronella to one part geranium oil (literally a couple of drops). Shake in a mist spray bottle with about 500mls of water and a few drops of baby oil, to emulsify mixture. This mixture will provide horse peace and quiet from flies, and can also be used lightly on beds/walls in the height of summer, just to deter the wretched fly.
COAT CARE	Falabella horses acclimatise well to their environment. If the winter has been particularly cold, a thick downy coat will appear. Should summer arrive hurriedly, it is sometimes better husbandry to clip your horse. It can get pretty hot in such an efficient jacket. However, ensure that provision is made for blanketing, particularly on cold clear nights, and chilly winds.
THE HERD PRINCIPLE	Horses like being run in a herd, as it provides companionship, plus over time, creates a family unit, with hierarchy, and discipline. It will make life a lot easier to allow the herd to help you discipline errant foals, and youngsters. The herd instinct is generally fair. However, new horses joining the herd should be introduced slowly, over time. It is likely the herd may react with antipathy to the stranger, until the new horse's position is established within the herd hierarchy.
TRANSPORTATION	Despite their miniature size, transportation issues remain the same as with the large horse. It is essential that your vehicle has secure partitions, without protruding or sharp edges up to the full height of the vehicle. A Falabella Miniature Horse should it rear, could reach with hooves up to about 4'6. Thus it is important to accommodate this possible scenario by ensuring a safe environment.

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