Pleasure horses for personal and recreational use representthe largest category of horse ownership in the United States, with about 2 million people owning such horses. Whether a person already owns a horse or is considering the initial purchase of a horse, this NebGuide will help answer many questions asked by new horse owners.
Horses can be kept at a person’s own place or boarded at a commercial stable. Keeping a horse on a person’s acreage provides more management control, saves time and expenses, and can reduce the risk of injuries and disease. Most importantly, it allows fuller enjoyment and greater learning-experiences. However, it also requires more management, knowledge, and time. Remember, horses must be cared for daily

Anderson, Kathleen P.

Cushman,

English

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University of Nebraska - Lincoln
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Faculty Papers and Publications in Animal Science Animal Science Department
11-2010
Tips for New Horse Owners
Kathleen P. Anderson
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, kanderson1@unl.edu
Cushman
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Anderson, Kathleen P. and Cushman, "Tips for New Horse Owners" (2010). Faculty Papers and Publications in Animal Science. 934.
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This NebGuide provides basic information on 
housing, feeding, and health care of horses for new 
horse owners.
Pleasure horses for personal and recreational use 
represent the largest category of horse ownership in the 
United States, with about 2 million people owning such 
horses. Whether a person already owns a horse or is con­
sidering the initial purchase of a horse, this NebGuide will 
help answer many questions asked by new horse owners.
Where Will the Horse Live?
Horses can be kept at a person’s own place or boarded 
at a commercial stable. Keeping a horse on a person’s acre­
age provides more management control, saves time and 
expenses, and can reduce the risk of injuries and disease. 
Most importantly, it allows fuller enjoyment and greater 
learning experiences. However, it also requires more man­
agement, knowledge, and time. Remember, horses must 
be cared for daily.
Is pasture necessary for a horse? No. Current nutri­
tional knowledge indicates a horse may be well­fed without 
pasture (Figure 1). However, pasture has several advan­
tages. It is the natural feed for horses, reduces the cost of 
feeding, provides exercise, and saves labor. Horses usually 
are healthier when kept outside on pasture.
Two acres of pasture usually are recommended per 
mature horse. One acre of pasture can provide adequate 
grazing but requires more management and equipment. 
Horses will quickly overgraze this small area. Therefore, a 
combination of pasture and small lot or barn would be needed 
to minimize overgrazing. The horse could be confined to the 
lot or barn and only allowed to graze for specified times, 
thus reducing damage to the small pasture.
What facilities and land does a horse need? Horses 
need shelter and an exercise area. A typical box stall is 
usually 10 feet by 12 feet, or 100 to 144 square feet. The 
minimum exercise area should be 50 feet by 100 feet or 
5,000 square feet (about one­eighth acre), but 100 feet 
by 200 feet or 20,000 square feet (about one­half acre) 
is better. So, a horse requires one­fourth to one­half acre 
without pasture. With pasture, one needs about one and 
G2039
Tips for New Horse Owners
Kathleen P. Anderson, Extension Horse Specialist
one­half acres to two and one­half acres. A three­sided run­
in shed or shelter belt of mature trees is adequate housing 
for horses on pasture.
Boarding arrangements vary from pasture only to full 
board, where the horse is stabled, exercised, fed, groomed, 
and even tacked up for the owner to ride. Board often in­
cludes a stall and an exercise area with or without various 
other services such as feeding, mucking stalls, etc.
A horse owner selecting a boarding facility should 
consider management, body condition of current boarded 
horses, availability, condition of facilities, and health 
requirements. Management personnel, as well as those 
doing the daily routines, should be professional, expe­
rienced, and reliable. Thin or excessively obese horses 
indicate poor management or a lack of horse knowledge. 
A quick walk through the barn and areas where horses 
are housed should give a general impression of the overall 
health and quality of care.
Run­down facilities in need of repair usually result 
in more injuries and give an indication of the quality 
of care. However, a quality stable need not be overly 
fancy, just safe and well maintained. Certain facilities 
and amenities such as an exercise/practice arena, pasture, 
trails, lessons, training, tack shop, etc., may be impor­
tant to some individuals. A boarding stable should have 
a contract that requires a current negative Coggins test 
and health certificate. These requirements will protect 
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Know how. Know now.
 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Figure 1. Horses can be maintained in dry lots.
your horse as well as those already at the boarding 
stable.
How Do You Feed Your Horse?
Horses are simple­stomach herbivores who need some 
forage, either as pasture and/or hay in their diet. When 
pasture is limited or not available, horses must be fed 
good­quality hay.
To best feed a horse, its weight needs to be known. 
Feeding guidelines are based on pounds of feed per 100 
pounds of body weight. The average stock­type mature 
horses weigh 1,200 pounds. Lighter breeds such as Ara­
bians and Morgans will weigh about 1,000 pounds. If 
you cannot actually weigh your horse, use a weight­tape 
available from feed stores to estimate your horse’s weight. 
Another method is to use a body weight equation, which 
only requires a measuring tape:
W = HG2 X BL
    330
W = Weight in pounds
HG = Heart girth in inches
BL = Body length in inches
For more detailed information on taking the measure­
ments and using the formula, see Basics of Feeding Horses: 
Feeding Management (G1781).
A mature pleasure horse should be fed 1.5 to 2 pounds 
of good­quality grass hay, such as prairie, brome, or or­
chardgrass, per 100 pounds of body weight. Therefore, a 
1,200­pound horse should eat 21 to 24 pounds of grass hay 
daily. If a legume hay such as alfalfa is used, feed 1.5 to 
1.6 pounds per 100 pounds. A 1,200­pound horse should 
be fed 18 to 21 pounds of good quality legume hay per 
day. If a horse is not ridden often, hay may be the only 
feed needed. However, feeding 1­2 pounds of grain daily 
allows the owner to inspect the horse and also makes the 
horse easier to catch.
Normally, a pleasure horse in good body condition that 
is getting good quality hay or pasture needs little grain. A 
maximum of 4­6 pounds of grain fed daily along with hay 
or pasture is sufficient. A thin horse, ridden a lot, needs 
more grain, 6 to 8 pounds per day, until it improves in body 
condition. A pleasure horse should have a body condition 
score of 5 to 7 on a scale of 1 to 9. A horse is considered 
in good body condition when its ribs cannot be seen but 
can be felt by applying slight pressure over the ribs. More 
detailed information on body condition scoring of horses 
can be found in the NebGuide Basics of Feeding Horses: 
Feeding Management (G1781).
In addition to good quality hay and a small amount of 
grain, pleasure horses should have fresh, clean water avail­
able at all times except when they are hot from being ridden 
or exercised. If a horse is on pasture or on an all­hay diet, 
trace mineralized salt should always be available.
If you participate in strenuous horse activities, it may 
be necessary to provide additional feed. Activities only 
slightly more strenuous than pleasure riding may require 
an increase in hay only. Feeding 25 percent more hay and 
1 to 2 extra pounds of grain may be sufficient. However, 
more energy (grain) will be needed if the activity is moder­
ate to intense. As grain is increased, the amount of hay fed 
may be reduced. However, horses require a minimum of 1 
pound of hay per 100 pounds of body weight.
What Routine Care Should You Give Your Horse?
Stabled horses naturally require more time and man­
agement than those on pasture. When stalled, they should 
be fed twice daily, watered, and their stalls cleaned daily. 
All horses need certain routine management, such as care 
of teeth and hooves.
Horses require routine annual dental care, especially 
as they become older. Fall is the preferred time to check a 
horse’s teeth before winter feeding of coarse hays. Sharp 
edges on the horse’s molars can be removed or “floated,” 
which makes it easier for the horse to chew feed and re­
sults in more efficient feed use. Any time a horse holds its 
head to one side to chew, feed falls out of its mouth, and/
or whole grains appear in the manure, you should have its 
teeth checked by a veterinarian.
Horse’s hooves should be cleaned before and after every 
ride (Figure 2). Depending on the type of riding, where 
ridden, surface ridden, and overall hoof condition, shoes 
may be necessary. Most horses need to have their hooves 
trimmed, or shoes reset every six to eight weeks, even 
in winter. Never turn horses out on pasture for extended 
periods with shoes on, unless you routinely inspect them. 
A loose shoe can severely injure a horse.
Figure 2. Hooves should be cleaned daily.
Grooming also is necessary before and after every 
ride, as well as in the spring, to remove the long winter 
haircoat before riding. Proper grooming helps develop a 
bond between owner and horse and should never be ne­
glected or rushed.
Another important management task is “mucking-out” a 
horse’s stall daily. Mucking­out a stall is the removal of all 
solid waste material and wet, soiled bedding. Clean bedding 
equal to that removed or enough to provide a comfortable, 
absorbent bed should be added daily. Many products can 
be used as bedding, including sawdust, shavings, or straw. 
Cost, availability, storage, and labor are factors in select­
ing the best bedding for your situation. Bedding material 
should absorb urine; be comfortable, encouraging a horse 
to lie down; be dust­free; and provide a secure footing and 
a pleasant odor.
Which Health Practices Does Your Horse Need?
Horses are exposed to a number of internal parasites 
that may result in inefficient feed utilization and could 
debilitate a horse. The current recommended deworming 
program is to alternate deworming products annually. In 
other words, one product is used over the course of a year 
followed by use of a different classification (mebendazole, 
organosphosphate, avermectine, etc.) of dewormers the next 
year. One exception is that the horse should be dewormed 
for bots each fall and spring. Check labels to determine 
the types of parasites for which the dewormer is effective 
against. If bots are not listed, use a different deworming 
product in the fall and spring. Most dewormers must be 
used every 60 days. Moxidectin can be used every 80 days. 
It is best to consult with a veterinarian when setting up a 
deworming program.
Based upon research, paste deworming is as effective as 
tube deworming. When paste deworming, first rinse out the 
horse’s mouth. Use a large (2­ounce) plastic syringe full of 
water two or three times to remove feed from your horse’s 
mouth. Place your left thumb in the back of the horse’s lips, 
then insert the end of the paste tube alongside your thumb 
so the paste can be gently squirted on the back of the horse’s 
tongue. You can massage the horse’s throat and/or raise its 
head to encourage it to swallow. Dosages for deworming 
are based on a horse's body weight.
As with deworming, horses should be routinely vacci­
nated for certain common horse diseases, especially tetanus, 
Eastern and Western encephalomyelitis, and influenza. Ini­
tially, two immunizations are given about four weeks apart. 
Afterward, an annual booster is required.
When a new horse is purchased, it should get these 
vaccinations if the vaccination history is unknown. It is 
advisable to re-immunize your horse for influenza every 60 
to 90 days if it co­mingles with others or travels to events 
with other horses. Your veterinarian may recommend ad­
A = Temperature
B, C, or D = Heart Rate
E or F = Respiration Rate
Figure 3. Locations for monitoring vital signs.
A
B
C
D
E
F
ditional vaccinations , depending upon disease problems in 
your area.
All horse owners should become familiar with the normal 
vital signs of a horse and be able to take them. A normal 
horse at rest should have a temperature of 100oF, which is 
taken rectally (Figure 3). The pulse or heart rate of a horse 
at rest should be 30­40 beats per minute and can be taken 
one of three places (Figure 3). The pulse can be found with 
a stethoscope under the heart girth, or with fingers placed 
below the horse’s jaw or on the inside of the pastern joint. 
The respiration rate is taken by watching either as the horse 
inhales and exhales (one respiration) through its nostril, or 
the rise and fall of the flank (Figure 3). Resting respiration 
rate should be between 8 to 16 breaths per minute. Being 
able to monitor these vital signs aids in determining if the 
horse is sick or healthy.
For more information on these and other horse topics, 
contact your extension office or veterinarian, or visit the 
national eXtension website at http://extension.org/horses.
This publication has been peer reviewed.
UNL Extension publications are available online 
at http://extension.unl.edu/publications.
Index: horses
Management
Issued November 2010
Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln 
cooperating with the Counties and the United States Department of Agriculture.
University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension educational programs abide with the nondiscrimination policies
of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.
© 2010, The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska on behalf of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension.  All rights reserved.


Tips for New Horse Owners

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Tips for New Horse Owners

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