What sort of horse/rider owner are you? Be Honest!
1.PROACTIVE – you strive to ensure your horse has the best of everything and actively do all you can to prevent injuries, enhance performance and if the worst does happen, treat injuries allowing for the best possible outcome.
2.RE-ACTIVE – you only act when something goes wrong, an injury occurs or performance drops. You pay the vet bills and the horse has some time off until things are better.
3.IN-ACTIVE- You wing it and hope for the best. If your horse is lame you just leave it in the paddock until it’s no longer lame.
Without even realizing many owner/riders fit into the Re-Active category. Without too much effort these owners/riders could elevate themselves to being Proactive. I hope there are not many of you that fit into the In-Active category but if you do here are some ways you can work towards being proactive!
Being a “Proactive” horse owner is all about preventing the preventable injuries, optimizing the outcomes of the unforeseeable ones and doing everything possible to enhance a horse’s performance.
How to be a Proactive Horse Owner.
There are so many things you can do to be a proactive horse owner and I hope to touch on some of these in future articles. However in a broad sense:
– Prevention is better than cure! Monitor, monitor, monitor. Keep a record of your horse’s vital signs, feeding habits and how it feels each day under saddle. Palpate his legs every day for lumps, bumps and heat. These are not necessarily a problem but you need to know what is “normal” for your horse and be ready to act quickly upon any changes. Pay attention to detail and know what is normal for your horse. Early detection of changes in your horse’s health could save you a lot of heartache and money by giving you the best opportunity to achieve a positive outcome.
– Use the best possible products from the best suppliers. Find suppliers you trust and that have your horses best interests at heart not their own hip pocket. Not all products/practitioners were created equal.
-Look, listen and learn. You can never stop learning how to better look after your horse. Take up all the educational opportunities you can whether they be formal or informal. Write down what you learn so you don’t forget. We all think we will remember but they reality is we do not.
-Have a great team around you. You don’t and can’t know everything. Work with the best team you can. Your team should include at least a Nutritionist, Farrier, Vet, Physiotherapist or bodyworker. There is no I in team so don’t be afraid to ask for help!