Horse Management

What's New?

New Online Horse Behavior Course

Every horse owner has at some time wished that his or her steed could suddenly turn into Mr. Ed and talk about its likes, dislikes, pains and fears. Because that’s not likely to happen, a new online educational program is available to help horse owners better understand equine behavior and welfare. The four-unit horse behavior and welfare online course is the first offering of “My Horse University,” a new educational program from Michigan State University (MSU) Global and MSU Horse Programs.  

Students in the program can log on to learn and complete hands-on exercises developed by equine scientists. The material is designed to help horse owners better understand how horses learn, why they react in various situations and how to use this information in handling and training. They have up to six months to complete all the units to earn a certificate of completion. Registration for the horse behavior and welfare program is $200. To enroll or learn more, visit www.myhorseuniversity.com.  

Nationwide Extension HorseQuest Web Site

Clermont County is similar to many other areas of the United States and is experiencing a continuing increase in horse owners. There is now a nationwide Extension resource to assist horse lovers in finding research-based Web site information on topics ranging from diseases, pasture management, reproduction, to breeding. The U.S. Land Grant University system, of which Ohio State University Extension is a member, has launched HorseQuest at http://www.extension.org/horses.

Resources for Horse Owners

A Horse Owner's Guide to Good Stewardship

http://www.lpes.org/SmallFarms/7_Horse.pdf

This fact sheet provides a brief overview of good soil and water stewardship practices for horse owners. It focuses on basic pasture and manure management strategies.

Composting System for Small Horse Farms

http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2070/F-1729web.pdf

This fact sheet provides a practical means to manage and compost horse manure in a small farm setting.

Hay for the Suburban Pleasure Horse

http://www.livestocktrail.uiuc.edu/uploads/horsenet/papers/Hay%5Ffor%5Fsurburban%5Fhorses%2Epdf

Although the Fact Sheet originates from University of Illinois and has some Illinois-specific information, this provides some great starter information to prevents the twin problems of too rich feed at too high of a cost that many pleasure horse owners experience.

Preventing Horse Barn Fires

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/rabbit_horse_and_other_pet_care/preventing_horse_barn_fires.html

The Humane Society provides this great document to help you troubleshoot your barn for fire hazards and develop a response plan in case of  fire. If you're building a barn, there is also information on how to easily and cost-effectively incorporate fire safety into your design.

Resources for New or Soon-to-be Horse Owners

Introduction to Horse Management

http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/AS/AS_554_W.pdf

This fact sheet helps new and potential horse owners walk through many of the basic decisions that accompany horse ownership.