Guide
A guide to caring for your horse.
By season and by topic: what comes up, what to look out for and what to check. With tools that work in your browser and forms to print.
Weather and seasons
What the weather at your yard means for your horse: rugs, grass, heat, insects and winter.
AutumnHorse blanket temperature chart and rug guideThe University of Maine gives different temperature ranges for horses with a full coat and those with a short or clipped coat. Its winter guide is reproduced below as two tables, keeping the original Fahrenheit ranges. The guidance was written for winters in Maine, USA.SpringIntroducing horses to spring grassNew or regrowing grass changes what your horse eats. Follow a transition plan suited to your horse. A weather forecast does not measure grass sugar or establish safe grazing time.AutumnAutumn grass, sugar and laminitis in horsesNew or regrowing grass changes what your horse eats. Follow a transition plan suited to your horse. A weather forecast does not measure grass sugar or establish safe grazing time.SummerHorses in hot weather: riding and cooling downAdapt exercise to the horse and conditions. Provide accessible water, shade and ventilation. If you suspect overheating, stop exercise, call your vet and start cooling.SummerSweet itch in horses: midges, signs and daily careSweet itch in horses is an allergy to biting insects, commonly midges, that causes itching and skin damage. Veterinary assessment and consistent bite protection are the starting points; treatment is tailored to the horse.
Feed and water
What goes in each feed, how much hay your horse gets, and how to make that clear for everyone who feeds.
All yearHorse feed chart template: amounts and instructionsA feed chart says what your horse gets, when and how, clearly enough that the yard owner or your mother can do it without you.WinterHow much hay to feed a horse in winter?There is no fixed hay amount for every horse. Weight, condition, work, teeth, grass and hay composition belong in an assessment of the whole diet. Use the amount agreed for your horse when planning stock.All yearWhat supplements should I give my horse?Give your horse supplements that address a specific gap in its whole diet or a need identified with your vet or equine nutritionist. There is no standard stack for every horse, and adding more products can duplicate nutrients or create harmful excesses.
Health and care
Medication, vaccinations, worming, hooves and teeth, and what to check when your horse is not right.
All yearHorse medication records: UK, US and AustraliaThe rules are about the food chain, and about competition. Where you live decides what applies; here it is per country, with the source.All yearHorse vaccination schedule: records and rulesA UK horse vaccination schedule usually includes a flu primary course followed by annual boosters, with shorter intervals where competition rules require them. Agree tetanus and risk-based vaccines with your vet, then confirm the dates against the rules for each event.SpringWorm egg count for horses: samples and resultsPlan worm control with your vet using age, grazing, previous results and parasite risk. A worm egg count measures egg shedding; it cannot determine the entire treatment plan or rule out every parasite.All yearHorse hoof care: farrier and dental appointmentsHorse hoof care means checking and cleaning the feet daily, keeping a farrier schedule suited to your horse and acting promptly on pain or damage. Dental checks need a separate schedule: an examination does not automatically mean the teeth need rasping.All yearNormal horse temperature and when to call the vetCall your vet immediately for suspected colic, breathing difficulty, severe pain or rapid deterioration. Do not wait to take a temperature or complete a checklist. Report what you know; measure only if it is safe.
Carers, holidays and a new horse
A new horse, a move, a holiday or a sharer: what to write down and hand over.
All yearNew horse: settling in and the first 30 daysIn the first month with a new horse you sort the paperwork, change as little as possible and learn what is normal for him.SummerHorse care while on holiday: sitter instructionsIf you are away for two weeks, someone else looks after your horse. That goes best when that person has everything you know on paper.All yearSharing horse care: sharers and half-leasesWith a sharer, things usually go wrong over something small: the rug on the wrong day, the feed given twice. The agreement covers the big things; this page is about the week.All yearCompare horse apps for rides, care and expensesFor measured rides, consider Equilab; for care and expenses, My Cheval; for barn administration, BarnManager or Stable Secretary. Halster combines personal records in an iPhone test version, with invitations and additional ride measurements still in development.
Tools
They work in your browser, no account needed. You can print the result or keep the link.
Weather and seasonsHorse rug calculator: temperature, wind and rainThis calculator is being revised. Its results use general rules that have not passed our source review. Do not use them as care advice for your horse.Carers, holidays and a new horseWhat does your horse cost each month?Board, hoof care, insurance: add your own prices in euros to work out monthly and annual costs. Print your table or download it to keep.Weather and seasonsHorse weather: grass, heat, insects and rugsThis calculator is being revised. Its results use general rules that have not passed our source review. Do not use them as care advice for your horse.Weather and seasonsHorse grazing planner: make and print a scheduleThis calculator is being revised. Its results use general rules that have not passed our source review. Do not use them as care advice for your horse.Feed and waterHorse feed chart maker: free printable A4What goes in each feed, the hay, temporary changes and who to call. You get a dated A4, and the same text for a message.Feed and waterHay calculator for horses: daily amount and stockThis calculator is being revised. Its results use general rules that have not passed our source review. Do not use them as care advice for your horse.Health and careHorse medication planner: printable dose checklistMedicine, first day, doses a day and the number of days. You get a chart with a box per dose, the last day and the end of the withdrawal.Health and careHorse care calendar: plan upcoming appointmentsThe calendar adds an interval to the previous date. Its default intervals are under review. Use the schedule agreed with your vet or other practitioner for every item; the result does not determine treatment or competition eligibility.Carers, holidays and a new horseHorse stable card maker: free printable A5Whoever walks past sees at a glance who this horse is, who to call and what he does and doesn’t get.
To print
Forms and checklists for the yard, as PDFs. You download them without entering your email address.
PDF · Carers, holidays and a new horseHorse sitter instructions: free PDF templateTwo sheets for whoever looks after your horse while you are away: who to call, who decides, the day, the feed, the medication and the rugs. Fill them in the week before you leave and hang them by the feed bin.PDF · Health and careHorse vet checklist: free printable PDFCall immediately in an emergency. This sheet helps you report known details; you do not need to finish it first. Add contacts and usual resting values beforehand on a healthy day.PDF · Health and careHorse medication record sheet: free PDFYour own record of medication given and care instructions. Keep it alongside prescriptions, veterinary documents and the passport. This sheet does not guarantee compliance with every legal record duty.PDF · Weather and seasonsAutumn horse care checklist: free PDFAutumn is the time to sort things before it is cold, wet and dark. One A4 to tick off. Southern hemisphere: this is your March and April.PDF · Weather and seasonsSpring horse care checklist: free PDFSpring is the season of grass, vaccinations and the first midges. One A4 to tick off. Southern hemisphere: this is your September and October.PDF · Feed and waterBlank horse feed chart: free PDF templateFor anyone who would rather write than type: the feed board as an A4, with the boxes already in place. Fill it in, date it and hang it by the feed bin.PDF · Feed and waterHorse supplement trial log: free PDFRecord what you observe before and during supplement use. This sheet supports a nutrition discussion; it does not prove a product works.PDF · Carers, holidays and a new horseFirst time horse owner checklistEverything you arrange and record in the first month, on one sheet. In a month you know what is normal for this horse.
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