How To Care For An Arabian Horse

Arabian horses, the first-ever domesticated and the oldest horse breed, are a favorite for many horse lovers. In this article, we’ll be going over all of the care techniques for Arabian horses.

So, how to care for an Arabian horse?

Arabian horse care includes proper housing in a barn stall, large pastures for forage, timely feeding in correspondence to the horse’s body weight, clean water provision, daily exercise, coat, mane, and hoof care, and last but not the least; regular visits to a horse veterinarian.

Considering that Arabian horses are quite high spirited and intelligent, you’ll need all the help you can get to care for these complex beings.

For the love of horses and everything good, let us begin!

Arabian Horses: The Most Beautiful Purebreds

Be it their unique and fine appearance or the fact that they can be lovely pets because of their friendly disposition, Arabian horses can easily be dubbed as the most popular horse breed all around the world.

Tara Moore’s has described these magnificent horses in these simple yet beautiful words,

“The Arabian horse is one who gallops with his lungs, perseveres with his heart, and wins with his character.”

Although their small size makes these horses less intimidating, their mischievous and vivacious nature sure proves them a lot of work.

Only a bit of firm hand and lots of love can make these horses your loyal best friends for many years.

Caring For An Arabian Horse

Whether you’re looking for a racehorse or one for pleasure riding, Arabian horses can be the ultimate best choice for you. They’re even great beginner horses.

Now, in this section, we’ll be going over all the facets of Arabian horse care and discussing them in detail.

Groom Your Arabian Horse To Maintain its Looks

Just like any horse breed, Arabians also need regular grooming.

Although grooming your horse can sound challenging, you will enjoy the whole process immensely if you are into taking care of your horse.

Which Grooming Tools To Use?

You need to get the following tools asap:

• Curry comb
• Shedding brush
• Hoof pick
• Dandy brush
• Body finishing brush
• Mane and tail brush

Don’t wanna buy all of these individually? We recommend trying out this best-selling grooming kit.

How To Do Basic Mane And Tail Care for Arabians?

Grooming includes currying the horse throughout the body to remove all the dirt, dust, and debris from the surface of the coat.

A point to note:

A rubber currying brush should be used in a circular motion first and then in short strokes with a flicking movement of the hand for optimum results.

We recommend you try out this rubber currying brush.

To add some shine to the coat, you can use a natural bristle brush and run it across the whole body.

Make sure that you use a tail brush and move them in a downward direction. This will keep the tail and mane hair long and flowing.

You can also braid the hair or use some tail bags to protect the hair from breaking.

How To Do Basic Hoof Care?

How To Use A Hoof Pick?

A hoof pick is one of the most important grooming tools for Arabian horses.

It is a device made up of steel or steel alloy and is used to clean the hooves of any dirt particles stuck on the hoof soles.

Cleaning the hooves once or twice a day is essential for proper hoof care.

Also, you should never forget to clean them before and after taking the horse for a ride.

Here is how to use a hoof pick:

• Lean your body weight on the horse and apply some pressure on the area just above the hoof at the backside of the leg, called fetlock to shift the weight on the horse’s other legs and lift the leg easily.
• Now, place the front part just above the leg, called pastern on your knee to ensure some comfort to your horse.
• Apply the hoof pick on the sole to gently pick up any dirt, debris, and small stones present.
• Make sure to get every fold present between the hoof and horseshoe by inserting the hoof pick inside.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d9BXtB8-hE

Provide A Proper Shelter To Your Arabian

Although wild horses do not require human-made shelters to safeguard themselves from harsh weather conditions, domesticated equines will sure appreciate a safe haven.

As an owner, it is your utmost duty to care for your Arabian horse by providing it with a peaceful place to live where he can be safe from enemies and natural calamities.

Primarily, you can keep your horse in three places:

• Pasture
• Barn
• Run

To decide which one is the best for your beloved Arabian, let’s dig in some details about each.

Large Pastures

Large pastures that provide enough space to graze and roam about are the best kind of shelters for your horse.

At the minimum, your horse will need an acre of pasture for comfortable grazing.

For this very reason, you can easily separate the land in equal sections of one acre. This will allow the grass to grow in other sections when one is being occupied.

Also, you will have to build a fence of at least 5 feet to keep the horse in the pasture.

Though, take care to use only hazard-safe material for fencing.

Sharp objects and poisonous trees should also be removed from the vicinity, lest your Arabian injures himself.

Another important thing is to not leave your horse without any shelter in open land.

You can either provide some natural shelters like trees and ravines or man-made sheds to allow your horse to protect himself from extreme sunshine and rain.

Provide A Well-Ventilated Barn Stall

Keeping your equine in a barn stall can be a lot more expensive than opting for a pasture.

But managing him in a closed-off space can prove to be not only convenient but might be your only option considering some circumstances.

If you are going to choose a barn stall for your horse, the first thing to take care of is the size of the place.

The most appropriate size for a barn would be 12 x 12 feet

However, for exceptionally large or small horses, don’t forget to make some adjustments. After the size, comes the bedding. You can’t keep your horse standing on a hard floor all the time.

Straw and wood shavings are the most comfortable bedding for any kind of horse. Though, make sure to clean dirty and soaked bedding on a daily basis.

The last thing is to allow your horse out for some regular exercises to get those strong muscles going.

A Run for your Arabian horse

A run is a perfect combination of a pasture and a barn.

With the run, you get a man-made shelter with three walls and a roof, and also an attached area to allow your horse a good forage and roam at any time of the day.

Some plus points for a run are:

• Less cleaning routines
• No required bedding
• No need for extra exercise

Keep in mind that I have said “less cleaning routines”. This doesn’t mean that you are to leave your horse to roll in his own filth.

You will have to clean the stall, but less so as runs are a lot bigger than stalls.

Provide Fresh And Clean Water

Fresh and clean water is necessary to avoid dehydration, colic, weight loss, kidney diseases, and other life-threatening ailments.

Although water consumption depends upon the particular horse breed, activity levels, and environmental conditions, you should look out for signs of dehydration to ensure adequate water provision.

Wondering how to tell whether your horse is dehydrated or not?

So, here’s the deal:

Perform the pinch test as often as you can to diagnose dehydration timely.

Another important thing is to make sure of the presence of a clean and fresh water source to whatever place you are going.

In fact, investing in a proper watering system will not be a bad deal. I was actually surprised to see this one at such a low price on Amazon.

Feed Your Arabian Sufficiently

No two horses can eat the same, and that can be pretty confusing.

Your horse’s type, weight, age, physical activity, and your locality, all contribute to the estimation of your horse’s feed requirements.

What Are The Best Foods For An Arabian Horse

Most of the Arabian horse diet should consist of pasture grass and hay. It can easily meet most of the Arabian horses’ nutritional requirements.

Nevertheless, to avoid any nutritional deficiencies in horses, you can give some grains like oat, corn, and barley.

Supplements can also be given, but only after consultation with an equine nutritionist or veterinarian.

You can even feed your horse some fresh veggies and fruits cut in small sizes to avoid your horse choking on it.

For wholesome food, you can also opt for processed horse feed available in feed stores, containing all the essential food components.

Keeping in mind that every horse has unique and different nutritional needs, you should buy some sample packs consisting of only a one or two-time feeding and test if it really suits your Arabian or not.

Also, you need to realize that overeating and large amounts of supplementation can cause deadly ailments.

For this very reason, it’s always best to consult your veterinarian to devise an appropriate diet plan for your horse.

The Daily Nutritional Requirements of Arabian Horses

Horses usually require forage amounting to 1-1.5% of their body weight on a daily basis.

Estimating your horse’s daily food requirement can be a bit tricky, though.

The nutritional needs of a horse can depend on many factors and these factors decide exactly how much food your horse needs.

It depends on:

• Age
• Activity
• Health
• Environment

According to the Humane Society of the United States, the average 1000-pound horse eats 15-20 lbs of hay every day.

However, in no way does this mean that he will need the exact same quantity even after some strenuous exercises.

Exercise and Training Routine for Arabian Horses

Whether you are thinking of using your Arabian for racing or just want to show off its beauty on a horse show, always train your horse adequately to ground handle him.

It won’t do any good if he becomes fussy while you have to maneuver him around for grooving and hoof picking.

Moreover, training and exercising can also help with utilizing energy in a useful way.

It can also help with avoiding obesity. Because trust me, idle and lazy horses can be a real pain when you try to take them for a ride.

How To Use A Round Pen For Training

A round pen is a circular enclosed piece of land that is used to train horses in lunging – a process in which the horse is trained to follow commands.

Deciding the correct dimensions for the round pen is essential to provide maximum comfort and easy movements to your Arab.

For the most appropriate dimensions:

You can design the pen around 30 to 60 feet in diameter.

Also, it’s best if your horse is familiar with the pen, so allow him as much time as he needs to get used to the place.

Although training in a round pen can be a bit difficult, especially if your horse is a bit rebellious, you can use several techniques and a lead rope to maneuver him in the right directions and body movements.

Safe Toys For Your Arabian To Play With

Animals are supposed to flourish best in their natural environment.

For domestic animals, therefore, being confined in one space can become tiring and stressful.

Out of many stress relievers, toys come out on top in terms of convenience and maximum fun.

Some of the best and safest toys are:

• Horse Jolly Ball: A jolly ball with a diameter of 8-10 inches.
• Equi-Spirit: A soccer ball which can allow both the horse and rider to play.

These toys not only provide great enjoyment to your horse but also help occupy his mind and physical strength in constructive activities.

Take Your Arabian To Horse Veterinarian Regularly

Arabian horse care involves veterinary observation as well. Just like any other aspect of caring, taking care of the general health of your equine is also necessary.

The general health of your Arab can only be at the highest standard when you take him to a horse veterinarian regularly.

Your horse’s routine health care should include:

• Parasite control
• Vaccinations
• Dental Care
• Grooming
• Hoof Care

If you are wondering exactly when to take your Arabian to vet, the answer is simple:

Once a year, at the very least!

However, if your horse is a bit old (around 20 years), you should have a visit with the vet twice a year at minimum. This might help you to increase your Arabian horse’s lifespan.

FAQs

Here are some commonly asked questions related to Arabian horse care.

What does an Arabian horse eat?

Arabian horses usually eat pasture and hay.

If it fails to prove sufficient in terms of nutrition, you can also provide them with some grains, fruits, vegetables, and supplements, but only after consulting with an equine nutritionist or veterinarian.

Can you ride Arabian Horses?

Yes.

Arabian horses are perfectly suitable for riding.

As an intelligent purebred, these horses are actually quite fast. (Read: the speed of an Arabian horse)

How much is an Arabian horse worth?

No one can tell you for sure about how much an Arabian horse is worth.

It usually depends on the condition of the particular Arabian horse you are considering.

However, an average Arabian horse can be worth $5000-$10,000.

Not forgetting the fact that you can also find some Arabian horses for a lot higher or lower price than the mentioned range.

Do Arabian horses have an extra rib?

No.

In fact, the Arabians have one less rib i.e. 17 ribs only, when most of the other horses usually have 18 ribs.

The reason for one less rib is their smaller and compact stature, which adds to their uniqueness.