Proper Care for Horses & Goats

A horse is a herbivorous animal member of the scientific family Equidae, genus Equus. Horses have been kept as pets and as a crucial means of transportation throughout the centuries, and also have been used for various purposes such as for industrial work and sports. Goats are members of the cattle family Bovidae, genus Capra, and are akin to sheep. Also herbivorous and versatile, goats were among the earliest domesticated animals. While horses and goats have a myriad of comparable and contrasting attributes, both require proper care in order to thrive.

  1. Horse Nutrition

    • A horse must always have clean water available, and its primary diet should center around grass and mold-free, dust-free hay. These food items should be available for grazing at all times. To maintain a healthy weight, most horses should consume 2 to 4 percent of their body weight in hay pounds. Precautions should be taken with high-grain, high-carbohydrate diets, because excessive carbohydrates are linked to bone, muscle and joint disorders in horses.

    Horse Housing and Exercise

    • Horses can develop behavioral issues if they are isolated for most of the day in stalls. The use of a stall is not a concern if most of a horse's time is spent outside and if there are other horses available for daily socialization. Also, horses must have the opportunity and space for daily exercise.

    Horse Health

    • Horses need vaccinations and deworming on a regular basis. Common vaccinations include those to prevent West Nile Virus, tetanus, rabies, influenza, encephalomyelitis and herpes. If horses do not acquire sufficient natural wear on their hooves, then the hooves need to be trimmed every six to eight weeks. Dental disease can cause a wide range of heath problems. A horse̵7;s teeth should be examined by an equine dentist or veterinarian twice annually, and made smoother or ̶0;floated̶1; when needed.

    Goat Nutrition

    • Goats, like horses, need a foundational diet that mainly consists of quality green plants and hay. Goats are ruminants, meaning they have four stomach chambers ̵2; as do cows and many other cattle ̵2; and they are able to eat a variety of plants, as wells as nutritionally balanced grain products. Goats should be allowed to freely forage for weeds, grasses and leaves, but some plants are toxic to goats, including chokecherry, azalea, rhododendron, oleander, daffodil, buttercup, potatoes, cabbage, avocado, tomato, milkweed and some mushrooms. Excessive oats causes bloating and gas. Additionally, goats, as with all animals, must have clean water available at all times.

    Goat Shelter and Heath

    • Goats primarily need an outdoor living space to play and roam with an easily accessible dry, clean shelter for rain and other inclement weather. As herd animals, goats thrive best in multiples.

      Goats also need immunizations, and deworming in the form of ruminant internal parasite control measures. Common immunizations include tetanus and booster Bar-Vac CDT injections.