Some good tips for the 4th.
Without fail we will see equine emergencies on July 4th. Horses become panicked and inevitably hurt themselves. By following the quick tips below you can make the 4th less stressful on your horse and hopeful avoid an equine emergency.
1. Use Ear Plugs: There are many ear plugs for horses on the market, but if you’re in a pinch, use cotton balls.
2. Exercise Your Horse: Pent-up energy will only feed the stress your horse can experience. A tired horse is a happier horse on the 4th.
3. Play Music: Classical and country music playing in a barn has shown to have a calming affect on horses.
4. Bring Them In: If possible, horses should be brought into the barn and stalled for their safety.
5. Keep Barn Lights On: By keeping the barn lights on you minimize the flashes of light horses experience as the fireworks explode in the sky.
6. Feed Hay: Give your horses something to do during the festivities. Horses whose brains are on idle can dream up all kinds of scary scenarios, so keep ’em busy.
7. Medication: If your horse is already a nervous Nellie, talk with your veterinarian about medications that may be appropriate to help them stay calm.
8. Identification: In case your horses were to escape, braid an identification tag(name, phone, address, vet’s phone) into their mane, or use a water-based paint to paint your name and phone number on their rump.
