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often, the smaller the paddock or lot your horse is in

Protecting horses from disease requires both good hygiene (keep water containers clean, keep feed clean, keep their hooves clean) and regular immunizations to prevent communicable diseases. If your horse is stabled with others, or travels to shows, trail rides, etc. where it comes in contact with other horses, it is at risk. Immunizations are cheaper than losing the horse or losing the use of it for months as it struggles to recover. Right now in Australia the racing industry has been shut down for months due to preventable equine influenza...horses are not allowed to leave their own home farm.

On the injury side, consider the barn, the stall, the fences, and the general layout as well as your equipment (tack and trailer) and your habits of handling. Some absolute DON'Ts: Don't use barbed-wire fencing. Don't ever load a horse in a trailer without having checked the trailer floor *again.* And the tire pressure and tires. And the brakes. Etc. Don't leave halters on in the pasture unless they're breakaway type. Horses can get hung up on posts. Don't tie a horse to something it can break or move: drainpipes, ladders, wheelbarrows, carts, weak fences, lightweight vehicles. You may find out the fencepost is rotting at ground level when you tie to it and the horse breaks it off and then panics, dragging that post and a couple of nail-studded boards behind him. Make sure all your gate and stall latches are horse secure for any horse (chains and barrel snaps are good; flip-latches are not.) Make sure your horses have two gates between them and a road, just in case. If a horse can catch a foot in a fence, it will. If there is any sharp, rough thing to run into and get cut on, it will. Make sure your tack is strong and in good condition, all of it: halter, lead (should be nonstretchy and have a really good stout snap), bridle, saddle, girth/cinch, any other rigging, stirrup leathers (or if driving, every bit of your harness and all parts of the vehicle.) You will be in a world of hurt if the cinch breaks when the horse panics and pitches a few bucks, and the horse will be in a world of hurt when that leaves it running loose to get out on a road and get clobbered. Spend the money it takes to get quality tack; the cheap stuff will get you and the horse hurt. Doesn't have to be fashionable or fancy, but it must be strong, durable and not damaging to the horse.

Consider the damage horses can do to each other, as well. They're big, they're strong, they have teeth and hooves and know how to use them. With shoes on, they have the ability to slice another horse's leg to the bone. Don't assume horses will become best buddies right away when they first meet. Keep a close eye on them as they work out who's the alpha and who's not. There will be some nipping and kicking, but it should not escalate to actual injury. It's best to introduce a new horse across a fence (across a lane, if you have that option) and see how they behave before putting them in together. And when you do, make sure there's enough room for one to get away from the other.

Keeping a horse safe and healthy requires constant vigilance, but the safety checks become second nature, and having a healthy, useful horse is worth the time and money.

Learn more about this author, Elizabeth Moon.
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