Care of the Horse After Riding
- Never put your horse back in his stall or allow him to eat or drink while he is still hot. Your horse must be cooled down before he is put away. To tell if he is hot, place your hand on his chest--it should feel as cool as a horse that has not been worked.
- If your horse is hot, do not allow him to drink as much water as he wants; give him a few swallows of water at a time, and walk him in between drinks.
- If the weather is cold, cover your horse with a cooler while you are walking him. If he is hot, don't take the saddle and pads off his back without putting on a cooler.
- After removing the saddle, rub your horse gently on the saddle area with a towel or your hand to restore circulation to his back.
- Groom your horse thoroughly after each ride--remove all sweat marks. Always pick out his feet and check for stones and nails. This is a very important part of grooming.
- In the winter, after your horse is cool and groomed, put on his blanket if you were the last ride of the evening. If the weather is cold, horses may wear their blankets during the day. Ask a working student to be sure.
- Report any cuts, bruises or unusual behavior you may notice to the working students or the office.
- Don't forget to bring an apple or some carrots for your equine friend, but do not bring the plastic bags into the barn area!
Care of Tack After Riding
- Remove hair and sweat from the saddle and girth with a damp sponge before putting them back in the tack room. English saddles face the wall with stirrups run up; Western saddles face the aisle with cinches and cinch straps run up.
- Shake the saddle pad to remove dust and hair, and hang it out to dry if necessary; otherwise, put it away.
- The bit should always be washed before hanging the bridle in the tack room. Hang the bridle by the head stall. The throatlatch loops through the reins in a figure-eight pattern (get help if you need to learn this) and the noseband encircles the bridle, but should not buckled.
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