If you're a brand-new horse owner, you're probably confused about all of the basic products and supplies needed for a horse you'll need, right?
I know I was when I bought my very first horse!
Admittedly, I went a little overboard and bought a lot of stuff that I really didn't need...but very little of what I actually did!
To save you from the same frustration, I came up with a list of exactly what you really need below, care tips for a new horse owner, so keep reading!
Basic Products & Supplies Needed for New Horse Owners
According to the Economic Impact Study of the United States Horse Industry, conducted by the American Horse Council Foundation (AHCF), there is an estimated 1 million horse owners that house an estimated 7.2 million horses in the United States.
Do you want to add yourself to those statistics? There are some basic products and supplies you will need as a new horse owner.
All of these are equally important, so they're in no specific order.
Related: Horse Care 101: Proven Tips & Tricks
Essential First Aid Kit Supplies
Horse first aid kits are a vital part of a well-organized stable.
Even though you probably have your veterinarian on speed dial, being prepared with a first aid kit could save your horse in the event of an emergency.
According to Practical Horseman Magazine, a horse first aid kit “must be portable, well organized, and ideally divided into various compartments to store and separate all the medical supplies and equipment needed for quick retrieval in an emergency.”
Essential horse first aid kit supplies include:
- 60-cc dose syringes
- Alcohol swabs
- Antiseptic scrub
- Antiseptic wound cream
- Bandage scissors
- Clean towels
- Cotton swabs
- Duct tape
- Epsom salts
- Flashlight with working batteries
- Gauze pads
- Hot/cold packs
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Latex gloves
- Lubricating jelly (like Vaseline)
- Rectal thermometer
- Rubbing alcohol
- Stethoscope
- Tweezers
Check our best equine joint supplement reviews too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv8J-8ZUSoc
Healthy Foods to Feed Your Horse
A full-grown horse should eat about 1-2% of its body weight in roughage each day.
- Pasture grass
- Hay- There are 2 categories of horse hay: grass (Bermuda, Orchard & Timothy) and legume (Alfalfa & Clover).
- Fruits & vegetable- Apple and carrots are traditional favorites. Other favorites include bananas, cantaloupe, celery, grapes, pumpkin, strawberries, and watermelon.
- Salt-Salt lick block or loose salt.
- Water- An average horse will drink 5-10 gallons of water per day. They need to have constant access to fresh clean water.
CHECK: Cheap Hay Storage Ideas
Grooming Kit Essential Items
Horses need to be groomed daily for their general health and well-being.
Daily grooming massages muscles, promotes circulation, sloughs off dead skin cells, and stimulates the production of beneficial oils.
Essential items to have in a horse’s grooming kit includes:
- Curry comb
- Hoof pick
- Mane & tail brush
- Mane & tail detangler
- Pulling comb
- Shedding tool
- Soft brush
- Sponges
- Stiff brush
- Sweat scraper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XEjQD7-mVo
Basic Horse Tack Equipment
Horse tack is any equipment used to ride a horse. Basic horse tack equipment includes:
- Bits
- Bridles
- Girth or Cinch
- Halters
- Harness
- Reins
- Saddle
- Saddle Pad
- Stirrups
- Stirrup Leathers
Must-Have Items for Stable, Stall, and Pasture Maintenance
It is recommended that stables are 30 feet by 36 feet. The standard recommendation for a horse stall size is 12 feet by 12 feet.
For pasture size, a good rule of thumb is to have about 1.5-2 acres of land per horse, in order to provide adequate room for activities and grazing.
Stable Tools
- Feed buckets
- Hay feeders
- Manure forks
- Pitchforks
- Shovels
- Stable brooms
- Water buckets
- Wheelbarrow
Stable Flooring Options
- Asphalt
- Concrete
- Crushed limestone
- Dirt
- Plastic grid mats
- Rubber mats
- Wood
Stable Lighting
LED lights are highly recommended because they are energy-efficient, have a long lifespan (up to 50,000 hours), and are moisture resistant.
A 100-watt bulb should be placed in the center of each stall. Also, a 100-watt bulb should be placed per 500 square feet of stable floor area.
Stall Bedding Options
- Paper shavings
- Peat moss
- Rubber stall mats
- Straw
- Wood pellets
- Wood shavings
Pasture Fencing Options
- Electric
- High tensile wire
- Pipe steel
- PVC board
- Smooth wire
- V-mesh wire
- Wood board
- Woven wire
References
- “11 Essentials for Your Equine Grooming Kit - Cornerstone Equine Academy.” 2020. Cornerstone Equine Academy. April 7, 2020. http://www.cornerstoneequineacademy.com/essentials-equine-grooming-kit/.
- “Horse Riding Equipment List | Saddlebox.” 2020. SaddleBox | the Monthly Box for Horse Owners. March 6, 2020. https://www.saddlebox.net/horse-riding-equipment-list/.
- “How to Make a First Aid Kit for Horses.” 2020. Horse Journals. August 28, 2020. https://www.horsejournals.com/how-make-first-aid-kit-horses.
- https://www.facebook.com/thespruceofficial. 2015. “Feeding Your Horses to Keep Them Healthy.” The Spruce Pets. 2015. https://www.thesprucepets.com/what-horses-eat-that-keep-them-healthy-1886504.
- Morten Storgaard. 2021. “24 Must-Haves for Every Horse Stall and Barn – AnimalHow.com.” Animalhow.com. 2021. https://animalhow.com/must-haves-horse-stall-and-barn/.
What basic products and supplies do you think are the most important for new horse owners? Please share with us below!