Daily Horse Care Routine: Feed, Water and Turnout
The checks and jobs that make up a solid daily routine at the yard.
Horses do best on routine. The same jobs at roughly the same times each day keep the digestive system steady and make it obvious when something is wrong.
Morning
- Check the horse over before anything else — eyes bright, no heat or swelling in the legs, droppings normal.
- Refill and scrub water. A horse drinks 25–50 litres a day and more in heat or on dry forage.
- Feed forage first, hard feed second, in small amounts.
- Pick out feet and check shoes or hoof condition.
Turnout
As much as the yard and ground allow. Movement is what keeps hooves, guts and joints working. Walk the fence line regularly for loose wire, gaps and poisonous plants such as ragwort, yew and sycamore seedlings.
Evening
Repeat the health check, top up water and hay, and skip out the stable. Deep-clean bedding on a set day each week.
Know your baselines
A resting horse sits around 28–40 beats per minute, 8–16 breaths per minute, and 37.5–38.5°C. Learn your own horse's normal — it is what makes colic and lameness obvious early.
