Sunday, 15 September 2013

Important Items Every Horse Owners Tack Box Should Contain

By Dawn Williams


When people own a horse, or in some cases horses, they generally find out very quickly that they are a lot of work. They also find out in a hurry that feeding, watering and grooming them is a huge responsibility. You also need more than just a saddle and a cowboy hat. This is where the tack box comes in, it should have almost everything you need for your horse.

Loading a box often begins with the most basic necessities needed to keep a horse healthy and safe. A wooden stiff bristle brush helps with cleaning your horse's coat with a curry comb for getting out grime and mud. A steel hoof pick for keeping their hoofs clean and some scissors to cut the path the bridle follows. A tail and mane brush are also good. Generally plastic ones work best.

It is also important to have basic vet supplies in case something happens to your animal. Vet wrap for wrapping the wounds and cotton to pack them with. Betadine is used to clean any open wounds. Vaseline and healing salve are good to have on hand for emergencies as well.

There are generally some extra items you should have when out riding the trail for any lengths of time. Common duct tape has 101 uses, to help repair many different things. Baby diapers are good to stop any bleeding wounds. Zip ties with a small piece of rope can repair broken tack or reins. A longer piece of rope with hobbles for tying up your horse to let them graze. Also never forget the bottle of drinking water.

Whenever you show your horse there are also some special things you should try having with you. Baby oil and baby powder are useful for many different things. Shampoo for their fur and hoof paint for their hoofs. A linen washcloth is a useful accessory for helping clean them faster and show shine will make their fur coat shine.

If you are lucky enough to have an animal that is whelping, there are additional items you should add for delivery. String and iodine are critical to tie off and put on the umbilical cord. A bulb syringe is good to clear the mouth and nose of any fluid. Hand towels and a bucket for cleanup.

Generally it is best to have 2 or 3 different boxes set up for different uses. You should also have different kits for different animals. Setting up small kits really is not that costly, and are critical for the health and safety of any animal you ride. Larger kits can be kept in your truck, while smaller ones can be safely carried in your saddle bags until you need to use them.

Always remember, after a long day it is also critical to clean up your tack box after you brush down your horse's coat. Any grime, disease or dirt in your kit could spread over to your horse. You do not need to sanitize them, just clean them. Also remember to take along some trail mix for snacking between stops.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment