Essential horse stable supplies include the basics that you will need to have on hand before you bring your new horse home. These include items for feeding and watering, grooming, leading, and cleaning up after your horse. As a horse owner, you will soon find that the list of things you simply can’t live without continues to grow, but these are the essential horse stable supplies to help you get started.
Food and water are, of course, essential to your horse and so are the supplies you need for them. It is best to feed your horse in a trough or manger, not on the floor. Eating off the floor increases the possibility horses will consume sand; sand can cause colic, which can be fatal to horses. Hay nets are not considered safe, since hooves can get caught in netting. A better choice is a sturdy hay rack. Your horse always needs access to plenty of fresh water. To make care easier, consider installing an automatic watering system. A much less expensive option is simply filling a large (20 gallon) bucket with water. Remember that this can be quite heavy to carry from the water source to your horse’s stall, so bear that in mind when making you decision about these essential horse stable supplies.
Basic grooming supplies for your horse include a hoof pick, several brushes, a mane comb, and a medium-sized towel. A hoof pick is used to remove dirt and debris from the crevices in your horse’s hooves, preventing infection and keeping your horse comfortable. Common brushes used for basic grooming include a curry brush, a rubber brush that loosens dirt on the horse’s coat; a dandy brush, a stiff bristled brush the removes dirt left by the curry; and a body brush, made of soft bristles for smoothing and shining the horse’s coat. Mane combs are used on the mane and sometimes tail, to remove tangles (some horse owners prefer to use a soft brush on the tail). Finally, a soft towel is used to rub the horse down after grooming, to remove last traces of dirt and polish the coat. While there are countless other grooming items available, these will suffice for essential horse stable supplies.
At a minimum, you will need a way to lead your horse around. A halter is a simple but essential horse stable supply. Halters allow you to lead your horse from one place to another. They are usually made of leather or nylon and need not be fancy or expensive. Once you are ready to begin riding, there is a wide array of tack you will need, but at a minimum a halter will suffice.
No list of essential horse stable supplies would be complete without items to clean up after your horse. You will need a shovel, for cleaning manure and mud from the aisles of the stable, and a rake or pitchfork for removing soiled and adding fresh bedding. A large broom used after the shovel will keep your stable aisles clean and clear of slipping or tripping hazards.
This listing of essential horse stable supplies include those that any horse owner will need, no matter their geographic location. There are also additional items that may be needed, such as horse blankets for cold areas or insect control supplies for locations with large insect populations. At a minimum, these essential horse stable supplies will have you ready to bring your horse to his new home and begin caring for him.
