Owning a horse is a tremendous responsibility, and it can be common for new owners to be unfamiliar with the steps that are involved with caring for these large and complex animals. In particular, new horse owners will frequently be unsure of what they should be doing to care for their horse's skin, but using a few guidelines can contribute to you reducing the risk of your horse developing serious skin problems.

Wash Your Horse's Skin On A Regular Basis

One of the most basic forms of care that you can provide to your horse will be to wash the skin on a regular basis. It can be possible dirt and other substances to become caked on the skin, and these substances can lead to serious skin problems, such as bacterial or fungal infections, if they are not removed. When washing your horse's skin, you should always make sure that you use heated water for this task. Otherwise, the horse may find cold water startling, and this can lead to bucking, kicking or other unwanted behavior. Ideally, you should be performing this type of thorough cleaning once a week for the best results.

Check Your Horse For Any Changes In Their Skin

As you are washing your horse's skin, you should be performing a comprehensive evaluation of the horse's skin. During this evaluation, you will want to look for any changes in the horse's skin. For example, you may notice that the skin has developed lumps or discolorations. Whenever you notice these issues with the skin, you should always arrange for a horse veterinarian to inspect the skin. These seemingly minor problems can rapidly worsen into potentially life-threatening conditions if they are not treated promptly.

Provide The Right Balance Of Skin Supplements And Vitamins

Your horse will need an assortment of minerals and vitamins to have a healthy coat and skin. Unfortunately, it can be rather complex to determine the exact dietary needs of a horse due to the fact that each breed will have its own unique characteristics that will have to be considered. Luckily, your horse veterinarian will be able to recommend dietary horse skin supplements that will provide your horse with the nutrients that are needed for a beautiful coat and healthy skin.

Treat Any Scratches

Over the course of time, it is likely that your horse will eventually develop scratches of some kind. These scratches may not be very deep or seem very menacing, but they can pose surprisingly serious health risks to your horse. This is due to the fact that these breaks in the skin can be prone to becoming infected. Whenever you notice scratches on your horse's skin, you should administer first aid to it so that the risk of infection is kept low.