What Horse Care Products Do You Need For Your Barn?

If you own a horse, you really need to keep a variety of standard horse care supplies and products in order to properly care for your horse.  While the obvious needs of quality food and clean water are easy to see and obtain, the other products may not seem as apparent to the new horse owner. 

You can sort the products into several general categories, such as grooming, first aid, tack and tack maintenance, and general/utility supplies.

Grooming supplies will include the necessary brushes and combs to get your horse clean and remove loose hair and other objects from the horse’s coat.  You should brush your horse with curry comb or brush first to remove any dirt and help get rid of the shedding that your horse does in the spring.  This should be followed with a stiff brush and then a softer brush to smooth the coat.  Use a softer brush to work on the face and around the eyes. 

The mane and tail requires a wide tooth comb or hair brush.  This will help remove the shavings and get rid of tangles.  Start at the end of the tail and work your way to the base of the tail to get all of the tangles out.  Do the mane the same way.  You can use a regular hair brush for this, or you can invest a lot more money and buy “the special equine hair brush”.

You should use a good shampoo to help keep the mane and tail tangle free and glossy. 

Grooming your horse is a great way for the two of you to bond.  Most horses really enjoy the special attention and the extra fussing that you give them when they are being groomed. 

It is also important to have a good first aid kit available.  Most horses will manage to get a cut or a scrape and you need to treat these minor wounds to keep them from becoming major injuries.  A good wound ointment, such as Neosporin, should be the first thing you put in the first aid kit.  Some hydrogen peroxide to flush the wound, some bandages and wraps to keep the wound clean should also be included. 

You should also include a pair of scissors and a sharp knife in your kit as well.  Add a bottle of rubbing alcohol and you have a good basic kit.

The type of tack you have depends on your riding discipline.  But you should have some cleaning rags and supplies to keep your expensive gear clean and flexible.  It will add life to your tack and make it more comfortable for you and your horse.

A barn can be a dirty place, with the dirt floors, dust, bedding and other things.  So you need some good basic cleaning supplies and products to clean up your feed tubs and water buckets.  You should have bleach on hand at all times; it will clean up and sanitize all the buckets at the barn. 

By the way, most horses do like to lick the edge of the bucket that has been cleaned with bleach.  This will not harm your horse, but just do not leave puddles of bleach lying around, because excessive amounts can harm your horse.

Obviously, every barn needs brooms, rakes and wheelbarrows.  Depending on the number of horses you have and the size of your farm, you may need tractors, manure spreaders and other implements.  This is not meant to be an all inclusive list, just some of the basic horse care products you need to care for your horse, after a while, you will want to include additional items as you need them to your barn kit.