If your child is talking you into buying a horse, if you never had a horse and are thinking of getting one, if your knowledge of horses is very limited, this is the place for you. It's hard to imagine the amount of time, work and money you have to put in on maintaining a horse. There's a lot more to it than putting a horse in the backyard and throwing out a bucket of oats once a day. That's how horses get sick, and how "dream horses" end up dying.

Every Saturday, when the weather's okay, we hold classes on nutrition, hoof care, dental care, safety, cleaning stalls, grooming, the whole works. A full course is four Saturdays with a certificate at the end, if you graduate. For more details, please visit Basic Horsemanship Class.

The following supplemental material is provided to assist you in your decision.

Equine FAQ
Female horses, called “mares”, are pregnant (in foal) for 340 days, or around 11 months. Birth usually takes about 20 minutes and normally involves just one baby, called a “foal,” although twins are not uncommon. Learn more >>

Euthanasia
When your horse is suffering and you've reached your limit, financially, emotionally, physically, it's time to say goodbye. If you can honestly say that, given 24 hours, your horse will be better, then grab at the chance. But if you can't, then let him go. Learn more >>

Rendering
There are only a few options for the disposal of a dead horse - burial, rendering, burning or taking your horse to a landfill. Hopefully you'll have time to make the decision before you need to deal with the problem. Learn more >>

Can't Keep Your Horse?
Knowing that you must leave your horse is a very painful experience. For whatever reason - money, illness, lack of time, location - when you realize that you and your best friend need to separate, it's up to you to make a decision about his future. There are a number of options available, depending on his skill, physical health and age. Learn more >>

Trusts
The information found within outlines some of the methods currently used, and some of the problems associated with Trusts. Learn more >>

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