December 13th is National Day of the Horse!

If you're a horse owner, you know without a doubt that your horse will consider every single day of the year "National Day of the Horse"; however he has been designated his own special day on December 13th of each year.

The day is celebrated by asking people to remember that the horse has been instrumental in their contributions to the economy and history of the United States. The horse is considered to be a living link to history and without horses, the growth of the United States as a country may have been profoundly different. Imagine if Paul Revere had done his midnight ride to alert the town that the "British were coming!" on a goat?

The National Day of the Horse was created to help everyone remember the contributions that the horse has made throughout the history of the United States. Horses are strong consumers in their own right as well. Because of increasing pressure from modern society, wild and domestic horses rely on humans for adequate food, water, and shelter; and Whereas the Congressional Horse Caucus estimates that the horse industry contributes much more than $100,000,000,000 each year to the economy of the United States in goods and services.

If you don't have a horse as a member of your family, consider adopting one if you have the time and resources. If you don't consider donating to a horse rescue and help the horses that being rehabilitated get healthy and ready to go to new homes!

Start making your plans to do something for a horse today!

Horses require special care in the winter months. If you board your horse, make sure he has a warm place out of the elements. Some stables charge extra for allowing your horse to stay in a warm barn and will leave horses that aren't paid for out in the pasture. Make sure you know exactly where your horse will be if it cold outside.

Horses are resilient animals and their hides and hooves offer a lot of cold weather protection. Many horses enjoy a ride in the snow and some horses will playfully kick it up as they trot just for the fun of it. If you ride your horse in the colder months and he gets hot, cool him down slowly and even though it's cooler weather, don't assume he'll just cool off because the weather is cold. It is just as important to slowly cool down his muscles in the winter as in the summer months.

Oats are good energy food and will help your horse generate body heat and while they should be fed sparingly along with a balanced diet, they are a great addition during cold weather months.

Make sure your horse has adequate bedding in his stall when it's cold. If he's accepting and the stall area is big enough, many horses enjoy the companionship of a stall mate and will cuddle up together when the weather is cold.