Horse-care questions for outdoor pasture only horse from NOOB horse advocate
I am trying to help improve the living conditions of a horse living near me. I've spent hours looking for information on the internet already, but I'm not really coming up with a lot that's applicable to her situation, and I'm hoping for some help with specific answers or links to sites helpful in my situation. Shyanne is a beautiful, social, friendly middle-aged horse. She lives outdoors on rolling hillsides, and amidst the local oak trees. She had an accident or injury before she showed up here that makes her unrideable (it was an injury to one of her back limbs, and that's all I know about it.) The owners care a lot, but lack information about appropriate animal care, and are overwhelmed with other concerns. They have been very responsive to making improvements to her care and are (thank god) not opposed to spending money to do so if they think it will really benefit the horse, (so it's important I can make a good argument as to why it will help.) I'm hoping some of you more horse-knowledgeable people will be willing to share some information with me and answer my lengthy, involved questions. I'm sure it won't take much time or effort to make a difference in the life of Shyanne. I am numbering them so you can easily refer to them in your reply. The small, fenced-in place where she is fed and watered has problems with getting muddy in the winter. Moving it to a dryer location really isn't an option. We live in a dry, mediterranean climate, so muddy means a couple/few inches of mud, in a spot covering perhaps 100 sq ft, not something deep enough to get stuck in. This is a spot she stands in when she eats or drinks but not a place she hangs out at otherwise. This is mud on the side of a hill, not a bog in a low spot. (1)Should something be done to reduce the muddiness, or is this okay the way it is? (I don't have a picture of the mud since it hasn't rained significantly yet this season, but I could provide one later this year if that helped answer this question.) (2)What hoof problems should we be looking for because of the mud?(3)Can gravel be laid down to reduce the muddiness, or would that be harmful to her hooves?(3) Would concreting over the muddy spot make it better or worse for her hooves?
(4)Should she be shoed if she only walks on natural dirt and isn't in overcrowded/feces-intensive conditions?
(5)The owners have agreed to have her hooves looked at by a professional, clipped and cleaned. (6)Is the person to do this a vet, and if not, how do we find someone to do this? (7)How often should she see a vet?(8)She's not likely to get horse-specific contagous diseases, since she doesn't live in contact with other horses, but there is wildlife, to spread general diseases like rabies. (8)Are there yearly vaccines she should get?
She has at least four acres to run around in, but she doesn't get to see any other horses, and wildlife is mostly limited to deer and squirrels and the occasional gopher. She really loves people, and enjoys human company, but there aren't a lot of neighbors, and she seems lonely. My suggestion to the owners is to get her a friend, another horse or some other animal to play with, but this is gonna take a lot of work to get them to agree to. (9)Do you think this will improve her mental health?(10) How important should this be in priority?
(11)Where can I go for information about horse care that doesn't focus on riding and stabling?
(12) How often does she need a bath & grooming? (13)Will she need towel-dried if it's hot outside? (14)Where can I go for more info on keeping her clean?
Thanks everyone!