Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion to remind our favorite people and animals just how much they mean to us. Whether your love has four legs or two, putting the time in to show your appreciation for them is one of the best gifts that you can give them. In this blog post, we explore various ways to dote on your equine companion on Valentine’s Day and every day of the year!
Sweet Treats: Let’s face the facts… many of our equine friends are food motivated. If the way to your horse’s heart is through their stomach, a tasty horse treat will surely do the trick. Shop our extensive selection of horse treats, or, if you are feeling adventurous, bake up a batch of delicious homemade treats. Check out our blog posts, Baking Simple Horse Treats and Happy National Doughnut Day!, for some recipe ideas. Fresh fruit and vegetables also make delicious surprises; while apples and carrots may be the traditional favorites, many horses like oranges, bananas, and even strawberries.
Purina Berry Good Senior Horse Treats
Show your love with these horse treats from Purina. They are designed to address the needs of senior horses but are appropriate for all of your adult horses.
Deep Groom: Spend some extra quality time with your horse and give them a thorough grooming from head to hoof. An extended grooming session will help to remove the dirt, dander, and excess horse hair from your horse’s skin while promoting the production of the natural oils in your horse’s hair. If your horse is exceptionally dirty, consider kicking off the grooming process with a waterless shampoo product to remove the first layer of dirt and grime.
HandsOn Grooming Glove
This unique item is great for grooming and bathing horses, dogs, and other animals. The tactile touch gently cleans sensitive areas and tight body contours while fostering the bond between the animal and handler.
Hay There! Horses need high-quality forage to keep their digestive system healthy and moving. If appropriate for your horse, consider giving them an extra flake of hay so they can munch to their heart’s content. If your horse is an easy keeper or on a strict diet regime, consider purchasing a slow feed hay net. These hay nets make your horse eat more slowly and deliberately, which means that dinner lasts longer!
NibbleNet Slow Feed Hay Net
The small holes in the netting allow the horse to slowly “graze” for his food instead of gulping down large mouthfuls at once. This encourages healthier digestion and keeps your horse busy longer.
A Lengthy Massage: Get hands on and release your horse’s tension with a comforting massage. This also allows you the opportunity to carefully check your horse for lumps, bumps, and scratches while looking for sensitive areas in your horse’s skeletal and muscular systems. You can learn more about proper massage techniques and how to integrate massage into your routine with your horse on our blog post, An Educated Touch: An Introduction to Equine Massage. You can add some additional pampering by incorporating liniment into your massage so that the healing therapies continue long after you are finished.
Absorbine Veterinary Liniment
Liniment can be beneficial to use during massage sessions. Absorbine Veterinary Liniment is the world’s number one selling horse liniment.
Something to Play With: Stimulate your horse’s mind and help him or her stay entertained in the stall with a specially designed horse toy. When correctly installed, toys can be an excellent way to combat stall vices, such as cribbing. They are also just plain fun!
Likit Boredom Breaker
In addition to being entertaining, horse toys can also combat stall boredom and stress.
A Warm Meal: During the winter months, a warm bran or beet pulp mash can be an enticing way to get your horse to consume more water. This will keep them hydrated as well as keep their delicate digestive system moving. You can make your own mash using a soaked blend of bran or Speedi-Beet and their normal grain rations, or you can purchase a pre-mixed bran mash for added convenience. Many of the commercially available bran mashes also include special additives, such as treats and natural flavorings, to make them even more delicious!
Emerald Valley Speedi-Beet
This unique mash is formulated with highly digestible fiber, low starch, and low sugars—and it can be ready in only 10 minutes!
Good Housekeeping: Is there anything better than a freshly bedded stall? We think not! As an extra special indulgence for your horse, strip their stall and bed it with a few extra fluffy shavings. Your horse won’t be able to resist it! Sometimes, it’s the simple things that bring your horse the most pleasure. For increased health benefits, try utilizing a stall refresher product that neutralizes the harmful ammonia gases.
Spalding Bye Bye Odor Concentrate
This easy to use concentrate removes ammonia, urine, and manure odors by using microbial action.
An Extra Present (or Two): Have you been eyeing a fresh pair of hoof boots? Perhaps your horse could use a new toasty blanket? Pick up a “just because” gift to make your horse feel extra appreciated and loved.
Total Saddle Fit English StretchTec Shoulder Relief Girth
This unique girth provides unparalleled shoulder freedom and elbow comfort, as well as a triangular center elastic feature for additional performance.
Get Moving: A leisurely hack is a wonderful way to connect with your horse. Put the training goals on hold for a day and enjoy exploring the trails together. Even if your horse is not up to being ridden, consider a brisk hand walk. A change in scenery while getting your heart pumping is beneficial for everyone!
Bucas Recuptex Therapeutic Quarter Sheet
This unique quarter sheet helps increase blood circulation and warm up muscles faster while you ride.
You can shop all of our picks for pampering your horse for Valentine’s Day here. How do you pamper your horse? We would love to hear about it! Post your tips for showing your horse or pony the love in the comments below.
At The Cheshire Horse, we understand just how important your horses are to you! We carry everything that you need to care for and pamper your precious equine companion on a daily basis. If you have any questions about the extensive tack and equine supplies that we carry, we encourage you to speak with a member of our friendly and knowledgeable sales staff.