Spring Preparation for Horse Owners: Top Tips for 2025

Spring is just around the corner, bringing brighter days and lush grass growth. This season is delightful but brings unique challenges and responsibilities for horse owners. Preparing your horse for spring ensures health and happiness as the weather changes. Here are the key areas to focus on this spring.

1. Understanding Laminitis and Grass Management

Spring grass, especially in April and May, has the highest sugar content, which can trigger laminitis — a painful hoof condition. Horses prone to laminitis, including those with Cushings disease, Equine Metabolic Syndrome, or native ponies with a genetic predisposition, require careful management to avoid illness.

To protect your horse:

• Introduce spring grass gradually, starting with short periods of turnout.
• Restrict grazing during the sweetest periods of the day, often in the morning and evening.
• Consider using grazing muzzles or dry lots for sensitive horses.
• Monitor your horse’s weight and hoof health regularly.

While it may feel harsh to limit turnout after a long winter, preventing laminitis is critical, as treatment often involves lengthy box rest and can severely affect your horse’s wellbeing.

2. Managing Seasonal Allergies and Pollen Exposure

With tree buds swelling in March and grasses and flowers following soon after, pollen levels rise, sometimes triggering respiratory distress in sensitive horses. Horses experiencing airway issues may cough, show nasal discharge, or have reduced performance.

Prevention and care include:

• Have appropriate airway support supplements or vet-prescribed medications ready.
• Where possible, reduce turnout during peak pollen times, especially on warm, windy days.
• Maintain clean stables with good ventilation and frequent bedding changes to minimize pollen and dust.

3. Protecting Against Spring Sunburn

Though it may seem unlikely during early spring, sunny days can be strong enough to cause sunburn, particularly on pink-skinned areas such as muzzles and above the hooves.

To prevent sunburn:

• Apply water repellent barrier creams with at least SPF 50 designed for sensitive skin. Creams made for infants are usually safe but always patch test first.
• Use fly masks with UV protection that also help guard eyes against sun and fly irritation.

4. Fly Protection Strategies for Spring and Summer

While smaller black flies arrive in April, horse flies follow later and can cause significant discomfort due to their painful bites.

Effective fly control methods include:

• Fly rugs to shield your horse, though be mindful they can become hot during warmer days.
• Fly masks to protect eyes from irritation and potential infections caused by flies.
• Adjust turnout times by keeping horses out from dusk to dawn, reducing fly exposure during active hours.
• Maintain clean, dry environments to minimise fly breeding areas.

5. Preparing Pasture and Field Management

Spring is the best time to assess your fields. Check grass growth and weed spread, repairing fencing that may have been damaged over winter by weather or fallen branches.

Recommendations:

• Spray pastures to control weeds before turnout; keep horses off treated land for the recommended two-week period.
• Once the ground has dried but remains moist enough, roll the pasture to encourage denser grass growth.
• Hand pull or use targeted spraying to manage weeds during the growing season.
• Sow and fertilise grass as needed to improve pasture quality.
• Repair poached gateways with hogging material and pack firmly to prevent further damage.

6. Good Housekeeping After Winter

After winter turnout, take time to restore and care for your fields to set up for a healthy season:

• Move field shelters to allow the ground to dry and recover.
• Clear all adjacent ditches to prevent waterlogging.
• Regularly check and repair fencing.

7. Tack Room Care and Grooming

Spring is ideal for cleaning and repairing stable and turnout rugs. Many yards offer rug cleaning services or you can find companies that collect, wash, and return rugs.

Also prepare for shedding the winter coat by equipping yourself with quality grooming tools, and consider giving your horse a bath on a warm day to refresh its coat.

8. Promoting Responsible Ownership and Well-being

Spring management is also about observing your horse closely. Changes in behaviour, appetite, or physical condition can indicate health issues.

Key tips:

• Maintain regular vet check-ups, vaccinations, and worming programmes.
• Ensure fresh, clean water is always available, particularly as the weather warms.
• Be mindful of your horse’s nutritional needs; adjust feed as turnout increases.
• Provide companionship and mental stimulation for overall welfare.

By proactively managing these factors, you can help your horse enjoy a healthy, happy spring season full of fresh air and sunshine.