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castle-docs/content/animals/horses.md
Padreug 1a7568b301 Add animal care docs for alpacas, horses, and poultry 
New animals/ section with mobile-first emergency page (vet contacts,
symptom-to-action table, first aid steps), per-animal daily care for
alpacas (Onu/Sapphi/Phil), horses, and chickens/ducks. Capture hay
quality rules, alpaca cleaning schedule (11 AM, 8 PM), enterotoxemia
schedule, shearer contact, and Sapphi's wound protocol from group
discussions. Add natural/preventative care guide reflecting our
natural-first philosophy with clear escalation criteria. Document
the VetSet first aid kit, chore schedule, and the team-delegated
process for taking on animal-care roles.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-05-08 09:17:02 +02:00

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title description tags
Horses Daily care and health watching for our 2 horses
animals
horses

Horses

We have 2 horses.

[!danger] Colic kills fast If you suspect colic, call the vet. See emergency for the protocol.

Daily Routine

  • Hay: good quality, off-ground, not dusty/moldy. Same standard as alpacas#hay-the-main-food.
  • Water: always available, clean, fresh.
  • Pasture / movement: horses need movement. If stalled, daily turnout.
  • Hooves: pick out daily — check for stones, thrush, abscess.
  • General check: eyes, nostrils, manure, demeanor.

Health Signs

✅ Good signs

  • Eating, drinking, pooping normally
  • Bright eyes, alert
  • Normal gum color (light pink, capillary refill < 2 seconds)
  • Hooves cool to touch (not hot — heat = inflammation)

⚠️ Watch closely

  • Reduced appetite or water intake
  • Mild lameness
  • Heat in a hoof
  • Cough or runny nose

🚨 Emergency — see emergency

  • Colic signs (see below)
  • Severe lameness, can't bear weight
  • Severe bleeding
  • Choke (food stuck — drooling, distress, food/saliva from nose)
  • Eye injury
  • Can't stand
  • Heart rate ≥ 60 bpm and rising

Colic warning signs (call vet immediately)

  • Restlessness, pawing the ground
  • Rolling, thrashing
  • Looking at or kicking the belly
  • Sweating without exertion
  • Stretched-out or hunched posture
  • Loss of appetite
  • Reduced/no manure
  • Lying down and getting up repeatedly
  • Quiet gut sounds (no rumbling) + bloating

Before the vet arrives (colic)

  1. Remove all food.
  2. Water is OK unless told otherwise.
  3. Calm walking can help mild gas pain — stop if pain worsens or it's unsafe.
  4. Don't give Banamine, sedatives, or any drug without vet approval (masks symptoms).
  5. Note the time symptoms started.

Vital Signs (for the vet)

Vital Normal range
Heart rate 28-44 bpm at rest
Respiration 8-16 breaths/min at rest
Temperature 37.5-38.5 °C (99.5-101.3 °F)
Capillary refill < 2 seconds
Gum color Light pink

Periodic Care

Task When Notes
Hoof trim / farrier Every 6-8 weeks TBD: farrier contact
Dental check Annual TBD: vet contact
Fecal exam Every 3-4 months Targeted deworming — see [[natural-care
Vaccinations As needed Natural-first; only when necessary

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