Hay

Eastern Washington hay is REQUIRED in order for the horses to get the necessary nutrients. You can feed either an Eastern WA grass hay or a timothy or timothy grass mix or an alfalfa/grass mix. Do not feed straight alfalfa.  It is better to feed half alfalfa and half grass or timothy. Check the Service section for suppliers of grass hay and hauling. 

Local hays are cheaper, but they DO NOT satisfy our feeding criteria because local hays DO NOT supply the horse with enough protein, vitamins, minerals, etc. In the long run it will cost more to keep the horse with the added supplements needed.

Grain & Vitamins

Small amounts of dry COB (corn, oats, barley) along with quality Eastern Washington hay and the Dynamite Plus vitamin supplement daily. The exception to this is if you are riding a lot or have one of the hard to keep horses or one of the older horses. The older horses will need the LMF Prime or Sterret Brothers orchard grass pellets daily along with their hay. We will let you know which of the horses require this added feed. 

Dynamite Plus vitamins are REQUIRED as a daily supplement for your horse. Dynamite products are what we use, they are the best on the market and can be purchased and drop shipped to your home by giving us your credit card number.

Salt & Water

Fresh clean water and a salt block with selenium MUST also be provided at all times. Horses have a very sensitive digestive tract and water is a NECESSITY in preventing unnecessary digestive problems that require veterinarian assistance.

DEWORMING:

Our horses should be dewormed every 2 to 3 months with a paste wormer called “Anthelcide” or "SafeGuard". This is something you can do yourself and the worming medicine can be purchased at any feed supply store for around $13. We suggest that you de-worm your horse every time you have the farrier shoe or trim. There are other wormers available, however, we want this particular brand used to maintain a consistency of care for our horses. A regular de-worming program will help maintain the horses weight and you will save in your feed bill. A horse that drops in weight is very expensive to feed to put the weight back on.

SHOES & TRIMMING:

Most of our horses require shoes in order to be ridden on the local trails. A few horses can get by with just being trimmed. The horses need shoes or a trim approximately every 8 to 10 weeks and the cost varies from $25 for a trim to $90 for new shoes. This will depend on your farrier. REMINDER:  De-worm at the same time as the shoeing or trim.

It is required that you return the horse with a set of shoes that have been put on between May 20 and June 10th . THIS IS A REQUIREMENT OF THE LEASE.

SHELTER & BOARD:

Our horses do not have to be kept in a stall. A shelter is necessary during the rainy and windy season! The most ideal situation is to have a stall or lean-to that has an outdoor run which is kept manure and mud free. An added plus is some pasture for turn out. It is a must to have a spot that is free of mud for the horse to stand. Mud will create many health problems and is an unsatisfactory way to keep a horse. Mud-free horse keeping is obtainable. You can receive free advice through the Horses for Clean Water program. For information on this FREE program, please contact Alayne Blickle at her website:  http://www.horsesforcleanwater.com/

VISITS:

A representative from High Country Outfitters will be by to check on the horse(s) periodically. You will be contacted by e-mail to let you know when we will be coming.  It is usually in January or Febuary.  We are available by phone or e-mail if you have “any” questions regarding horse care. For example, if a horse is injured or if weight is not being maintained, we want to know. We reserve the right to repossess any of our horses that are not being kept as outlined in this care section. A winter newsletter will be sent with some added care ideas for the winter months.
( debby@highcountry-outfitters.com -or- 1-888-235-0111)

HAULING:

Transporting the horse(s) to and from the pick up points is your responsibility. Please be aware that we do not have space to winter our herd, so it is necessary for us to find another home if you cannot follow through with your lease. This will take at least a month and sometimes longer. Leasing a horse is a commitment and needs to be taken seriously. You will be required to arrange hauling to the new home or if we can not find one it may be necessary to haul the horse to Cle Elum. Space is VERY LIMITED in Cle Elum where we winter our mules.  We will not be able to put the horses out in the pasture in Cle Elum until April due to snow conditions.