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When selecting a foal, it is advisable to check the health status and housing conditions of the parents at the breeder’s farm. The owner should explain the animals’ habits and demonstrate them in practice. For a proper examination, it is best to involve an experienced groom or a veterinarian.

During the initial inspection, special attention should be paid to the eyes, ears, and teeth. Any discharge, as well as excessively bright or pale colour, may indicate signs of disease. In a healthy animal, the hooves should be rounded and even, without cracks or abnormal growths, while the sole should be slightly concave.

To assess conformation, the animal should be taken out of the stable and asked to move in several directions. Movement should be smooth, without stopping or lameness. Animals should not be afraid of a person entering the stall.

In countries where horses are used as working animals, farms are generally divided into working farms, breeding farms, and commercial farms. Housing systems are also divided into two main types. The first is the herd-based system used in working horse production. The second is the mixed system used at stud farms and breeding centres. When horses are used for sport, a stable-based housing system is applied. This system is typical for racecourses, equestrian schools, and riding centres. It includes stalls for rest, paddocks for turnout, and arenas for training.

In stables, horses should receive proper rest, balanced feeding, and protection from adverse weather. When the herd includes up to 20 animals, they may be kept together. Breeding animals should be housed separately by sex and age. Stallions must be kept apart from the main group. Horse housing should include spacious box stalls and outdoor turnout areas. Box size depends on breed and body length. For calculation, withers height is used as a reference point. Stall area should equal twice this value, while width should be one and a half times bigger. In practice, standard box dimensions are usually 3.0 × 3.5 m or 2.5 × 4.2 m, which gives about 10.5 m2). If horses are kept tied in stalls, a safety line should be installed. When more than 20 horses are housed, the stable should also include extra rooms for tack and equipment, a training arena, turnout pens, a forge, and an infirmary for sick animals.

The herd-based system is the least expensive method of horse keeping, since animals are raised in conditions close to the natural environment. Under this system, stables are built only for breeding stallions. Horses are grouped into bands of 120–150 head and remain on pasture throughout the year. In winter, simple shelters or covered structures are provided.

The stable-and-pasture system combines summer grazing on improved pasture with stable housing in winter. Pastures are divided into separate areas for horse groups of different sex and age.

Stables usually include additional rooms for tack, equipment, concentrate feeds, roughage, bedding, washing, mating or artificial insemination on breeding farms, and veterinary procedures.

Turnout yards with fencing are arranged next to the stable so horses can exercise during the day. Yard area is calculated according to the number of horses. A breeding animal requires at least 20 m2, while the minimum for other horses is 12 m2. A breeding stallion needs 600 m2for turnout, and 400 m2is required for training young horses. Fences are made from metal pipes with a diameter of 7–9 cm or from edged boards and poles. Reinforcing bars and wire must not be used because they may injure the animals.

Horses should be exercised at least three times a week, but without overexertion. When air temperature drops below −20 °C, training is not recommended.

To protect horses from skin disease, they should be washed once a week with soap or a special shampoo and groomed with a brush. Foam and soap residue should be rinsed off with room-temperature water to avoid allergic reactions. During shedding and grazing periods, frequent washing is not recommended.

Horses that take part in competitions or perform agricultural work must be shod, as horseshoes protect the hooves from injury.

The horse owner should invite a veterinarian every six months for vaccination and preventive examination. Special attention should be given to the limbs and teeth.

Stable housing places animals in a single row, separated from one another by partitions. If the building area allows, horses are kept in box stalls, which are separate spaces for each animal. The partitions are not solid, so the horses are not fully isolated but still remain calm. Door height should be 2.4 m and width should be at least 1.2 m. The solid part of the partition should be 1.4 m high, with bars above it. The optimal ceiling height is 3 m. Stalls and box stalls are arranged in two rows with a 3 m passage between them for feed distribution and manure removal.

Individual feeders are installed in box stalls, usually made of cement or wood. The upper width is 0.6 m, the lower width 0.4 m, and the side height or depth 0.3 m. The installation height at the top usually ranges from 1.0 to 1.1 m.

The floor must be dry, non-slip, and moisture resistant. For this reason, it is made from materials with low thermal conductivity such as clay, wood, or expanded clay concrete. Horses are kept on bedding made of sawdust, straw, or peat. In box stalls, bedding is replaced daily, while deep bedding in halls is changed twice a year. One box stall requires more than 4 kg of straw or 15 kg of sawdust. Rubber and synthetic mats with a warm, elastic surface are also used. These can be laid on any type of floor or directly on the ground, with straw placed on top.

The area of a box stall should be at least 16 m2for a stallion, 10 m2for a mare in group housing, and 5 m2for a foal. Suckling foals are kept next to their dams until weaning.

Next to the stable, paddocks should be arranged as spacious fenced areas with grass cover for horse exercise. At the beginning of spring, they should be seeded with grass, and a few trees may also be planted. Fences 1.8 to 2 m high must be installed around the pasture area, which is then divided into paddocks while keeping main and secondary passageways. Fences may be made from reinforced concrete, metal, or wooden posts, smooth heavy wire with a diameter of 6 to 8 mm, poles, boards, or metal pipes.

Indoor air temperature is usually maintained by the heat produced by the horses themselves. For this reason, stable walls and roofs are insulated, while heating systems are generally not installed. In winter, indoor temperature should remain at +15 to 18 °C, although horses can tolerate fluctuations within the 5 to 15 °C range.

Drafts are harmful to horses, so ventilation must be planned during building design to ensure proper air exchange. Exercise and sunlight are essential for horses, as dark housing conditions have a negative effect on their well-being. The standard level of natural light, measured as the ratio between window area and floor area, should be at least 1:10. During dark hours, artificial lighting is used. Modern stables often include solariums for horses. These help prevent skin disorders and support vitamin D formation in the skin.

Horses must have constant access to fresh, clean drinking water. Under stable housing, animals are usually provided with automatic drinkers, while on pasture they are supplied through water tanks or troughs. Horses generally consume 30 to 60 liters of water per day, and during heavy work this may rise to 80 to 100 liters. For every 1 kg of dry feed, a horse drinks 2 to 3 liters of water, and in hot weather this may increase to 6 liters. It is recommended to water horses before feed is offered.

Drinking water must meet the required quality standard.

Water temperature should not fall below stable temperature and should remain within 8 to 12 °C. Horses should not be watered immediately after intensive work, as this may lead to cold-related illness, including rheumatic inflammation of the hooves. During intensive training and long journeys, functional premixes are used to compensate for electrolyte loss, reduce heat stress, and help calm the animals.

In addition to drinking water, horses also require water for hygiene procedures, cleaning equipment, and washing housing areas. The standard allowance is 25 liters per head. Modern stables usually include separate shower areas for horses.

To prevent colic, the diet should be managed according to the animal’s physiological condition and workload. Prevention of infectious disease requires compliance with the schedule of preventive treatments and vaccinations recommended by veterinary services and adapted to the epizootic situation in the region.

If any health problems occur, veterinary advice should be sought without delay.