If you do one thing for your horse before the year wraps up, make it this: a simple, repeatable year end horse health check you can compare month to month.
Because “fine” is not a metric.
A good horse wellness checklist helps you spot the small changes early, before they become expensive, frustrating problems mid-winter or at the start of the season. It also makes it far easier to decide what to tweak in feed, training, turnout, and routine.
Below is a printable 7-point inspection, plus an easy way to record trends, know when to adjust, and understand where targeted support, including supplements, can help.
Quick note: This is not a replacement for your vet, farrier, or physio. It’s a practical “owner review” to guide better decisions and better conversations with your team.
Print this: The 7-Point Horse Wellness Checklist (Year-End Review)
How to use it
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Give each section a quick score: Green (good), Amber (watch), Red (act).
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Add 1 to 2 notes per point.
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Repeat monthly or every 6 weeks for the clearest trends.
1) Weight and Body Condition Score (BCS)
Look for
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Rib cover (you should feel ribs easily, not see them clearly, in most horses).
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Topline, neck crest, fat pads, and overall shape.
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Sudden changes in appetite, dropping condition, or unexplained weight gain.
Record
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Weigh tape reading and a quick BCS score.
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Two photos: side-on and from behind (same spot, same light).
Adjust if
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Condition is drifting over 4 to 6 weeks.
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Energy is dropping, or they are “holding weight” only by piling on bucket feed.
Support
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If weight changes come with loose droppings, gassiness, or sensitivity, gut support is often the first place to look.
2) Coat and Skin
Look for
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Dull coat, scurf, itching, flaky patches, rubbing mane or tail.
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Slow coat change, uneven coat, or “dry” feel.
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White hairs appearing where tack sits (may indicate pressure, rubbing, or skin sensitivity).
Record
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Note any itch hotspots and when they flare up.
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Take photos of affected areas.
Adjust if
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You’ve changed rugs, washing products, or turnout conditions recently.
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You notice rubs around tack areas, it may be a fit issue, not “just skin”.
Support
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If the skin and coat are telling you they are under strain, targeted skin and coat support can help from the inside.
3) Hooves
Look for
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Cracks, flares, crumbling walls, stretched white line, thrush smell, soft soles.
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Changes in landing, shortened stride, or reluctance on hard ground.
Record
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Photo each hoof from the side and sole (same day each trim cycle).
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Note trim date, shoeing changes, and surface conditions.
Adjust if
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Hoof quality dips as the ground gets wetter or harder.
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Thrush keeps returning, consider management changes (stable hygiene, turnout routine).
Support
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Hoof issues often sit alongside gut and diet changes. If feet worsen alongside manure changes, connect the dots.
4) Behaviour and Temperament
Look for
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Grumpiness, spooky behaviour, girthiness, head tossing, “not quite right” attitude.
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Changes in herd dynamics, stable anxiety, weaving, box walking.
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Sore-backed reactions to grooming.
Record
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Note what changed first: routine, weather, feed, work, turnout, tack.
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Track mood before and after work.
Adjust if
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Behaviour shifts align with feed increases, reduced turnout, or workload changes.
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If sensitivity is escalating, do not push through. Investigate.
Support
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Low-grade discomfort can show up as behaviour. Gut signs and recovery scores are useful clues here.
5) Workload and Fitness
Look for
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Is the workload consistent, or “boom and bust”?
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Are you building fitness, or just repeating the same sessions?
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Any one-sidedness, reluctance to stretch, or loss of impulsion.
Record
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Weekly workload in simple terms: days worked, type, duration, intensity.
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A quick note on how they felt.
Adjust if
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You are asking for more without giving enough base work.
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You see repeated tension in the same area, consider physio, saddle fit, and training plan tweaks.
Support
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Joint and movement support matters most when workload increases, age creeps up, or stiffness becomes a regular pattern.
6) Recovery
Look for
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How quickly breathing returns to normal after work.
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Any stiffness the next day, especially after harder sessions.
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Heat, swelling, or persistent filling.
Record
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Recovery time after a standard session.
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Next-day stiffness score (none, mild, moderate, significant).
Adjust if
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Recovery is slower than it was 4 to 8 weeks ago.
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You are increasing intensity without matching rest, warm-up, and cool-down.
Support
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If recovery is a recurring issue, consider whether the joints need support, and whether the workload progression is realistic.
7) Gut Signs (the quiet clues)
Look for
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Loose droppings, inconsistent manure, gassiness, bloating.
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Sensitivity to girthing, grumpy during brushing, picky appetite.
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Changes during stress: travel, clipping, weather shifts, new herd, reduced turnout.
Record
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Manure consistency notes for one week.
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Any triggers, including changes in routine or feed.
Adjust if
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Gut signs appear after stress, work changes, or feed changes.
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You notice a cycle of “fine, then not fine”.
Support
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This is where a gut-focused plan can make a noticeable difference for comfort, appetite, and overall resilience.
How to record trends (so this actually works)
A one-off check is helpful. A simple system is powerful.
Use any of these:
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Phone album called “Wellness Check” with dated photos (body, coat, hooves).
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Notes app template with the 7 points and Green/Amber/Red.
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Training log with workload and recovery time.
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One weekly gut note (manure consistency, appetite, any grumpiness).
Aim for:
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Monthly in winter or during routine changes.
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Every 6 weeks during steady periods.
Trends to act on:
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Two consecutive “Amber” scores in the same category.
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One “Red” score, especially if paired with behaviour changes or reduced recovery.
When to adjust training or feed (simple decision rules)
Here are practical, non-dramatic triggers to change something:
Adjust training when
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Recovery time is noticeably slower for 2 to 3 sessions in a row.
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Next-day stiffness becomes a pattern, not a one-off.
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Behaviour changes show up under saddle but not in the field.
Adjust feed when
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Weight, coat, or gut scores shift after a feed change.
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You are using more and more bucket feed just to maintain condition.
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You see gut signs during stress or seasonal changes.
Escalate to your team when
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Lameness, swelling, heat, or persistent pain shows up.
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Appetite drops, colic signs appear, or weight loss is unexplained.
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Hoof problems escalate rapidly or thrush persists despite management.
Where supplements can help (a simple horse supplement review approach)
Supplements work best when they match a clear need you have identified from your checklist.
Think of it as one ecosystem, not separate parts. Training, turnout, feeding, recovery, and support should all work together. When they do, you get a clearer feedback loop and better results.
If your checklist flags Gut signs
Consider: Radiance Gold Original
Designed for horses that need gut-focused support, especially through stress, routine shifts, or seasonal change.
If your checklist flags Coat and skin
Consider: DermaSecret
A targeted option for skin and coat support when dullness, itchiness, or sensitivity is creeping in.
If your checklist flags Recovery and joints
Consider: Performance Elite
Helpful when workload is increasing, your horse feels stiffer, or recovery is slipping compared to earlier in the year.
If you like routines that actually stick, the “choose your plan” subscription option is the simplest way to keep support consistent, and consistency is what your checklist is built around.
Printable one-page checklist (copy, paste, print)
Year-End Horse Wellness Review (Date: ________)
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Weight / BCS ☐ Green ☐ Amber ☐ Red
Notes: _______________________________________ -
Coat / Skin ☐ Green ☐ Amber ☐ Red
Notes: _______________________________________ -
Hooves ☐ Green ☐ Amber ☐ Red
Notes: _______________________________________ -
Behaviour / Temperament ☐ Green ☐ Amber ☐ Red
Notes: _______________________________________ -
Workload / Fitness ☐ Green ☐ Amber ☐ Red
Notes: _______________________________________ -
Recovery ☐ Green ☐ Amber ☐ Red
Notes: _______________________________________ -
Gut signs ☐ Green ☐ Amber ☐ Red
Notes: _______________________________________
Top 2 changes I will make next month:
Match support to your checklist
If your horse wellness checklist is showing clear signals, do not guess. Match support to what you can actually observe.
Shop by need: Gut / Skin / Joint
And if you want the easiest way to stay consistent, choose a “choose your plan” subscription so you can focus on the horse, not the re-order.
Do this year-end horse health check once, then repeat it monthly, and you will catch changes earlier, adjust more confidently, and support your horse with far less trial and error.