As you all know.. horses like to groom and be groomed. A magazine article I read suggested that you nail a few old horse brushes (the bristly ones) to the sides of the stall so the horse can rub against them to get at those annoying itches.
A good thing to remember is to always clean and oil your tack/fittings after each ride or as often as possible. This will ensure that everything is in good repair and will help it stay supple to decrease breakage.
A really good friend once told me something, that I will never ever forget. "The only thing predictable about a horse is that it's unpredictable". This is very true! Horses are animals, thereby they have animal instincts.. flight or fight. Always be careful around them!
This is common sense, but PLEASE... for the sake of safety, if you're close to a horse that's lying down... DO NOT stand in front of it or close to its hooves! 1: If a horse rolls, you'll get kicked and hurt, 2: If the horse spooks, you're in the way and in trouble and 3: When a horse gets up, they put their front hooves directly infront of them and push forward and into you - if you're in the way. So, stand away from the front of it and stay close to its back.