Winter is on
the way…
do’s and don’ts
of cold-weather horse care
Cold weather is on the way and while you may enjoy the snow; if
you have a horse you need to prepare.
Here are just a few ways to “winterize” your equine
friends…

Shelter:
It is very important that a horse
has shelter, natural or man made,  against
snow, frost and cold.  If you are
building a shelter shed, one that is open-fronted will lessen the possibility
of one horse being cornered and injured by another. Don’t remove the cobwebs —
they act as a free fly trap!

Blankets:
Most horses don’t need them.  If the horse is fit and healthy, its own coat
will keep him comfortable and warm. If  he has been clipped or his coat is very fine,
you will need a blanket for protection from the cold. Before using your blanket,  make sure it is clean, in good repair and
waterproof.  It’s better to leave a horse
bare then in a wet blanket. Make sure the blanket is the  right size for your horse or pony.  Remove and re position daily to ensure that
it’s not rubbing and that it’s dry against the horse’s skin.

Don’t over groom, do check for
cuts, bumps or bruises.  Clean the feet
and remember to remove mud and sweat. 
This light grooming will allow the horse to maintain a natural oil
balance and reduce the need for a blanket. 
 



Exercise:

 If you are able to exercise your horse in the
winter weather remember to warm him up and cool him down properly. After
exercise don’t let your horse drink water straight from the trough – it could
be too cold and will shock his hot system. Instead, mix warm water with cold
water so that it is tepid.

If you plan to take your horse
out for exercise and the area is covered in snow, put Vaseline or vegetable oil
inside the hoof and around the outside — this will stop the snow from balling
underfoot. Once finished exercising, make sure to remove the oil and dry his
feet, otherwise you are leaving a good breeding ground for bacteria.  Remove all sweat marks and give a good brush;
if you have to wash, dry under lamps or with a towel.



Food / Water:

 If a stream runs through the pasture, make
sure that the approach to the water is not steep or likely to cause injury to
the horse if covered in ice or snow. Also, the water should be free flowing and
not stagnant. If there is no stream in the field then you need to supply water
and check and clean regularly (don’t forget to take any ice out!). If piping
water, insulate to avoid frozen water lines.

Your outdoor horse will not have access to much grass
when there is heavy snow and ice on the ground so it is important to keep a
regular supply of hay in the field for them. The average horse,
with a lower activity level, should eat between 1.5 and 2% of its body weight
in feed per day to maintain weight.  A
drop in temperature to minus 5 degrees will require an additional 15% more
forage to provide the needed calories, meaning the horse needs to eat 2-3 more
pounds of hay each day.  Give more
hay at night then during the day; the temperature drop will have them eating
the hay to keep warm.  If you are keeping
your horses stabled and are not able to exercise them regularly, you may need
to cut back on the hard feed. Too much hard feed and not enough exercise can
lead to many problems – your horse can get restless and difficult to handle.
Overfeeding can also cause illnesses such as colic and laminitis. So reduce the
hard feed and increase the hay.

Health:

In wintertime, it is very
important to treat any injuries or illness as soon as possible. Avoid excess
washing, this can lead to your horse getting cold and burning more energy and
body fat trying to get warm.

If your horse’s legs are covered
in mud, let it dry and then brush off or wash his legs and thoroughly dry
before letting him back out into the muddy ground – this will help reduce mud
fever (pastern
dermatitis).

Don’t forget to worm your horse –
the ground may be hard and the worm population low but routine worming year
round will help your horse stay healthy.

Microchip your horse–it may stray
if looking for food.  

Ponies and horses may not look
great during winter time. Their coat can look wet and disheveled. If you are
worried about a horse’s condition, check with the owner. If you can’t make
contact, call your local ASPCA or veterinarian. 

*****
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