Preparing Your Horse for Winter
December 2006
Hot chocolate, mittens and roaring fires keep us warm on cold winter nights. But
what about horses? What can you do to help them through the bitter cold, driving
wind and icy snow? Below are tips to help you and your horse not only survive but
thrive during yet another frosty season.
Nutrition
Your number one responsibility to your horse during winter is to make sure he receives
enough quality feedstuffs to maintain his weight and enough drinkable water to maintain
his hydration. Forage, or hay, should make up the largest portion of his diet, 1
– 2 % of his body weight per day. Because horses burn calories to stay warm, fortified
grain can be added to the diet to keep him at a body condition score of 5 on a scale
of 1 (emaciated) to 9 (obese). If your horse is an easy keeper, will not be worked
hard, or should not have grain for medical reasons, then a ration balancer or complete
multi-vitamin/mineral supplement is a better choice than grain. Increasing the amount
of hay fed is the best way to keep weight on horses during the winter, as the fermentation
process generates internal heat.
Research performed at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine
showed that if during cold weather horses have only warm water available, they will
drink a greater volume per day than if they have only icy cold water available.
But if they have a choice between warm and icy water simultaneously, they drink
almost exclusively from the icy and drink less volume than if they have only warm
water available. The take home message is this: you can increase your horse's water
consumption by only providing warm water. This can be accomplished either by using
any number of bucket or tank heaters or by adding hot water twice daily with feeding.
Another method to encourage your horse to drink more in winter (or any time of the
year) is to topdress his feed with electrolytes.
Exercise
It may be tempting to give your horse some "down-time" during winter,
but studies have found that muscular strength, cardiovascular fitness and overall
flexibility significantly decrease even if daily turnout is provided. And as horses
grow older, it takes longer and becomes more difficult each spring to return them
to their previous level of work. Unfortunately, exercising your horse when it's
cold and slippery or frozen can be challenging.
First, work with your farrier to determine if your horse has the best traction with
no shoes, regular shoes, shoes with borium added, shoes with "snowball"
pads, or some other arrangement. Do your best to lunge, ride or drive in outside
areas that are not slippery. Indoor arenas can become quite dusty in winter so ask
if a binding agent can be added to hold water and try to water (and drag) as frequently
as the temperature will permit. Warm up and cool down with care. A good rule of
thumb is to spend twice as much time at these aspects of the workout than you do
when the weather is warm. And make sure your horse is cool and dry before turning
him back outside or blanketing.
Blanketing
A frequently asked question is: does my horse need a blanket? In general, horses
with an adequate hair coat, in good flesh and with access to shelter probably do
not need blanketed. However, horses that have been clipped, recently transported
to a cold climate, or are thin or sick may need the additional warmth and protection
of outerwear.
Horses begin to grow their longer, thicker winter coats in July, shedding the shorter,
thinner summer coats in October. The summer coat begins growing in January with
March being prime shedding season. This cycle is based on day length—the winter
coat is stimulated by decreasing daylight, the summer coat is stimulated by increasing
daylight. Owners can inhibit a horse's coat primarily through providing artificial
daylight in the fall but also by clothing their horse as the temperature begins
to fall. If the horse's exercise routine in the winter causes him to sweat and the
long hair hampers the drying and cooling down process, body clipping may be necessary.
Blanketing is then a must.
Health
There are a number of health conditions that seem to be made worse by the winter
environment. The risk of impaction colic may be decreased by stimulating your horse
to drink more water either by providing warm water as the only source or feeding
electrolytes. More time spent inside barns and stalls can exacerbate respiratory
conditions like "heaves" (now called recurrent airway obstruction), GI
conditions like ulcers, and musculoskeletal conditions like degenerative joint disease.
Control these problems with appropriate management—such as increasing ventilation
in the barn and increasing turnout time—and veterinary intervention in the form
of medications and supplements.
Freeze/thaw cycles and muddy or wet conditions can lead to thrush in the hooves
and "scratches," or, pastern dermatitis, on the legs. Your best protection
against these diseases is keeping the horse in as clean and dry surroundings as
possible, picking his feet frequently, and keeping the lower limbs trimmed of hair.
Another common winter skin condition is "rain rot," caused by the organism
Dermatophilus congolensis. Regular grooming and daily observation can usually prevent
this problem, but consult your veterinarian if your horse's back and rump develop
painful, crusty lumps that turn into scabs.
Preparing Your Horse for Winter
By: Lydia F. Gray, DVM, MA
SmartPak Staff Veterinarian and Medical Director
December 2006
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