Horse Care In Winter

Whether your horse is an easy keeper or not, Winter is definitely a time to where he or she will need a little more TLC in order to stay healthy and happy.

Water

Water is just as important in Winter as in Summer and a proper water supply in winter will help to prevent health problems such as weight loss and impact colic.  

Check water source twice daily and be sure to remove any Ice.  Your horse will prefer to drink warmer water, so you may want to invest in a heated bucket or submersible tank heater.

Salt

Continue to provide access to salt block or add a small amount of salt to feed to encourage water consumption.

Feeding Changes

It's commonly understood that availability to forage (hay) will help to provide energy and warmth during the cold months. Forage may also help to combat boredom as well.

The colder the weather, the more feed your horse will require (especially seniors) and the safest way to meet this is to increase their hay consumption. Age, metabolism, amount of work they're doing, and how much time they're spending outdoors will all factor in to how much you should feed.

Feed Little and Feed Often.

Be sure to keep tabs on your horse's body weight by checking frequently under blankets or woolly fur to make sure ribs and hips aren't becoming more defined.  If 24/7 hay doesn't seem to be enough you may need to consider supplementing. There are many feeds and supplements designed to increase weight. One post I read even recommended Coconut Oil.

 Shelter

Shelter doesn't have to be elaborate, but some kind of shelter against winter weather is needed. Shelter can be natural such as trees or low-lying areas to act as a barrier against wind and precipitation. 

A simple three-sided constructed shelter will provide the best protection from winter precipitation for pastured horses.  

It is important to ensure that your shelter offers adequate space for your animals and allows for their natural behavior and accommodates their hierarchy so that even the lowest horse in the pecking order can benefit from the shelter. In larger herds more than one shelter might be required.

Blankets

As discussed in previous posts, the decision to blanket your horse should be based on:

• You horse's health - A Horse that are unhealthy or under weight cannot regulate their body temperature as well as a healthy horse.
• Have you clipped your horse? Clipped horses do not have the necessary winter coat to stay warm, so blankets are a necessity
• Access to forage (hay)
• Age of your horse? Foals and Senior horses have a more difficult time staying warm.

Here are some additional blanketing tips found on Thehorse.com Website.