12/09/2025
โ๏ธ ๐๐จ๐ญ ๐๐๐ค๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ โ๏ธ
Unfortunately, I come from a long line of Minnesotans which means I am deeply rooted in the arctic tundra of the upper Midwest. And up here, our winter is about as long as our sunmer so we need to rely on some cold weather conditioning to optimize our competition season.
And while there really isnโt enough research to set strict, evidence-based rules about what counts as โsafeโ winter riding weather, it is important to consider due to potential health implications of exercising our horses in the cold. So I pulled together some research from published studies on how cold weather can impact horse health and I turned that information into the general guidelines I personally follow to guide my winter riding decisions. Since a lot of people are navigating the same questions this time of year, I figured Iโd share them here!
๐ซ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก
A study evaluating cold weather exercise in horses (Davis et al., 2005) used eight healthy adult horses in a cross-over design and had them exercise at either 77ยฐF (warm; 25ยฐC) or 23ยฐF (cold; -5ยฐC). The exercise performed in this test included 5 minutes walking, 5 minutes trotting, and 5 minutes cantering three times each week. This study found that breathing cold, dry air during moderateโhigh intensity exercise caused measurable airway irritation and can produce bronchoconstriction and inflammatory changes in otherwise healthy horses. Additionally, repeated exposure is believed to contribute toward chronic airway conditions such as equine asthma.
๐ก๏ธ ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
The previous study (Davis et al., 2005) also demonstrated a likely mechanism for immune suppression following strenuous exercise in a cold environment. Further research (Davis et al., 2007) evaluating horses exercising at similar temperatures supported this research and found an altered immunological response for at least 48 hours following exercise in cold weather. Both of these studies found that exercising in the cold amplified the expression of cytokines that suppress cell-mediated immunity. The concept of immune suppression following strenuous exercise is not new and could predispose these athletes to viral infections of the respiratory tract.
๐ช ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ & ๐๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ
Cold weather can also impact the muscles and joints of the horse. While the work has yet to be done in horses, research in other animals and humans has shown that when muscles and nerves get cold, they donโt fire as quickly or efficiently (Racinais et al., 2017). Horses may also tighten around their joints or โbraceโ with opposing muscle groups as a natural way to protect cold tissues. This is why a slow, progressive warm-up is so important in winter. Getting the horseโs body temperature up helps their muscles move more freely, improves coordination, and reduces the risk of strains or awkward, compensatory movement - especially during more technical maneuvers or intense work.
This is supported by a study (Dixon et al. ,2010) which found that humans who immersed their legs in cold water (54ยฐF/12ยฐC) for 45 minutes had decreased power on a vertical jump. However, this decline in performance could be negated by a 15-minute dynamic warm-up. These findings stress the importance of an intentional and lengthy warm-up prior to cold winter exercise.
โ
๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ก
These are just a few examples of how cold weather can impact our horses, but they are important to consider when determining how to safely but effectively condition them this winter.
๐ฅ Warm-up is key. Walk at least 15โ20 minutes before trotting or cantering.
๐ก๏ธ Monitor the temperature. Reduce intensity as temperatures drop to minimize immune and respiratory stress or risk of injury.
๐ด Observe your horse. Watch for coughing, stiffness, or changes in performance.
I hope this information helps to guide your equine exercise practices this winter! Stay warm out there!
Cheers,
Dr. DeBoer
Davis MS, Malayer JR, Vandeventer L, Royer CM, McKenzie EC, Williamson KK. Cold weather exercise and airway cytokine expression. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2005 Jun;98(6):2132-6.
Davis MS, Williams CC, Meinkoth JH, Malayer JR, Royer CM, Williamson KK, McKenzie EC. Influx of neutrophils and persistence of cytokine expression in airways of horses after performing exercise while breathing cold air. American journal of veterinary research. 2007 Feb 1;68(2):185-9.
Racinais S, Cocking S, Pรฉriard JD. Sports and environmental temperature: from warming-up to heating-up. Temperature. 2017 Jul 3;4(3):227-57.
Dixon PG, Kraemer WJ, Volek JS, Howard RL, Gomez AL, Comstock BA, Dunn-Lewis C, Fragala MS, Hooper DR, Hรคkkinen K, Maresh CM. The impact of cold-water immersion on power production in the vertical jump and the benefits of a dynamic exercise warm-up. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 2010 Dec 1;24(12):3313-7.
