22/01/2025
Brrrrr! It is FRIGID out there! 🥶🥶🥶
What better time for a winter equine management check in than now! Read on to learn more about how we make winter management decisions courtesy of GBE Veterinary Assistant, Ella!
Inclement weather management:
- It goes without saying that the most important factor in maintaining excellent horse health during the cold winter months is providing quality nutrition and access to fresh water and minerals.
- Throughout the winter, horses use more energy to keep warm meaning their hay intake may increase. Plan for this! The digestive process generates warmth and even with access to shelter and blanketing, as the temperature dips below freezing horses need more frequent access to hay and forage to maintain body temperature.
- It is crucial to provide unlimited, ice-free water to maintain optimal hydration. Something as simple as soaking your horse's regular feed in warm water can provide extra hydration (and a novel, new snack!). Vitamin and mineral supplementation may be recommended during winter months due to the lack of grass and limited availability to high quality hay.
The age old debate- when to blanket versus when not to blanket!:
The lifestyle of each individual horse ultimately determines what level of blanketing and/or clipping is necessary!
- A healthy horse that has adapted to colder weather, grows a naturally thick winter coat and has access to reliable shelter will typically not require blanketing during colder months (we're looking at you miniatures and shaggy ponies!). The hairs of a horse's winter coat are triggered by the piloerector muscle (new trivia word, anyone?) to lift up and away from the skin to trap warm air between the plush undercoat and the coarse, outer "guard" hairs. Horses with healthy winter coats generally do quite well in freezing temps due to this nifty adaptation!
- Horses that are in regular work throughout the winter may need to be clipped to avoid excessive sweating, in which case, blanketing is a necessity! Blanketing may also be necessary for very young or older horses, horses in poor body condition, or horses unable to grow an adequate winter coat.
-When blanketing, it is crucial to check the blanket’s fit and condition each day, as well as change blankets appropriately for the climate. Over-blanketing can be arguably as concerning (if not more) as under-blanketing, given the risks associated with excessive sweating/overheating in frigid temperatures.
-Bottom Line: Whether a horse is blanketed or not, they should be monitored each day to ensure they are maintaining body condition, eating and drinking well and able to regulate their temperature sufficiently.
Lastly- Exercise!:
-Some of our more, shall we say, delicate (?) equine friends may be perfectly content to remain stabled during exceptionally cold temps or inclement weather, provided they have unlimited access to hay, salt and water. However, for some horses, confinement may be overly stressful. In these cases, caution should be taken to avoid making sudden changes to turnout/stabling routines in the face of steep temperature drops. Consider your horse's body condition, preferences and overall health to make your cold weather management decisions!
- Recommendations for riding and exercising horses in the depths of winter vary considerably from horse to horse and farm to farm! Here are some key things we consider when deciding whether to ride in a deep freeze: frozen, uneven footing, deep snow, frigid and dry air temperatures, shoeing (is your horse barefoot or outfitted with snow pads and studs?), a conscientious warm up routine to avoid injuries due to cold, tight muscles.
When in doubt, the GBE team is happy to help answer any of your cold-weather equine management questions! Stay safe and warm out there!
