Winterizing Your Horse

By Darlene M. Cox

As the winter months begin we need to make sure that our horses are ‘winterized’ and best able to adapt to and be comfortable with whatever nature presents. Special attention should be paid to shelter, nutrition, water, exercise, and hoof care to keep you horse healthy and happy during the winter months.

Shelter

Shelter is the first important requirement on your list to winterize your horse. In the wild, horses would use the commonality of the herd for warmth; generating and sharing body heat while gathered in tight little groups behind a natural windbreak. You will also notice this behavior in domesticated herds; however, not everyone has their own herd, which would make the shared warmth impossible. Therefore, it would be optimal to have an enclosed stall within a dry/warm barn in which to house your horse during bad winter weather. Always keep your eye on the weather forecast so you’ll know if your horse should be stalled or turned out for the day/night.

If your horse is pasture-bound, providing a 3-sided run-in shed will allow him to get out of the elements at his choosing. In some states, it is a requirement that a run-in shelter be provided. You can also utilize a well-fitting waterproof, wind- resistant winter blanket to provide additional warmth to your horse. I would recommend using such a blanket as well if you do not have a structured shelter that your horse can use. Make sure the blanket is ‘water-proof’ and not ‘water- resistant’ as water-resistant blankets will eventually allow water to soak in. If the horse is wet under the blanket, he’ll be just as cold as if he didn’t have a blanket on. It is important for you to check the blanket often for placement, dryness, and cleanliness. A dirty blanket can cause fungal infections. Regular grooming during the winter months is imperative to keeping your horse fungus free. It also provides you with an opportunity to make sure the blanket isn’t rubbing anywhere.

Nutrition

Your horse should have a great body condition as he goes into the winter months. A poor body conditioned horse will not fare well during this time of year, and you will be investing more money trying to keep him healthy. You should provide your horse with quality, clean hay (roughage). While hay preferences vary, always insure the hay is clean and mold-free. Most sources identify the amount of hay to feed your horse is between 1% - 2% of his total body weight. In other words, a 1,000 pound horse should consume a daily ration of 10 to 20 pounds of hay. I will again keep my eye on the weather forecast, and if it seems a severe batch of winter weather is coming, I will increase the amount of hay I feed two or three days in advance to aid my horse in keeping warm.

Graining and supplementation of your horse should continue at the amounts/portions fed prior to winter weather. This is, of course, depending upon exercise and body condition. Always check your horse’s body condition by running your hand over their barrel feeling for their ribs, as well as along their backbone and croup feeling for bony protrusions. If your horse is loosing condition, minimally and systematically increase their grain intake. A general rule of thumb is to increase grain quantities by ¼ measures each week until the body condition begins to improve, and then continue that amount/portion throughout the winter months.

Water

One of the greatest misnomers I have ever heard portrayed is that ‘horses can get all the water they need from eating snow.” While some horses may eat snow, they would have to eat a lot of it to achieve the minimum of 5- 10 gallons a day that is required. Clean, ice-free water should be available to your horse at all times. Since your horse’s diet is primarily hay/roughage, water will aid in its digestion. Some horses will not drink an adequate amount of water during the winter months as cold water is not very palatable to them. Always keep a salt block available during the winter to encourage drinking.

Heat tape applied to your barn faucets will keep your water source from freezing. Heated water buckets and/or water tank heaters are available at most horse/stock suppliers. Using bales of straw as an insulator around a water trough can also aid in keeping water ice free. If you don’t have an electricity source at your barn, you can always heat up water and take it to your horse. While a little more arduous for you, it will assuage your fears that your horse isn’t getting enough water.

Exercise

Throughout the winter months it is important to keep your horse in good shape. Don’t let them become a pasture-potato just because it’s snowy and cold out. Light exercise is the key with 2 or 3 weekly ½ hour sessions recommended. Whether you choose to lounge-line, round pen, or ride your horse make sure your emphasis is on ‘light’; don’t overwork him to where he is sweating profusely, as he will quickly chill. Utilize some type of blanket to cover his croup while riding to keep his muscles from being cold and having spasms from the workout. Always cool him out and make sure he is adequately dried after the exercise session. Fluff up his hair a little to allow air to get in which will then be warmed next to his skin and thereby providing warmth.

Hoof Care

Some may believe that hoof care is not an important issue during the winter as horses are not ridden as often. While hoof growth may slow some during the winter months, it is still of utmost importance that you continue to have your farrier check your horse’s hooves and trim them as necessary. Many abscesses form over the winter months and are caused by the hoof’s impact against frozen ground.

If your horse is shod during the riding season, having their shoes pulled during the winter will give their feet a break allowing the hoof wall to thicken and give the sole a chance to toughen up. If you keep your horse shod during the winter because of riding preferences or perhaps because of a pre- existing hoof condition, it is important that you keep the foot ‘snowball’ free, as snow will accumulate between the sole and the shoe forming a ‘ball’, which will make walking unbalanced and difficult. I have had great success in keeping shod feet free of snow by using petroleum jelly. Simply clean out the hoof and apply the petroleum jelly with a hoof brush. This will need to be repeated often (as long as you have snow cover), but it is very effective in keeping the snowballs from forming.

Since there is an abundance of moisture during this time of year, whether it comes from standing in snow, water, mud, or a mucky stall, your horse will be greatly susceptible to thrush. Continuing your daily practice of cleaning your horse’s feet will reduce the risk of your horse contracting thrush. If your horse is stall bound for a greater number of hours, make sure the stall is kept clean. Woody Pet is a great product on the market today that absorbs moisture in stalls.

Following the above-mentioned points will allow you to ‘winterize’ your horse and keep him happy and healthy while you both await springtime and the awakening of a new riding year.