- Breeding
- Breeding Costs: Things to Consider
- Horse Breeding, Part 1: The Estrous Cycle
- The History of Horse Breeding
- General Horse Articles
- It’s Getting Cold Out! What to Do With Your Horse
- Battle-Ready: A History of the War Horse
- Let Sleeping Horses Lie: A Look at Horse Sleep Patterns
- Horse Health Issues
- Horse Nutrition: The Basics
- A Look at Horse Feed
- Common Horse Illnesses: Laminitis
- Horses & History
- Battle-Ready: A History of the War Horse
- The Feral Horse and Its Impact
- The History of Horse Breeding
It’s Getting Cold Out! What to Do With Your Horse
05/26/2008
You’ve enjoyed your horse’s company all summer long. It’s been a fulfilling, wonderful season full of riding and training. But now winter is coming. It’s getting colder. What do you do with your horse?
You’ve enjoyed your horse’s company all summer long. It’s been a fulfilling, wonderful season full of riding and training. But now winter is coming. It’s getting colder. What do you do with your horse?
Think ahead and plan accordingly. Keep in mind just how old your horse is, and the physical shape it’s in. You don’t want to be stuck caring for a horse that was not prepared for the winter. The first thing to think about is its diet. A lot of energy will be going into heating that large body, so you want to increase the energy intake. Another way to assist in this is to increase the water intake as well. It’s been reported that horses suffer from more colic issues during the winter months. This is due in large part to less water intake – they don’t have to cool off, so they don’t drink any water. If you heat the water, the horse will drink much more than usual. This will ensure proper digestion, and you can avoid pricey medical bills that would come up later.
If your horse prefers the pasture, then priority must be made to build a wind break shed to provide a dry place for your horse to sleep in at night. Make sure it is facing where the sun will hit directly the most to provide as much warmth as possible. You can use this shed to feed the horse, and if the weather takes a very serious downturn, then you can gate your horse in to protect it from the elements as much as possible.
Winter is a harsh environment for any animal, not just a horse. When taking care of an outdoor animal in the cold winter months, remember that you need to prepare accordingly and be incredibly active in taking care of it. With the proper diet and nutrition, along with appropriate shelter, your horse can stay healthy throughout the dead of winter and be ready for that first ride through the warm sun of spring when the miserable winter is over.
