Colder months call for thorough assessment and extra care for your horses. The drop in temperature may cause several issues if you're unprepared, but you can avoid them by ensuring your horses are ready for winter. Here are some of the most important things you should know:
Preventative Healthcare
As an equine owner, you must regularly do a healthcare check for your horses. However, we suggest you do extra careful checks when winter approaches to ensure you're not missing any of the following considerations:.
Dental Care
In winter, you might be unable to take your horses outside to graze due to the cold temperature or the lack of quality grass. This is why you'd have to lean on forages, like hay and haylage, to fulfil your equines' nutrient needs.
Ensuring your horses have excellent dental health is crucial, as dental problems can cause further issues, including colic and choking. Consult a qualified Equine Dental Technician (EDT) so you won't miss any alarming signs.
Hoof Care
You might already have a regular hoof care schedule for your equines, but the cold and surface changes will be more dangerous for your equines' hoofs in winter. To minimise the risk of laminitis, we recommend you do a more thorough hoof check and ensure you know which areas are safe for your horses to walk.
Equines are more prone to hoof issues like abscesses, mud fever, thrush and white line disease in winter. Set up some drying areas for your horses to take time drying their feet. Apply some moisturising hoof dressing to help manage the hoof's moisture level.
Parasite Control
Before the season changes, check your horse's worming status to spot tapeworm or encysted redworm larvae. These two parasites are challenging to spot because they're not easily detected by FECs (Faecal Worm Egg Counts), and most wormers don't kill encysted red worms.
Do a targeted parasite control to prevent drug resistance or over-worming. You can also do a blood test to check for tapeworms and encysted red worms. Note that each horse may have different medication needs and specifications. Consult with your vet to determine what horse wormers to use in winter.
Vaccination Check
When facing temperature drops, horses are prone to infectious respiratory disease. Cold weather can also be stressful for animals that are usually outdoors, which can lower their immunity. Ensuring your equines are properly vaccinated will help you enhance their immune during this stressful period and ward off potential exposure to infectious microorganisms.
We recommend you administer core vaccines during spring months so your equines are protected against encephalitic diseases, rabies and tetanus. You can also consider vaccines for equine influenza and herpes virus to boost their protection in colder temperatures.
Diet Adjustment
Each horse has a critical temperature, and when the temperature drops below that number, the horse will spend more energy producing more body warmth. You might need to adjust their diets to ensure each horse fulfils its nutrition needs and can stay warm during harsh seasons.
Food for Warmth
What do horses eat in the winter? Horses are hindgut fermenters. Therefore, the feed you can use to ensure they stay warm despite the dropping temperatures should beforages.
Beth Davis, Professor and Head of Equine Internal Medicine and Surgery at Kansas State University, stated that horses should eat around 2% of their weight in forage. Properly weigh your hay and add supplementation with concentrate in colder months to help them maintain an ideal body condition.
The type of grain you can give your equine depends on several factors, including age, body condition and activity level. If unsure, we suggest you consult an equine nutritionist before crafting a feeding plan and stock up on some gut supplements for your equines' digestive system.
Supplement Salt
You should consistently include salt in your equine's diet year-round, especially during winter. The cold weather might reduce the amount of water your horse drinks, which may lead to colic and impaction. In addition, horses develop thick winter coats come winter, so they're likely to sweat more during moderate activities.
To include salt in your horse's diet, add a tablespoon of salt per about 226 kg of body weight. Salt will encourage your horse to drink more water, keeping it hydrated enough.
You can also give them electrolytes instead of salt if you have them, which are also helpful in helping them drink more.
If you have been giving your equines block salt, consider changing it to loose salt. Block salt tends to turn too cold during winter, so your horses might be uncomfortable licking it.
Winterising the Environment
Besides ensuring your equines are healthy before winter, you should also ensure their environment is ready for winter. Here are some changes you might make to provide more comfort for your equines during the cold.
Stabling
When it's too cold outside, horse owners usually keep their horses inside their stables more than usual. If you usually let them outside, especially during summer, this changes their routine and management. The British Horse Society recommends 10 to 14 days of adjustment so your equines can adapt to full-time stabling.
Besides adjustment, you should winterise your stable to ensure it's comfortable for your horses. Check for leaks or damages that you should repair before winter comes, lay warm bedding down, and clean it thoroughly.
Prolonged stabling may cause boredom, and they might develop stereotypical behaviours, such as weaving, box walking and crib biting. You can provide more entertainment for your horses while in full-time stabling, such as licks, forage buffets and treat balls.
Non-food entertainment can also be another option. Try playing music, especially classical, which horses tend to respond positively to. Give them time to socialise with other horses, but if physical contact doesn't seem safe, put them where they can see their fellow equines easily. Your presence will also help them feel less stressed.
Stabling and less exercise may also cause joint problems when the temperature is cold. Give your equines, especially your older horses, some joint supplements during winter.
Pasture Management
Winter tends to turn fields muddy and poached. You should restrict your equines' turnout time, as they may cause excessive poaching and winter ailments. To reduce the damage, drainage should be provided in areas where water can pool, such as gateways.
When you're letting your equines out on the grass, ensure they have access to shelter, such as tree lines or thick hedges, or you can craft field shelters. If you choose natural shelters, check the area to ensure they're safe for your equines.
Cold temperatures require you to adjust how you manage your equines and their environment. Do thorough research on your equines' health, so you'll know early on if you must pay extra attention to them during colder times. Winterise their environment so your equines can remain warm and safe throughout the harsh seasons.
FAQs
What Temperature Is Too Cold for Horses?
Horses in moderate body condition have a lower critical temperature of -1°C to 10°C, depending on the horse's coat thickness.
Can Horses Be Left Out in the Winter?
Yes, they can regulate their temperature, including when it's cold, but you must provide them with the appropriate shelter when you let them out. Some horses, especially older ones or those with special conditions, might need extra warmth, so consider your horse's condition before you let them out.
How Do You Bathe a Horse in Winter?
When bathing a horse in winter, choose the warmest time of the day and do it indoors. Use hot water and quickly dry the horses. The thick winter coat may lead to an extended drying time, so ensure they're completely dry before turning them in.
Can Horses Get Laminitis in Winter?
Yes, winter laminitis may occur due to the sudden decrease in temperature. Some underlying diseases can also trigger it.
What Horse Wormer to Use in Winter?
The most common wormer is moxidectin, used to treat the encysted larvae, and praziquantel, used for tapeworms. Do a health check-up and consult your vets before worming so you know the correct wormer to use based on your horse's condition.
