Cold Weather Horse Care
by Doug Butler PhD, CJF, FWCF
Horses have different needs than people do. Here are a few of a horse’s
winter needs - from its point of view.
1. Shelter
Horses have a thick skin insulated by fat and thick winter hair. The horse’s
integument (its hooves and skin) has an underlying dermis that contains
AVAs (arterio-venous anastomoses). These vascular systems allow the body
to shunt or divert blood away from its surface area periodically to keep the
animal’s central core warm. Then, alternately, the warm blood is circulated
back to the external areas to keep them nourished and healthy. You can
observe the effectiveness of this system by noting that unmelted snow can
rest on a horse’s back without the horse shivering. The horse’s skin may feel
cold, but it is warm inside.
Horse blankets or “rugs” are not needed on most horses unless the horse has
been clipped, is routinely worked into a sweat, or has a thin skin like some
Thoroughbreds. Hair growth is controlled by day length and hormones.
Shorter days trigger hormone responses that cause increased hair growth.
The thicker, longer hair protects the horse in the harsh winter environment.
A wind break is all that is needed for most horses, except in the most
extreme conditions.
As wind speed increases, the air temperature goes down. This is especially
important to consider when hauling horses. On a cold day, the temperature
in a trailer with ventilated sides can be much colder than you think. The
following chart will give you an idea of the difference air velocity makes on
a cold day.
2. Ventilation
Horses need good ventilation, or fresh air. Horses confined in tightly-closed
barns may suffer from lung disease due to lack of adequate ventilation. The
average horse breathes out about 2 gallons of water per day. In addition, a
horse voids about a gallon of urine a day which contains ammonia. A horse
also produces about 35 pounds of feces per day. In a closed barn, especially
if not cleaned daily, a combination of these factors can be the cause of lung
conditions such as heaves and pneumonia. Heated barns often compound the
problems. Horses, when given a choice, prefer to stay outside without a
shelter over head, except in the most severe weather.
3. Feed
Horses are herbivores. They need fiber in their diet. During the winter
months, fiber becomes more important because of the heat of digestion
generated when digesting fiber. Due to their very small stomach size, horses
need at least two feedings a day. If allowed, most horses will spend 70
percent of a twenty-four-hour period grazing. The amount of good quality
hay fed to a confined horse should be about one and a half to two percent of
its body weight. In extremely cold climates, it’s wise to have fibrous feed,
such as grass hay, in front of horses all of the time.
While grains produce energy, they also are laid down as fat if a horse is not
working. Corn or maize is a heavier feed containing twice as much energy
per volume as oats, and is a preferred winter feed in some areas. Most horses
do not need grain while they are inactive in the winter.
Emerging grasses in the spring are high in fructans. Fructans are a rich form
of carbohydrates or sugars. Horses that have been confined during the winter
months should be slowly introduced to growing pasture in the spring to
prevent digestive upsets resulting in colic and laminitis or founder. Horses
should be let on the grass for gradually increasing times. Anytime feed stuffs
are changed it should be done gradually over a period of five days since this
is how long it takes the bacteria flora of the gut to adapt to a new feedstuff.
4. Water
Water should be available to horses at all times. Even during the winter an
average horse needs 7 to 10 gallons of water a day. During the coldest part
of the winter, when water buckets freeze, you may be able to provide water
only twice a day when you feed your horses. Experiments have shown that
horses will drink more water when the water is slightly warmer than the air
temperature in winter and slightly cooler than the air temperature in summer.
Extremely hot or extremely cold water causes horses to limit their intake and
may cause them to colic.
5. Space
Horses prefer enough area to move around and exercise. Animals that are
exercised and trained daily need less space than those that are confined
twenty-four/seven. Horses sleep very little; some studies indicate as little as
two hours in twenty-four. Many will rarely lie down, unless in a protected
area or guarded by a companion. When they lie down, most horses are more
concerned about being “caught down” than they are about resting. Of course,
a closed stall takes this threat away.
The horse’s limbs contain unique stay apparatuses that allow the large
muscle groups to rest while the horse is standing. This feature allows these
preyed-upon animals the ability to instantly flee from the standing position.
When horses are given a choice of being under an artificial light or being in
the dark, the majority prefer the light.
6. Companionship
Horses are herd animals. They instinctively prefer companionship. This may
be a problem when a horse becomes “love sick” and doesn’t want to be
separated from its companion. Generally horses are more content when they
can see each other. However, because of herd hierarchy, the ones on the
lower end of the pecking order may not get enough feed unless they are kept
separate.
7. Foot Care
Horse hooves are 25 to 50 percent water. Water freezes. Frozen hooves may
split when nails are driven into them, and pounding upon the feet may be
painful.
The coriums or sensitive structures under the hoof are often bruised when
the horse stands on snow that balls up under the hooves. In the spring, the
farrier will notice bruises in the sole horn caused during the winter months.
Snowball pads are designed to prevent snowballing. They should be used
when shoes, and especially bar shoes, are applied during winter.
Horses that are worked on slippery surfaces should be shod for traction with
borium, studs and/or pads to protect both the horse and rider. Removing the
shoes and trimming the hooves of horses that will be idle for the winter may
be the best solution. However, horses with special problems requiring
therapeutic shoes should remain shod and protected with pads.
Taking care of a horse is a big responsibility. We hope that these ideas will
help you better fulfill that responsibility during the winter and spring
months. For a more complete discussion of horse care and concerns
throughout the year, including how to select and evaluate your farrier, see
our book – Horse Foot Care, A Horse Owners Guide to Humane Horse
Foot Care. Our desire is to raise the standard of farrier practice and make
life more pleasant for our equine friends and their care-takers.