Horse Tales: Preparing your horse for winter

We are now seeing the end of autumn’s beautiful foliage, with the chill of winter winds reminding us of the cold weather to come. And we’re all getting ready to mark off that checklist of “to-dos” before winter sets in. Safety – Here in the Catskill Mountains of New York, we are at the end of the early big game bow hunting season, and big game rifle season started Nov. 15. We usually bring our horses down from their 15-acre “summer” pasture the day before the rifle season and keep them in the paddock/turnout by the barn close to home for the three-week season before returning them to the pasture. Some horse owners who are concerned for their horses’ safety utilize another solution – outfitting their horses with blaze orange (either a blanket or mane cover or at a bright halter). There are also mesh safety shields that are available that attach to the back of your saddle while riding. Warming up/cooling down – With the cold weather, many of us will cut down on our riding time, especially during deer hunting season, but with a horse that is used to daily or almost-daily riding, extended periods of inactivity can cause her to act differently when you do take her out. Long periods of standing in a barn can cause stiffness in the legs; you should plan a 10- to 15-minute period of walking and trotting slowly to warm up your horse’s muscles and circulation. Whether or not you see ice, take it easy when riding this time of year, as the ground is colder and can quickly freeze. A horse can easily slip and injure a muscle. At the end of your ride, make sure to walk your horse enough to cool him down well. A good rule of thumb is to feel your horse’s chest. It may be wet, but if it’s cool to the touch, he should be cooled down adequately. However, if the horse is wet and it’s very cold out, you may want to blanket him for an hour or so, until dry. Hoof care – Over the winter months, hoof care is extremely important. Horses that do not have their feet picked out daily, or are confined to a soiled stall or muddy paddock, are in danger of developing a thrush problem. Many horse owners will pull their horses’ shoes and leave them barefoot for winter – this can provide better traction, preventing snow from balling up and putting a strain on their tendons. If you do keep your horse shod, and especially if you plan to ride the roads or hard surfaces on a regular basis, or if your horse needs shoes for his hoof care, consider special shoes tipped with borium, with rubber “snow pads” underneath to prevent snow from balling up. Another alternative that is often done is to consider keeping only the front feet shod. Body condition: Take care to check your horse’s body condition before winter sets in, especially with older horses. Consult with your veterinarian if your horse is thin or has recently lost weight to see if you need to change or supplement the horse’s diet. Some horse keepers like to add in a warm wet mash or other supplemental foods over winter, but remember that any change in feed must be done slowly, over about 10 days, to ensure that the horse’s digestive system can adjust. Remember that it is the horse’s digestion of hay or roughage that will keep them warm during the cold winter months, not the amount of concentrated feed or grain they are given. Hay – Realizing that horses need to eat pretty much all of the time, especially in winter to keep warm, you’ll need to have plenty of hay. It’s a good idea to order and store more hay than you think you might need. As horses burn hay for energy and warmth in winter, hay should be fed free choice. Especially for horses that are not ridden regularly, not only does the hay provide heat through internal combustion, it gives your horse “something to do” – and chewing on hay is much better than cribbing the stall, fences or trees! Consider using hay bags or slow feeders to manage your hay supply. We’ve found that using hay bags has really cut down on the amount of hay that is wasted. In addition, slowing down the hay consumption via a slow feeder or hay bag with a smaller mesh will still fulfill your horse’s nutritional needs but will use slightly less hay, which is especially helpful for those “easy keepers” (horses that are a bit overweight). Water – An adult horse should consume eight - 12 gallons of fresh water each day, depending on the size of the horse, to facilitate the digestion of food and to keep the body properly hydrated. Providing your horse adequate unfrozen water is essential, especially in cold weather. Horses cannot fulfill their water needs by eating snow nor will they consume enough if they have to break through ice. Horses prefers a water temperature of between 45º and 65º. Under normal conditions, the average horse will consume one gallon of water per 100 lbs. of body weight per day, but as the water temperature decreases, horses will drink less. A 1,000-lb. horse, which should consume 10 gallons of water per day, may drink as little as one to three gallons of water when water temperature is as low as 32º – and less if she has to break ice in order to drink. When horses aren’t able to drink enough water, they are at an increased risk for impaction colic. In addition, they will cease to continue eating hay or roughage – which is what keeps them warm in winter. (During the cold weather, we’ve provided additional water intake for our elder horses by feeding them a “warm mash” made up of a combination of their feed, some timothy grass pellets and enough hot water to make a slurry. If you feed dry grass pellets or beet pulp you may need to wait until the water is absorbed and possibly add more.) To keep water unfrozen, you can use plug-in buckets with electric warmers hidden in a false bottom that automatically turn on when the water temperature dips below 40º to keep the water from freezing, as well as tank heaters are helpful in warming water in your horse’s watering trough. Deworming – It’s important to have your horse dewormed or know that he is relatively parasite-free going into winter. In order to determine if your horse needs deworming, you can bring a fecal sample (by collecting some fresh manure and storing it in a Ziploc bag) to your vet and have a fecal check done. This will provide helpful information on whether your horse needs deworming and which product is best for the type of worms or parasite he may have. By planning ahead and staying on top of your winter to-do list before the cold and snow sets in, you’ll rest assured that you’re providing your horse the best possible care. by Judy Van Put Featured photo: Use of hay bags will extend your hay and cut down on waste. When necessary, it slows hay consumption via a slow feeder or hay bag with a smaller mesh. Photo by Judy Van Put