HORSE KEEPING
IS MY HORSE COLD? Shelter, blanketing and other common concerns of the season. Here are some suggestions for keeping your horses comfortable in winter. B Y J E N N W E B ST E R
Given the opportunity to adjust to changes in climate gradually, horses can usually adapt to winter conditions fairly well. That being said, the circumstances of every horse owner vary and every horse is different when it comes to how well they can endure the winter months. For instance, some breeds are hardier and do well outside year-round, while others have thinner skin and require stabling in colder weather. What makes winter difficult for everyone is when conditions change drastically and severe weather occurs, or extreme temperature changes happen overnight. In Alberta, these fluctuations are commonplace. As migrating south isn’t an option for many horse owners this year, it might be prudent to evaluate your winter plan for horse care. Winter in Canada presents challenges we don’t experience at any other time of year. Keeping water sources from freezing up or preventing deep, crusty snow from scraping our horse’s legs might become part of the daily, seasonal routine. Maintenance of body temperature is critical to a horse’s well-being, leading many owners to worry whether their equines are comfortable and healthy. 20
ALBERTA BITS I FALL/WINTER 2020
While it is true that horses can become cold in the winter, there are many ways to keep them happy and in good physical shape during the most challenging season of the year. With proper shelter, nutrition and care, your horse will be able to handle dramatic drops in the mercury. Here are a few pieces of advice for best practices against Old Man Winter – and for keeping your worries at bay.
THE BASICS
If you’ve ever walked out to your horse in cold weather and found it shivering, it can be worrisome. But, if the horse is in good health, it’s not usually a cause for concern. Shivering is a natural response to cold. The horse is warming itself and trying to get some heat going in its body. If the horse has a body condition score of at least five or six (moderately fleshy) going into the winter, then it should have a decent layer of fat to protect against the elements. Obese horses are not the goal, but a nice layer of fat over the ribs works as insulation against the cold. A good diet throughout the winter is essential to provide energy for the animal’s body systems to work in the winter. Some
horses may require more hay, or even unlimited access to roughage during this time. Horses need at least one per cent of their body weight per day in roughage to maintain a healthy digestive system and this need might increase during colder temperatures. Of course, free-choice water should always be available – snow is not a sufficient source to meet the animal’s needs in winter. It is also advised to keep an eye on how much water the horse is consuming. When the weather turns cold, sometimes horses may drink less because they don’t like the water temperature, or the automatic waterer is frozen over, or they are reluctant to move around very much. Either way, decreased water intake increases a horse’s chances of impaction colic. Therefore, it’s always good to monitor the water source and have an idea of how much the horse is consuming.
GIMME SHELTER
Adequate shelter is an absolute necessity for horses in the winter. Horses living outside during the winter need access to a place that shelters them from wind and moisture. If a horse has been
