Prepare Your Horse for the Winter Months

When the temperature falls and the winds grow colder, you want to be prepared with the proper gear, supplies, and accessories to keep your horse healthy and happy during the upcoming months. In this post, we'll take a look at what you can do to make sure you're ready well before the first frost.

Water and Food

• Food for health and warmth. Digestion generates warmth for your horse, which means your horse’s caloric needs can increase during the colder months. Use quality forage, combined with grain as recommended by an equine nutritionist, to sustain warmth and maintain caloric intake.
• Wintertime hydration. A consistent supply of (non-frozen) water, ideally above 45 degrees, will keep your horse hydrated and aid in digestion.
• Mouth health. Mouth discomfort can impact nutrition. It’s wise to have an equine veterinarian check your horse’s teeth and mouth to ensure it can eat comfortably and maintain the right caloric intake for weight maintenance throughout winter.

Comfort and Warmth

• Your horse’s natural coat. If possible, allow your horse’s coat to grow during the winter months. Its natural thickness traps a layer of warm air below the surface, providing your horse with the extra insulation needed to keep its body warm as the weather gets colder.
• Provide extra warmth. Perhaps you need to clip your horse’s coat to keep it cool while working in the winter or in preparation for a show. Or maybe you have an older horse. Providing a waterproof, breathable blanket or coat can lend your horse an extra layer to stay warm on extra-cold days.
• Shelter during winter. A strong wind can cut right through even the warmest natural coat. Ensure your horse has adequate shelter from wind and rain so it can enjoy pasture time and still be protected from the elements.
• Wintertime riding. When riding your horse during the winter months, be careful to warm them up properly and ensure any sweaty areas are fully dried since this can cause the horse to later become chilled. Likewise, maintain care of riding tack and the proper saddle so that it doesn’t become cracked and dry from the cold air, causing it to become less effective.

Tending to Health

• Controlling parasites. Consult with an equine veterinarian for wintertime parasite control. Once the first frost has occurred, you may want to give your horse something to kill bot larvae.
• Barn pest control. People and horses aren’t the only creatures that seek warm places in wintertime. Other pests are likely to find their way into the barn. Discourage them from forming nests by storing food, blankets, leather products, and similar materials in sealed containers.
• Vaccinations. Good health is pivotal to staying comfortable and warm from the first frost until the temperatures begin to rise again. Part of your effort to maintain your horse’s health should include any necessary vaccinations as autumn transitions to winter.
• Hoof care. Remember, hoof growth occurs throughout the year, so you'll want to maintain your hoof care regimen year-round, too.

And as always, if you're needing advice on your horse's nutritional regimen or supplies for pasture management, our knowledgeable associates are standing by ready to help. Call or stop by today and we'll be glad to take care of you!

NOTE: This post is adapted (with permission) from content proudly brought to you by our partners at Nutrena and Cargill Animal Nutrition. The original article appears here.