During the next three months, winter weather prevails in many areas, making life more difficult for humans and animals. The thoughtful horse owner will make nutrition, hydration and shelter priorities as winter weather sets in bringing snow, cold winds, frozen water troughs and in some cases, general discomfort for horses and humans.
Snow white horse trotting across snowy terrain
As cold, windy weather arrives, horse owners' priorities focus on maintaining horse health with adequate nutrition, hydration and shelter for their horses.
© 2018 by American Farriers New window.
As temperatures decrease during winter, horses need additional dietary energy to maintain body temperature and condition. For every degree below 18° F horses require an additional one percent energy in their diet.
The best source of additional dietary energy during the cold winter months is forage. Some believe that feeding more grain will keep a horse warmer. But digestion, absorption, and utilization of grain doesn’t produce as much heat as the microbial fermentation of forage. More forage increases microbial fermentation and keeps the horse warm.
If a 1000-pound idle horse needs 16 pounds of good-quality hay daily when the temperature is 18° F, its requirement may increase by approximately 2 to 2.5 pounds to 18 to 18.5 pounds if the temperature drops to 0° F. The increased dietary energy requirement would be even greater if the horse doesn’t have access to shelter. Six priorities to practice during colder winter weather include:
- Feed additional hay during extreme cold.
- Provide warm water (45° to 65° F).
- Make sure there is access to shelter.
- Perform regular hoof care.
- Assess your horse’s body condition regularly.
- Evaluate your facility’s stability and ventilation.
A second priority is maintaining adequate hydration for your horses. Always provide clean, fresh water regardless of temperature and keep your horse’s water between 45° to 65° F whenever possible. Although horses often eat snow, snow is not an adequate water source for horses.
Research has shown that ponies increased their water intake by approximately 40 percent each day when water temperatures were above freezing during cold weather. Also, increase your horse’s salt intake. Adult horses should consume one to two ounces of salt daily.
If your horse doesn’t drink enough water during cold weather they may eat less and be more prone to impaction colic. Even if you offer quality feed, horses will consume less if not drinking enough water. If horses eat less feed, they might not have enough energy to tolerate the cold.
Adequate water intake maintains a horse’s fecal moisture level. If fecal material becomes too dry, intestinal blockage or impaction may occur. A horse won’t develop an impaction in one day, but can over several days to several weeks of poor water intake.
A third priority is making sure horses have access to shelter and protection from wind, sleet and storms. Free access to a stable or an open-sided shed works well, as do trees if a building is not available. In the absence of wind and moisture, horses tolerate temperatures at or slightly below 0° F.
If horses have access to a shelter, they can tolerate temperatures as low as -40° F. But horses are most comfortable at temperatures between 18° and 59° F, depending on their hair coat.
in addition to shelter, many horse owners blanket their horses during cold weather. Research analyzed the benefits of blanketing a horse to reduce the effects of cold weather. Most horse owners blanket their horse because of personal beliefs.
Blanketing a horse is necessary to reduce the effects of cold or inclement weather when:
- No shelter is available during turnout periods and the temperatures or wind chill drop below 5° F.
- There is a chance the horse will become wet (e.g. rain, ice, and/or freezing rain -- usually not a problem with snow).
- The horse has had its winter coat clipped.
- The horse is very young or very old.
- The horse isn’t acclimated to the cold.
- The horse has a body condition score of three or less.