As summer comes to a close, horse owners should be making management plans for the cooler seasons ahead. For the majority of horses, cold weather does not mean coming in from the cold, but being assisted to withstand the cold as comfortably and healthy as possible. From the owner’s standpoint, winter management gets very basic: routine health care, feed, water and shelter. Yet there are an amazing number of horses each winter that are abused as a result of one or more of these basic management principles being neglected.
A healthy horse in the fall will factor into a healthy horse going into the winter. If your horse is free of parasites, in good flesh and properly immunized going into the winter, the greater the chance of your horse being an “easy keeper” during the winter. Emotions and welfare obligations aside, economics dictates that the cost of anthelmintics, veterinarian checkups and immunizations will more than pay for themselves in reduced feed costs through the stressful winter months. Work with your vet to set up a health program for each of your horses and stick with it.
Winter conditions will increase the horse's energy requirements.
Know in advance what you are going to feed during the winter months. Waiting until after the first frost kills your summer pasture to decide on a winter feeding program is detrimental to your horse. Chances are the grass that he was feeding on was devoid in nutrient value and he was losing body condition anyway. With three weeks to acclimate your horse to new feed sources, plus a declining body condition, you have lost valuable time to prepare the horse for more extreme weather.
The first step in planning a winter menu for your horse is knowing the nutrient value of your hay. Your local county extension office can assist you in getting your hay tested. The test will take several weeks, so plan ahead. While you are waiting on your hay sample, find out the nutritional requirements of your horse. There are nutritional tables that determine equine nutritional requirements. These may be found in reference books, or in some cases, your feed store may have a copy. The nutritional requirements are based on age, size, reproductive stage for mares and amount of work performed.
When your hay sample results are returned, compare the nutrient value of your hay to the nutrient requirements of your horses. In some cases, such as that of a mature horse with low workload, a good quality hay may provide all the necessary nutrients. However, in most cases, a combination of hay and grain will be required to meet the nutritional needs of the horse. Savings may be realized without affecting the horse if you can utilize more of the cheaper hay and less of the more expensive grain. Make sure that vitamin and mineral requirements are met as well.
Cold and wet weather can cause problems with hooves, colic, stable vices such as cribbing and increase the horse’s nutritional needs. As the weather gets cold, horses expend more energy staying warm. Horsemen should normally increase the feed by 1 or 2 pounds during cold weather to provide adequate energy to assist the horse in maintaining his body temperature. It is also critical to provide adequate roughage for the horse to avoid cribbing and other stable vices associated with a lack of roughage. This time of year grass is 80 to 90 percent water; therefore, grazing horses consume mostly water. Their desire to chew on something is not satisfied, and cribbing often begins during times of wet weather. Horsemen should provide hay free-choice to satisfy these needs and avoid potential cribbing problems.
Provide horses with access to clean, unfrozen water sources.
Impaction colic also becomes more prevalent during cold weather. This normally occurs because the horse does not consume an adequate amount of water during cold weather and does not have an adequate amount of water in his digestive tract for digestion. Ideally, water should be warmed so that the horse will consume adequate amounts. Water should be available at all times.
Hoof care may also become critical during winter months. Many times, horse’s feet become so wet that the outer covering of the foot deteriorates, which causes cracking and splitting. Mud and sand can work their way into the cracks, causing the hoof to spread even further. Every effort should be made to keep the hoof wall intact. This can be done by keeping the hoof as dry as possible and applying hoof dressing regularly. Hoof dressing is basically an oil or grease that keeps water from soaking into the foot. During wet weather, this is a very difficult task; however, it is important to maintain the hoof quality and integrity.
During the winter months, many horses are kept in closed barns and develop respiratory problems. When the barn is closed up because of rain or cold weather, ammonia, dust and stale air are trapped inside. Research indicates that most of the ammonia and dust are below the level of 2 to 3 feet. This makes air quality a big problem for young horses. Therefore, it is important to have good ventilation and air flow through the barn to maintain good air quality and minimize respiratory problems.
Proper ventilation is important in horse barns.
Several management practices can assist in improving the air quality in a barn. First, the barn should be designed so that the prevailing wind can move through it. Even though it may be cold outside, it is better to open the barn doors and let good air flow through to improve air quality and decrease the probability of respiratory problems. Second, the barn should be designed to allow good air to flow through vents on the sides and in the roof to maintain air flow when barn doors are closed. Third, cleaning stalls daily and removing manure and wet bedding greatly improves the quality of the air. A fourth suggestion is to design the bottom of the stall to allow good air flow at ground level. Slatted boards at the bottom of the stall up to 4 to 5 feet are recommended to allow air flow at ground level. Wire panels or metal bars are normally recommended for the upper half of the stall.
Horse care during the winter months is important in having a sound and healthy horse later in the year.
Written by Steven M. Jones, Extension Horse Specialist
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