Winter Season Horse Care
11 Mar 2010
When you care for your horse, it is important to make preparations for the colder months. Horses should be able to tolerate the chilly weather and stay as healthy as possible. In the winter horses will have special needs which you as the owner will have to take in hand. It is vital to prepare for winter in advance.
Horses are generally tolerant to cool weather. In fact, horses come to grips with icy conditions a good deal better than scorching weather. In the face of this, there are some basic things horse owners will want to do to make sure their horses stay healthy. Be sure the horse doesn't have any parasites, and has been vaccinated up to date. The costs for doing these things will greatly pay off during the winter, as the costs of feeding the horse will be lower.
You may also wish to consult your vet in setting up a health plan for your horse. Helping your horse prepare for winter will help it lower the requirement to eat copious amounts of food in order to sustain its weight. Your horse should never lose weight during the winter. Allowing your horse to put on a slight amount of weight will aid them in the colder months, as the additional fat will work as a cushion to supply the horse with energy if it becomes stressed. For the duration of the winter you will want to provide your horse with some extra calories.
Probably the most effective protection for a horse in the winter is its actual winter coat. When it grows long, it will act as a warm jumper which will reduce the heat loss that the horse experiences in chilly scenarios. Your horse's coat is also smooth and will brush off the frost and ice. If you keep your horses outside, you must make sure their coats grow long before winter.
To check the condition of your horse, you will want to feel its ribs. Having a longer than usual coat may hide a slight loss in weight Your horse should weigh enough that you are not able to see the ribs but can feel them when touching the horse. Your also want to feel the ears of the horse. Are they cold? If so it's a good indication that your horse is cold.
As is the case with every warm blooded animal, horses have to regulate their body temperatures in order to remain healthy. It is vital that they preserve heat throughout the winter, so you must make sure they're ready for the cold.
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