Winter Horse Care

When you care for your horse, it is vital to make preparations for the colder months. Horses need to be able to tolerate the chilly weather and remain as healthy as possible. All through the winter horses will have special requirements which you as the owner will have to address. It is important to organize for winter in advance.

Horses are generally tolerant to chilly weather. In fact, horses handle frosty weather a good deal better than warm weather. In the face of this, there are some essential things owners will want to do to ensure their horses stay healthy. You should make sure the horse doesn't have any lice, and has been fully vaccinated. The expenses for doing these things will significantly pay off throughout the winter months, as the outlay of feeding the horse will be much reduced.

You may also wish to consult your vet in setting up a health plan to care for your horses. Preparing your horse for cold weather will help it lower the requirement to eat larger amounts of food in order to maintain its weight. Your horse should never lose weight during the winter. Permitting your horse to put on a slight amount of weight will help them in the colder months, as the superfluous fat will work as a guard to provide the horse with energy if it becomes stressed. During the winter you should give your horse some additional calories.

Probably the most effective protection for a horse in the winter is its natural winter coat. When it grows long, it will act as a natural heat blanket which will lower the heat loss that the horse will experience in chilly environments. A 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 enough before winter.

To monitor the state of your horse, you will want to rub its ribs. A longer coat may indeed hide the fact that your horse has lost weight You should be able to feel your horses ribs, but not be able to see them. You should also feel your horses ears. Are they cold? If so, this is a sign that the 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 crucial that they conserve heat through the winter, so you should make sure they're ready for the cold.

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