Winter tends to bring with it changes in your horse’s routine. Understanding how our horses’ needs change during the winter months is important to helping us care for them appropriately. This guide provides a brief overview of how to care for horses in winter.
The first point to note when thinking about your horse’s winter routine is that any changes must be made gradually. Horses prefer a routine, and sudden change can cause stress, which may trigger colic or other conditions. Adjusting your horse’s routine, diet and other aspects of their care gradually also allows you to find the balance that works best for them.
It is also important to remember that horses are all individuals, and what is best for your friend’s horse may not work for yours. Furthermore, what worked for your horse last winter may not be right this winter as your horse ages, moves yards or has a different job or workload. Discuss any issues with your vet, who will be able to make recommendations based on your horse’s individual requirements.
Some horses have a reduced workload in winter. Whilst it can be good for horses’ bodies and minds to have some downtime, there are a few things to remember.
Horses that are out of work – either permanently or temporarily – still require care and attention. Even if you don’t plan to ride your horse, you should still check on them twice a day. This will allow you to remove and change their rug, groom them, and pick their feet out. Furthermore, this allows you to check for any injuries, heat or swelling, and signs of illness.
You should also continue to monitor your horse’s weight and body condition throughout the winter. This can be done using a weighbridge, weight tape and by assessing body condition score. Your vet may offer an annual equine health MOT or winter health check service.
Whilst we often think of dehydration as a summer issue due to the heat, it can also occur in the winter. If your horse’s water trough freezes over, this will prevent access to water. Placing a tennis ball in the water can help prevent this from occurring. Automatic water drinkers should also be checked daily, as frozen pipes can also be an issue. It may help to provide an alternative water source (e.g. a bucket) just in case the pipes freeze or leak.
Reduced grass consumption is another factor that can contribute to impaction colic, as hay has a lower water content than grass. This is more likely to be an issue in winter as horses may have reduced turnout and there may be less grass available.
Dehydration is a contributing factor to impaction colic.
Wet, muddy conditions can increase the risk of mud fever, rain scald and other skin infections. The prolonged exposure to these conditions can irritate and weaken the skin, resulting in infection.
Therefore, it is important to check your horse regularly for signs of irritation or infection and treat the problem early. If your horse wears a rug and / or turnout boots, these should be removed daily so you can groom the horse and check for early signs of a problem. Rugs and boots will also need to be changed regularly, especially if they become wet and / or dirty.
Keeping your horse clean and dry will help to prevent skin infections. If possible, allow any mud to dry before brushing it off, instead of bathing the horse. If you do decide to give your horse a bath or wash their legs, ensure the skin is completely dry before turning your horse back out.
You may decide to clip your horse in winter. Clipping may be done to prevent a horse from overheating during exercise, or to help manage weight. If your horse is clipped, you may need to rug them when they are stabled and / or turned out to compensate for removing their winter coat. However, care must be taken to avoid over-rugging your horse. It is also important to remove the rug daily, replacing it with a clean, dry one if necessary. Rugged horses will also require regular grooming as their skin and coats will not be able to benefit from rolling and mutual grooming.
You can refer to our guide on rugging for more information on when and how to rug your horse, as well as things to consider if you choose to rug your horse.
For more information on clipping, see our guide to clipping.
Winter may bring with it a change to your horse’s dietary requirements. Your horse’s nutritional requirements will depend on a range of factors including age, breed / type, workload, weight, and condition.
Providing good quality, ad hoc forage will help your horse stay warm. As the digestive system breaks down fibre, heat is produced. Forage can also help to reduce the risk of colic and gastric ulcers (stomach ulcers).
For many horses, their winter diet includes an increase in good quality hay to help them keep warm. A horse’s gut produces heat as it digests food, so providing access to good quality forage will help your horse stay warm without them taking in excessive calories or sugar.
Many horses will be fine with forage alone, but some horses may also require a balancer or a vitamin and mineral supplement. This helps to ensure the horse is getting enough of the right types of vitamins and minerals. Some horses may also benefit from a mash or other additional feed during the winter. For example, elderly horses that find it more difficult to chew or those horses that tend to lose a bit too much condition.
However, care should always be taken to ensure your horse is not overfed and is getting the right amounts of the right type of feed for them. Overfeeding or giving your horse the wrong type of food may contribute to health problems or trigger pre-existing ones.
Remember that dietary changes should be made gradually. Your vet will be able to advise you on the best diet for your horse.
Avonvale Equine Vet Practice is an independent equine vet practice based in Ratley, Oxfordshire. Our experienced and dedicated equine vets work closely with clients to help them manage their horses’ health and wellbeing. We are always happy to offer advice and guidance on equine health and care, including diet and management. Register your horse, pony, donkey or mule with us today.
