WHAT TO DO WITH HORSES IN WINTER

By: Néstor Imberti Posted: August, 23 of 2024

A practical guide to keep them healthy and fit

During the winter season, paying attention to a few things is important to ensure that your horse is healthy and properly cared for.

Important factors for proper horse care:

• Grooming
• Nutrition
• Checking body condition
• Following the training program

Taking care of the horse’s coat in winter

Horses grow thicker coats to protect themselves in cold weather, making grooming more challenging.
Follow the practical tips below to make grooming easier and more time-efficient.

Your friend, the curry comb

The curry comb is essential for winter grooming and year-round care. A regular bristle brush alone cannot effectively remove mud and dirt from the thick coat of hair.
Start by using the curry comb in circular motions all over the horse's body, including the legs, to loosen accumulated dirt and knots from the long hair.
Once this is done, use the regular bristle brush to remove the loosened dirt.

_{Use a curry comb to loosen dirt and clumps, then remove them with a regular bristle brush.} 

Remove saddle stains

Even in winter, when your horse gets to work or train, the sweat under the saddle leaves stains on the back. So when the horse has been working, you should shower it afterward.
If the weather is too cold to get wet, you can turn to this handy resource:
In a bottle, preferably with a sprayer, you should put isopropyl alcohol, i.e. the ethyl alcohol you can get in the pharmacy, and spray the dry sweat stains with it.
Rub and clean the area after moistening the stains with this preparation. When it dries, the stains should be gone. Optionally, mix propyl with rosehip oil to make the mixture shinier.

Keep the coat clean

In the animal world, everything happens for a practical reason, and the horse is no exception. The horse's coat becomes fluffy in winter as a natural adaptation to withstand low temperatures.
This fluffy winter coat helps regulate the horse's temperature in extreme cold and retains the heat generated by digestion.
While you should not remove this protective layer, you can trim the hair around the fetlock area to prevent tangling and clumping.

_{This horse has mud in its coat around the ankles. Keep the coat clean and trimmed to prevent infection and matting.}

The cleaner and brighter, the better

To prevent dirt and mud from accumulating on your horse's hair, it's a good idea to regularly spray with a grooming product that contains silicone.
This makes the hair slippery and the dirt does not stick to the hair.

_{Spray your horse's tail and body to remove the dirt from its hair.(Getty Images)}

However, be cautious and avoid spraying the area where you place the saddle to prevent slipping.

The Pocket Trick

The hair on the horse's tail tends to get very dirty, especially in winter.
If you can't shampoo or care for it for an extended period, it's recommended to braid the tail and leave it in a protective tail pocket.
Additionally, you can apply a little conditioning spray, which will help prevent dirt accumulation and prevent the hair from getting tangled when you remove the braid.

The right nutrition

In the winter, your horse's care routine will generally remain the same in terms of medication, hoof care, and routine veterinary checkups.
However, there are specific feeding and other winter-related recommendations to keep your horse healthy and reduce the risk of colic.
To begin with, it's essential to ensure that your horse has enough water, feed, and, if necessary, supplementary feed, along with regular exercise.
You will also learn how to use the Henneke scale, which helps monitor your horse's condition to take immediate action in case of weight loss. But first, let's cover the basics. 

Water intake

Your horse must have access to plenty of clean water.
Why?
Insufficient water intake can lead to difficulties in food digestion and increase the likelihood of colic, which is caused by intestinal obstruction and can be fatal if not treated properly.
how much water should your horse drink?
In winter, forage and grains have lower moisture content (10 to 15%) compared to fresh summer food that can contain up to 80% moisture.
During the cold season, it's essential for horses to have access to 52 to 55 liters of water per day.
In winter, it's common for drinking fountains to freeze, so to prevent this, you can use a water heater or hot water. It's recommended to use rubber buckets instead of plastic ones to avoid breakage when removing frozen water.
Maintaining the water temperature between 7 and 15 degrees Celsius is crucial as extreme temperatures can affect the horse's drinking habits.
It's also important to ensure that the horse drinks a sufficient amount of water.
If necessary, you can moisten their food with warm water, hay cubes, and cereals to make a porridge

Symptoms of dehydration in horses include:

• Dry gums and teeth
• Slow digestion
• Dry, hard feces

You can perform a simple gum test to check for dehydration: press the horse's gums until they turn white, then release and monitor how long it takes for them to return to pink.
If it takes longer than 2 seconds, it's a sign of dehydration. 

Let's talk about food

Horses have evolved to withstand the cold without any protection other than their coat, as they are warmed in the hindgut by digesting the hay or grass they eat.
Therefore, the best way to keep your horse warm in winter is to provide it with good feed. This also helps protect the horse from colic and ulcers that can result from improper feeding of cereals.
It's important to ensure your horse's teeth are healthy before winter so that it can make the most of the feed.

Dietary supplements - yes or no?

You may have come across commercial brochures or ads promoting supplements for your horse's diet.
Horses can lose weight quickly if not fed properly, especially in winter, and supplements can be useful if handled correctly.
If you're unsure about the nutritional quality of your horse's feed, get it analyzed first to ensure it meets all their needs. 
Good hay should provide the right proteins and fibers, generating the heat your horse needs in winter. But if the analysis reveals nutrient deficiencies, your vet can recommend the necessary supplements.
If expecting intense cold, consider adding necessary additives to the food ration.
Remember to use a container or net with small openings for feeding, encouraging your horse to eat smaller portions throughout the day.
This mimics natural feeding behavior.
In very cold weather, a poorly fed horse will start burning body fat, then proteins from muscle mass if the ration is still insufficient.
If your horse continues to lose weight despite a sufficient ration, increase the ration using high-protein hay for heat generation during digestion.
Note that grains provide little heat, and fat provides calories but not heat.
Ensure your horses have salt blocks available in the stable and paddocks year-round, as it's essential for them. If the horse continues to lose weight, despite your efforts, consult the vet.
Pay attention to the horse's weight loss, especially in winter, and know the indicators that determine its body condition.

How to determine your horse's body condition

To assess your horse's body condition, you can use the Henneke scoring system developed in 1979, which is applicable to all horse breeds.
This system assigns a score based on the horse's condition in various areas, including:

• Neck
• Whithers
• Shoulders
• Ribs
• Spine
• Tail

By evaluating these specific areas, you can place your horse on the Henneke scale.

Number	Title	Description
1	Cachectic	Visible ribs, pronounced hip and ischial bones, prominent bone structures, withers, shoulder, and neck too noticeable, palpable fat-free tissue.
2	Very thin	Rounded base of the transverse and lumbar vertebrae and processes, protruding ribs, tail, hip, and ischial bones, distinguishable withers and shoulders.
3	Thin	Fat cover between vertebrae protrusions, non-palpable transverse processes, fat-covered ribs, non-distinguished ischial bones, accentuated back, shoulders, and neck.
4	Moderately thin	Faintly distinguishable ribs, protruding tail, indistinguishable hip hump, withers, shoulders, and neck not meatless.
5	Moderate	Flattened back, palpable but indistinguishable ribs, mainly visible fat around the tail, rounded withers, evenly fused shoulder and neck.
6	Moderately fat	Fat over the ribs, soft fat around the tail, fat deposits mainly on the sides of withers, behind the shoulders, and along the neck.
7	Fat	Possible wrinkles in the back, palpable ribs with fat between them, fat around the base of the tail, deposits on withers, shoulders, and neck.
8	Obese	Wrinkles under the back, ribs difficult to palpate, very soft fat around the base of the tail, withers area full of fat, noticeable thickening of the neck, fat deposits along the inside of the thigh.
9	Very obese	Wrinkles under the back, visible fat spots on the ribs, protrusions around the base of the tail, withers, behind the back, and along the neck, fat along the inner thighs, and full flanks.

_{Table 1. Body condition scale by Henneke et al. (1983).}

In general, grades of 5 and 6 are ideal for your horse unless there is a specific need or veterinary requirement.
Maintain your horse at a body condition where you can feel the space between the ribs but not see it.

The Question of Exercise

It is essential to let your horse work in winter.
This helps reduce the risk of cramps.
If your horse is in an open pasture and can move freely, that's ideal. Just ensure it has a shelter.
However, if your horse lives in a stable, exercise is very important. You can take your horse for rides or walks. If the ground freezes and there is snow, you can use boots for the horse's hooves to improve grip.

Summary

A well-nourished, well-exercised horse will survive the cold season without major issues.
Pay special attention to chills.
Healthy, well-fed horses do not need blankets in winter, as they interfere with the natural development of their coat.
However, if your horse is shivering due to the cold, that shouldn't happen.
In such cases, take it to a stable, cover it with a blanket, and call a veterinarian.
For very old or sick horses with digestive difficulties, using a blanket is recommended.
If you use a blanket, groom the horse and brush the blanket every morning before putting it back on.
It's best to increase the feed so that the horse warms up on its own without the need for a blanket.
Follow these tips to ensure your horse goes through winter without inconvenience and remains healthy and in good shape when warmer temperatures return.

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