Winter is around the corner, and with this, your attention is probably drawn to your horse’s health in the season. You are planning on how to best keep your horse warm and stabled throughout winter. But, do you know there are certain mistakes that you do, which you should not be doing, to ensure your horse’s good health in winters?
Sometimes, it is because of lack of knowledge, and other times, out of concern and love. Either way, winter doesn’t mean shutting your horses off in stables or letting them freeze to death in the cold.
Here are some of the tips to help you understand how to take care of your house this winter, avoiding the dont's and following the do's.
1. Do Increase Feed Rations in Winter
In the Winter, your horse needs extra energy to keep itself warm. For this, it keeps burning calories more than usual. Therefore, increasing feed rations will provide them sufficient energy to stay healthy, allowing the horse to burn extra calories for heat. An increase in hay feeding gives good results but do get your veterinarian’s consent before increasing the feed.
2. Do Keep a Check on Their Water Supply
In winters more so than ever, the horses need warm water for drinking. Make sure to provide them with warm and unfrozen water for drinking. Cold frozen water is no good to them. The horse won’t be properly hydrated and it could cause impaction colic in them. Therefore, it’s very important that you keep a constant check on their water supply.
If you live in extremely colder regions and cannot find warm water, consider getting a heating device particularly made for the horse’s water heating purposes.
3. Do Ensure Proper Ventilation in Stable
In winters, you often feel that the outside cold air could be harmful to your horse. And, you might not create a path for the outside air to get into the stables. This is where you are mistaken. Stop right there! Just as fresh air is good for you, it’s good for your horse’s health too in the same way. Make sure the stable has proper ventilation so that horses can breathe in fresh air, too. Lack of fresh air can cause many health problems in them.
4. Do Not Stop Taking Care of Hoof
Hoof care, trimming and regular care is essential for your horse’s health in all seasons. Do not just leave it on its own in winters. Take care of your horse’s hoof in winters as well, irrespective of whether you intend to ride it or not.
5. Do Not Stop Riding In Winters
Just as you need to keep yourself warm up by exercising throughout the year, in the same fashion, your horse will also be comfortable if you ride it daily. As lack of movement causes frozen shoulders in humans, similarly lack of exercise and movement can cause serious health problems in horses, too.
So, in winters, take them out on pasture and let them stretch themselves.
6. Do Not Over Warm Them
Realizing the snow has started, do not go and put another blanket on your horse. This is where you are absolutely wrong! The horse’s skin is such that they can naturally stay warm with their skin cover. One blanket will do even in severe weather conditions. But, over warming will cause dehydration in them. This can lead to other diseases.
So, keep up with the above tips and your horse will be all set in winters!
