4 Tips To Help Your Horses Thrive The Colder Months

Posted by Tipperary Blankets on November 26th, 2020

Winter is almost upon us! But before you start singing Christmas carols and hearing jingle bells, there is one imperative thing to do - get your horses ready for snowfall. Today, we are sharing a few tips for horse owners that they must keep in mind before the winter arrives.

Prepare horse shelter

No matter how tempted you are to close all doors and windows to keep the barm warm, resist your urges, as ventilation is crucial for horses. When you shut all sources of fresh wind, dust, ammonia, and mold thrive, which are not good for your horses’ respiratory system. Keep a few windows open, and get turnout blankets if they get chilly. Make sure your horses get adequate time out of their shelter every day to keep their physical and mental health at their best.

Give them adequate water

Horses resist drinking cold water, especially when the weather outside is extremely cold. Keep a salt lick handy to encourage your horses to drink more; otherwise, they will not get enough water. There are plenty of ways to keep the water for horses from freezing - like installation of the heater water bucket and using an immersion heater in the trough - all you have to do is ensure the water is at an appetizing temperature. Many times, horses eat a mouthful of snow but remember, it is not a substitute for drinking water.

Purchase winter turnout blankets

The need for a blanket depends on several factors - like the type of coat and a horse’s health condition. Hardier breeds like Draft and Ponies grow a thick coat, which keeps them warm, while thin-skinned horses like Arabians and Thoroughbreds need blankets to keep cold away. Any horse that is old, sick, or underweight would need a winter turnout blanket as the temperature drops. If you are not sure whether you should purchase winter turnout blankets or not, let your horses grow their natural winter coat first and feed them plenty of hay. If you catch them shivering or they start to lose weight, get turnout blankets, and increase their hay.

Make safety plans

Do you know 65% of barn fires occur during colder months? Before you plan to install a heater or other appliance in your barn, think twice about the decision. Or be sure to unplug each electric appliance before you leave your horses’ shelter. Make an emergency plan of what you will do in case of a fire - How will you evacuate all your animals? Are all paths leading to the barn clear for emergency vehicles? How will you prevent a barn fire? If possible, store hay in a separate building and deal with rodent problems as soon as possible.

Keep all these things in mind to make sure your horses thrive and stay in their best health, even during winter.

Author’s Bio – The author is an online blogger. This article is about helping horses to thrive the winter