Winter Equine Care Tips

Horses need extra attention during the cold and wet winter months. By following these helpful tips you can help keep your horse healthy all winter – and all year round. Contact your veterinarian for additional winter horse care tips.

Shelter

Horses need protection from the winter snow, wind, and rain. Provide shelter in the form of a barn or run shed. Shelter floors should be raised so that horses have a dry spot to stand. A wind or waterproof blanket is a good idea for horses who live outside full-time. Blankets need to be removed every few days and cleaned to limit fungus growth; it's a good idea to have two blankets so you can rotate them.

Water

Fresh water is a necessity. Horses can colic without continuous access to fresh water. If you use an unheated water source or an automatic waterer, check for and break any ice at least twice per day. You may wish to use a heated pasture water tank to provide warm water and ensure that your horse gets enough liquids. This is especially important for older horses.

Feed

Horses need extra feed in the winter in order to help them maintain body temperature in the cold. In addition to a plentiful supply of hay, a supplemental feed such as cooked white oats or soaked alfalfa pellets should be provided. Be aware that oats fed in high quantities can cause founder. Consult your veterinarian about the best choice for your horse, especially if your horse is older.

Deworming

After a week or two of consistently cold weather, horses should be dewormed with a product that controls bots and other internal parasites.

Hooves

Wet pastures can lead to problems for horses' hooves. Thrush is a common disease caused by bacteria and can affect horses that stand continuously on soggy ground. With long exposure to wet ground, hooves can even deteriorate, which can lead to lameness. Prevention is best; clean mud from your horse's hooves daily and consider applying a thrush medication once or twice per day. A few hours on "dry land" each day or a night in a dry stall can help prevent foot–and other–problems.

Skin

Keep your horse's skin healthy by vigorously currying its body daily. Keep your horses, the stalls and all related equipment clean and dry to help avoid seasonal skin disorders, which can include rainrot, scratches or greasy heel, and ringworm.