With the harsh winter rolling in our equestrian world begins to change. With limited naturally occurring forage, the damage that wet weather can bring to our turnouts, and limited opportunity to exercise and enjoy our horses we all must adapt. But this doesn’t mean we should stay hidden away inside!
Horses when given appropriate hay, shelter, and blanketing regime can often enjoy the winter months living out in the pastures. Here are a few easy tips to make your horse’s winter comfortable when living out, along with tricks to maintain your pastures’ integrity once the snow and mud subsides.
Hay
When placing hay in a field be sure to consider the number of horses in the herd. When possible having more hay locations than horses will avoid unwanted pasture quarrels, and will ensure even those lower in the herd ranking will get the ability to munch in peace.
Weight Tapes
Keeping track of your horse’s weight through a weight tape can be a handy trick to keeping them fit and healthy. Although losing weight is always concerning and should be addressed accordingly – it is in fact gaining weight due to lack of activity that can be less noticeable and potentially cause more health and fitness concerns down the line.
Fields
Not only can field rotation save your natural occurring forage from being turned up by heavy horse hooves and wet weather it can help prevent your horse from injury, being affected by mud fever, and thrush.
Shelter
If your horse is going to weather the winter outside it is important to ensure they have adequate shelter from the elements. Run in sheds are a great option for this, and can often be purchased on skids to enable them to be moved with heavy farm equipment in the future.
Water
Horses need access to fresh running water all year round. If you are utilizing a natural water source such as a pond or stream keep in mind that it may not be viable to rely on it during the colder months. Consider using large tanks as they are less likely to freeze, and can often be fitted with a water heater. If you do not have access to electricity in the field be sure to check their water source daily and remove any ice before topping it up.
Exercise
It is important to maintain an exercise regime throughout winter. Depending on your facility and climate you may have to step down from the saddle and consider groundwork activities. These can be just as fun, and will keep your horse’s mind and body active through to spring.