Winter horse care

Winter requires attention to cold, humidity, and reduced activity. Although a horse tolerates low temperatures well if healthy and well-fed, there are key aspects that make the difference between a comfortable winter and avoidable problems.

Cold and blanketing

A healthy, unclipped, and acclimated horse tolerates the cold well with shelter and sufficient forage. Blanketing is necessary for clipped, elderly, sick, or thin horses. Overprotecting healthy horses with blankets is counterproductive.

Unfrozen water

Ensuring liquid water is one of the great challenges of winter: a horse drinks less when the water is very cold, which increases the risk of impaction colic. It is advisable to monitor water troughs for freezing and offer lukewarm water whenever possible.

Forage as heating

The fermentation of forage in the gut generates heat. In winter, ensuring abundant hay not only provides nutrition but also helps the horse maintain its body temperature. It is the best natural heating.

Work and footing

Sessions should be adapted to daylight hours and the condition of the ground. Frozen or very muddy ground is slippery and dangerous. Warm-ups should be longer when it is cold to prepare muscles and tendons.

Frequently asked questions

Do horses get cold in winter?

Healthy and well-fed ones tolerate the cold well with shelter and forage. Clipped, elderly, or sick ones do need a blanket.

Why does lukewarm water matter?

With very cold water, the horse drinks less, which increases the risk of impaction colic. Lukewarm water encourages them to drink.

Does hay help against the cold?

Yes: its intestinal fermentation generates internal heat. Abundant forage is the horse's best natural heating.