Do horses get cold in winter?

Healthy, well-fed horses tolerate cold temperatures well down to -10 °C if they are acclimatized and have shelter available.

Detailed explanation

A horse's biology equips it to tolerate cold quite well. Unclipped and acclimatized horses can handle low temperatures as long as they have: access to sufficient forage (intestinal fermentation of hay generates internal heat), shelter from wind and rain, unfrozen water, and good nutritional status. Clipped, old, or sick horses do need a blanket. Over-protection with excessive blankets in healthy horses is counterproductive and weakens their natural thermoregulation.


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