Keep Your Horse Happy During The Cold Snap

 Some horses may stiffen up; more time spent in stables, less time moving in the field due to ground conditions and the cold weather itself can impact their joints. Consider turning out in an arena, walking them in hand or under saddle, allowing extra time for warming up/cooling down, using therapy boots/rugs or adding a joint supplement.

Make sure they are hydrated; cold water is less appealing for horses to drink, and with the possibility of frozen over water buckets and troughs, dehydration is a real risk! Consider adding warm water to their buckets, and making their feeds extra damp to ensure they are taking in enough fluids. Impaction colic is a risk during colder weather, but ensuring sufficient fluid intake will help prevent this.

Look out for laminitis; frost can cause sugars to accumulate in the grass which can be a risk to horses and ponies who are prone to laminitis. To help reduce their exposure to these sugars, avoid turning your horses out on sunny, frosty mornings, and keep them off the grass until the frost has thawed.

Keep them entertained; the cold and frosty conditions may mean you decide turnout isn’t an option, and therefore your horse is required to spend more time in their stable. Boredom breakers, stable toys, and slow feeders can prevent your horse becoming anxious or restless in the stable and help them to remain mentally stimulated.

Rug as appropriate; while some horses can really feel the cold and may appreciate an extra layer during this colder weather, some horses may not require rugging at all. Horses are much better suited to controlling their own temperature than humans, so just because you’re now wearing your big coat and a woolly hat, your horse might not need that extra rug just yet! But if they do need a new rug, find them here!