Winter Equine Care

1. Shelter is indeed important during cold days, but if you have horses whose breed doesn't naturally adapt easily to cold weather, then you need to take special care to keep them warm. If it is raining, sleeting, or snowing with high winds, it would be best to keep your horses in the barn until the rough weather passes. Cold rain or sleet will mat down their fur, reduce insulation, and cause the horse's body temperature to drop quickly.

2. Make sure your horses always have access to fresh water that is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or above. If you don't have the means to keep the water above freezing temperatures, make sure to break up the ice that forms at least twice per day. Your horses should not have to eat snow for water intake, as consuming snow or near-freezing water can contribute to or cause impaction colic, which can potentially be dangerous for a horse.

3. You should make sure you're feeding your horse more food during the cold spells because they burn more calories trying to stay warm than cooling off in the summer time. You may benefit in stocking up in a high-fiber horse feed, as high amounts of fiber will help to keep a horse's body temperature higher for longer. Stop by Norby's to find the right feed for your horses!

4. Going hand-in-hand with feeding, you should make sure that you let your horse pack on some pounds for the winter. The extra pounds will contribute to keeping your horses warmer throughout the blistering cold weather. Just make sure that they work it all off come spring!

Stop by your local Norby's location today and let us help you figure out the best feeding plan to keep your horse healthy and well-fed this winter!