Since it’s been quite cold in my area and I have had many question about how my horses are dealing with the cold. Why not take this opportunity to write a little entry on the topic?
I’m located in Alberta, we have had almost two weeks of -25C to -35C. Lets just say that frostbite can happen very fast if you are not dressed for that kind of weather. If you are in the city and that there’s no need to go outside, it’s easy to stay toasty on the couch but for those of us that have livestock, we still need to go out and make sure the animals are well fed and as comfy as they can. Animals deal with weather much easier than us humans. They have a system that provide heat when they eat and a thick coat of fur insulating them and protecting them from the elements.
This morning I saw a post on Facebook about this topic on how horses are coping with the cold. This lady took a thermal imagery to show the difference between before and after a horse eat. It goes to show how they have adapted and how they regulate themselves. This is why it’s very important to keep horses and other livestock well fed. This way they can warm themselves without any other help.
In this first picture you can see the blue spots on the horse’s back where it’s colder.
In the second picture the horse have been eating for about 20 minutes. The blue spots are now almost gone. This show what feed does to help your horse warm up. This horse was not a candidate for blanketing for a reason or another so its feed was adapted to help keep its body in optimal condition with the weather.
There’s a big debate on blanketing horses. In my opinion there’s a place for them. What I do might not be what someone else does but it works for the needs of my herd. I use blankets in very cold weather. I do blanket light. My covers are about 100-150g depending on the horse and what was available at the time of purchase. I do have a horse that have a faster system and she can loose condition very fast if not attended properly. She tend to be colder so I have a 300g blanket available if I need. My take is to blanket as light as possible and as minimally as possible. My cut off point is -20C and especially at night. During the day with some sunshine and no wind they can easily warm up without a blanket.
As for feed they get extra forage feeding and extra calories in the form of grains on very cold nights. Another thing I do for them in order to prepare them for the cold months is to let them graze alot in the fall. That way they are on the fat side entering winter and they have energy reserves to get through the cold if needed. The thing is to monitor body condition and food intake. I like to stay watching them eat to see if there’s difficulty eating or some fighting between horses for the pile. That’s another thing I do take the time to do. Making three piles of forage. There’s six of them and they seem to like eating with a companion. If I make three piles they get together with their feeding buddy and they are happy. A sign that my horses have a low competition needs for food is when they rotate their piles and their usual feeding buddies or that they all eat from the same piles despite the options available to them. When they get fed their extra calorie mash I position the bowls in a big circle that way they can rotate and that eliminate the risk of a kick or bite. Usually, after a few minutes of eating in the bowl of their choosing, they will go investigate other bowls. Then the rotation start and they also will share with others. A note that I feed forage ten or fifteen minutes before bringing the mash. That way they don’t feel the need to fight for food because of hunger and the highly appealing food.
Horses are better adapted to cold weather than we can give them credit for. With good quality food and a good feeding protocol in place they are insured to be able to get through winter easily and with less stress. I have made a video of how I do chores in the cold weather. It’s all about planning and preparedness. Off course sometimes things don’t go the way we intend to do and adaptation need to be used but overall a good plan make things easier.
Stay warm and cozy!
Bike in Time 