Winter Horse Care

Winter Horse Care

Jeske Noordergraaf, VMD

December 2004

When we are out on farms in the winter, clients often mention that their horses have become fat. The winter haircoat can be deceiving so it is necessary to lay your hands on the horse and feel for its ribs. Just as baggy clothes can hide our figure, a long and thick haircoat hides a horses shape so they may actually be thin. The body score chart below should help you feel what condition your horse is in. We aim for a body score between 5 and 6. If your horse is too thin, increase the feed, especially the hay. Deworm your horses every 6-8 weeks even in the winter.

Barns are certainly nice, especially in the winter, but horses can do fine with a three-sided shelter. Horses need to be able to get out of the wind, freezing rain, sleet and snow. Make sure that all the horses share the shelter and don’t leave one out in the cold. If you keep your horses inside, make sure the ventilation is adequate as excess ammonia odor caused by urine is harsh on their lungs. Heat is more for the owner than the horse. Blanketing is helpful if you have a thin horse or a horse that you don’t want to have grow a thick coat because you are riding often. However, once you start blanketing, you need to continue throughout the winter and a wet blanket needs to be changed immediately.

Horses also need to have access to clean, heated water. They may drink more water than they did in the summer as they are eating only dry hay and grain; no more nice green grass. The average horse needs to drink 9-10 gallons per day. Snow is not a sufficient substitute for water, as the horse cannot physically eat enough snow to meet its water requirement. Ideally, the temperature of the available water should be between 45º F and 65º F. If the water is too cold, the horse may drink less – increasing the risk of an impaction induced colic. Avoidance of one impaction colic is well worth a heated water source.

Remember your horses this winter. Try to continue to exercise them or they will forget all that they have learned over the summer; like kids do after summer vacation. Check them for injuries and feel their bones often to calculate body condition score. Spring will be here before we know it and by following these winter tips our horses will be healthy and ready to ride. Contact your equine veterinarian for more information about keeping your horses healthy in the winter.

A. Along the neck

B. Along the withers

C. Crease down back

D. Tailhead

E. Ribs

F. Behind the shoulder

1. Poor
Animal extremely emaciated; spinous processes, ribs, tailhead, tuber coxae (hip joints), and ischia (lower pelvic bones) projecting prominently; bone structure of withers, shoulders, and neck easily noticeable; no fatty tissue can be felt.

2. Very Thin
Animal emaciated; slight fat covering over base of spinous processes, transverse processes of lumbar vertebrae feel rounded; spinous processes, ribs, tailhead, tuber coxae (hip joints) and ischia (lower pelvic bones) prominent; withers, shoulders, and neck structure faintly discernable.

3. Thin
Fat buildup about halfway on spinous processes; transverse processes cannot be felt; slight fat cover over ribs; spinous processes and ribs easily discernable; tailhead prominent, but individual vertebrae cannot be identified visually; tuber coxae (hip joints), appear rounded but easily discernable;
tuber ischia (lower pelvic bones) not distinguishable; withers, shoulders and neck accentuated.

4. Moderately Thin
Slight ridge along back; faint outline of ribs discernible; tailhead prominence depends on conformation, fat can be felt around it; tuber coxae (hip joints) not discernable; withers, shoulders and neck not obviously thin.

5. Moderate
Back is flat (no crease or ridge); ribs not visually distinguishable but easily felt; fat around tailhead beginning to feel spongy; withers appear rounded over spinous processes; shoulders and neck blend smoothly into body.

6. Moderately Fleshy
May have slight crease down back; fat over ribs spongy; fat around tailhead soft; fat beginning to be deposited along the side of withers, behind shoulders, and along sides of neck.

7. Fleshy
May have slight crease down back; individual ribs can be felt, but noticeable filling between ribs with fat; fat around tailhead soft; fat deposited along withers, behind shoulders,and along neck.

8. Fat
Crease down back; difficult to feel ribs, fat around tailhead very soft; fat area along withers filled with fat, area behind shoulder filled with fat, noticeable thickening of neck; fat deposited along inner thighs.

9. Extremely Fat

Obvious crease down back; patchy fat appearing over ribs, bulging fat around tailhead; along withers, behind shoulders and along neck, fat along inner thighs may rub together; flank filled with fat.