Once his head and legs are rubbed down, I check and make sure that his feet are clean dry. If you ride in wet footing everyday during the winter, it is extremely important to fully dry your horses feet off after each ride. If you do not have time to dry them off by hand, put your horse in a clean stall for 10 or 15 minutes and then use a stiff brush to remove the dry sand and mud from the outside and bottom of the hooves. Have your farrier keep an eye on the moisture level of your horses feet, especially in the winter months and be sure to treat any signs of thrush very carefully. I keep my horses hooves treated with a mixture of DMSO and Bigeloil about once a week. This mixture is great because the DMSO fights the bacteria growth and the Bigeloil can help bring blood flow to the frog and heal region. After your horse is fully dry, give any matted areas on his coat a quick curry and put his sheet/blanket back on for the day.

Another area to watch in the winter is your horses feed and water in-take. Lack of clean, fresh water in the winter is a common cause of impaction colic. Many studies have shown that when a horse has access to warmer water in extremely cold temperatures, their water in-take greatly increases. That sounds obvious, but even emptying and refilling a bucket can bring the water temperature high enough to promote drinking. Feed also needs to be slightly adjusted during cold weather. The average 1,000 lb mature horse needs to consume between 15 and 18 lbs of hay to keep his energy in-take high enough. Most horses need to have their calories increased by 15-20% for every 10 degrees the temperature drops below 30 degrees. A great way to increase your horses energy and calorie in-take is by adding 6-8 ounces of vegetable oil every day or by adding a commercial fat supplement to your horses feed. Always keep in mind that some horses are much easier keepers than others. What some horses may need to remain comfortable, may send another horse through the roof. There can be a fine line between just enough and to much for each horse, but taking the time to find out what your horse needs can be very important. Watch the weeks weather forecast and plan ahead. If a cold front is heading our way, you way want to consider adding a few flakes or a pound or two of grain to your horses feed schedule for those days.

Turning out can be difficult during the winter months. If it is possible to have your horses shoes pulled for the winter, most farriers will recommend it. This cuts down on risk of your horse forming “snowballs” under their feet and gives their feet a chance to “rest”. Because my horses are kept in full time training through the winter, I opt to keep the shoes on. The horses that I turn out outdoors during the winter are put in leather snow pads from late November until early April. One of my favorite purchases was a waterproof dress sheet. This keeps my horses blankets dry and clean during turn out and is easy to take on and off over top of their normal stable blankets. If you do find your horses blanket to be wet, remove it as soon as possible and dry your horse as you would after a ride.

The last thing to remember during the cold weather is to care for your tack. Be sure to take your saddle, bridle and boots into a warm area to thaw and be cleaned as often as possible. Cold weather can cause wet leather to shrink and crack very quickly. If the tack area in your barn is cold or damp, take your tack home with you for cleaning. Making sure that the leather is thawed out before cleaning with help the cleaner to soak into the leather fully. Cleaning cold tack can cause the cleaner/soap to stay on top on the leather and become sticky. This is a common cause of “squeaky” riding boots in cold weather.

Well I hope this helps you and your horses stay warm and dry during the upcoming winter season. Have fun riding and think Spring!!