In cold weather, it is not wrong to go riding. In
fact, it may be beneficial for your horse both physically and mentally to get
out and move. However, it is important
to remember to use common sense and restraint so that we don’t cause any harm
to the horse. Here is an outline of the
systems at risk during cold weather exercise and precautions to understand if
winter riding is pursued.
Pulmonary (Lungs)- Researchers at Oklahoma State University
studied the effect of cold air (4 C or 40 F) on horses performing strenuous
exercise on a treadmill for 30 minutes.
Samples from the airway afterward demonstrated damage to the mucosal
cells lining the airway compared with control horses. Mucosal cells are responsible for clearing
the airway to protect against disease. The underlying message here is use
common sense. If it hurts your airway to
breathe outside, don’t force your horse to move huge amounts of air by forcing
exercise. Very light exercise (walking
or trotting) is likely ok. There is not
one specific low temperature at which it is not ok to ride, just be sensible in
what we are requiring of our horses.
Musculoskeletal-In the cold, muscles
will take longer to warm up and joints may be more painful. Make sure to add extra time for a slow
warm-up before work. Probably more importantly however, is to make sure
horses are cooled down appropriately and dry before being put away. This may mean using coolers or having your
horse clipped in different patterns to help sweat dissipate more quickly. The details of clipping go beyond the scope
of this blog. A clipped horse should be
blanketed and will require more energy in their diet.
Hydration- In the cold weather, horses
have a tendency to get dehydrated because they don’t want to drink as much or
they may not have adequate water sources available (frozen water buckets, water
too cold to drink, faulty heaters). The
normal 1000 lb adult horse needs approximately 10 gallons daily AND more (up to
30 gallons!) if undertaking any form of exercise. Make sure it is warm enough
for them to consume and make sure plenty of loose white salt available to the
horse to replenish electrolytes as needed.
Energy/Calories Needed- Horses on
average need between 1-3% of their body weight in good quality roughage/hay a
day. For a 1000 lb horse that is equal
to approximately 10-30 lbs of hay (depending on the calorie content of the
hay). In extreme weather, horses require
more calories to maintain their body temperature. A rule of thumb to go by is that a horse’s
energy needs increase by 1% for every degree below 18 F. So at 0 F, an adult horse needs an additional
2 lbs of forage just at rest. If the
horse is in work, more will be needed.
Hoof care- Snow and ice can build up in
the bottom of the hooves quickly. It is
important to pick out feet once a day. Even though the hoof grows slightly more slowly during the
winter time, it is still important to have your farrier trim the foot every
6-12 weeks. Barefoot feet will often provide
better traction than most shoes on ice and snow. However, ice pads and special shoes
have been used to provide good traction on particularly icy terrain and can protect the sole against
bruising.
THE TAKE HOME
MESSAGE:
1) Provide adequate available water, warmed is best
(between 45-65 degrees F).
2) Adding additional hay/forage is the best way to
increase calories or energy.
3) Avoid strenuous work, especially in horses with
a history of having allergic airway conditions (RAO or heaves).
4) If riding, provide adequate warm up and cool
down. Never put away a wet horse in cold
weather.
5) Keep up with regular hoof care, pick out feet
daily, explore winter shoeing options if you will be riding on rough or
slippery terrain.
Additional
Resources Regarding Winter Care and Your Horse:
Check out
the following excellent resources!
Abstracts to studies associating airway injury and
cold air inspiration in horses:
Of course, if you have a specific question or need
veterinary guidance of any kind, please don’t hesitate to call us at Badger
Veterinary Hospital (608)-754-1888. Thanks for reading and stay warm!!
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