Winter
Management
It’s the start of a new year and despite focusing on less pounds in our pockets and more pounds on our bodies, we are still contending with the
equestrian season of mud, cold and more mud. But just because the seasons have
changed, it doesn’t mean your management practices should. Here’s a recap on
why your management practices should stay as consistent as possible throughout
the year and how to combat those winter worries.
Feeding & Watering
Unfortunately at this time of year, we ourselves are naturally prone to
comfort eating and wrapping up warm! However, this does not necessarily mean
your horse needs more food and rugs. In terms of feeding, unless your horse has
had a change in exercise, there is no need to increase their hard feed6.
As long as your horse is eating the guidelines of 2.5% of their bodyweight,
they will have enough to maintain their weight1.
On the other hand, as grazing nutrition is reduced at this time of year
and the practicalities of grazing are reduced by mud, frost and sometimes snow,
it’s important to supplement their fibre intake with additional hay. Not only
will this help to maintain energy level and weight but the digestion of forage
generates heat, therefore doubling up to keep them warm. Adding forage to their
field in several piles will encourage movement to keep joints and limbs
healthy, not to mention reduce the risk of competition for hay and bullying
too.2
It is very important for horses to keep drinking throughout the winter
as lack of water increases the risk of impaction colic. This is particularly
important to keep an eye on as the temperatures drop because some horses do not
like to drink cold water. With this in mind make sure you notice what is normal
for your horse so that you can alter the temperature accordingly and even add
flavouring if need be. If your horse's are out during the winter, ensure their
water is unfrozen. There are several things you can try to prevent this
including allowing a tennis ball to bob in their trough3.
Managing the mud
As well as making your field an eye-sore, mud can be challenging for
your horse's feet. While it is good for the horses to be out to keep
mobile, long periods in the mud cause their own host of problems for the equine
distal limb. These problems vary from lost shoes to bruised soles, thrush,
white line disease, abscesses and dermatitis not to mention more slipping and sliding in the field increasing the risk of
injury. This is not helped by the fact hooves tend to change shape when exposed
to the moisture from mud over a prolonged period. Farrier Paul Goodness says
hooves tend to get wider and flatter so they have a wider surface area and sink
less in the mud [7]. Stabling is not necessarily the answer to ensure hoof health however as standing
on wet bedding will also soften the hoof and frog, increasing the likelihood of
thrush. The Great British Rugging Debate
Rugging has created a storm of debate this year hence several published
articles on the welfare of rugging. One article in Horse and Hound featured vet
Tess Fordham who revealed the dangers of rugging prematurely and ‘over rugging’.
She spoke about how it is increasingly common for vets to be called out “to
horses displaying signs of colic, [who are actually just] too hot and suffering
heatstroke – a manmade problem”. She continued to explain that “In the short
term, it can lead to overheated horses [and] in the long term, if an obese
horse is rugged too much, it will prevent them from losing weight – this puts
them at a massive risk of laminitis in the Spring, Summer and Autumn. Laminitis
kills and is almost entirely preventable. A horse should gain weight during the
summer and lose weight during the winter. We mess with that process by rugging
too much and don’t allow them to reset their hormone levels. A horse should be
coming out of winter with his ribs just visible. If we don’t allow them to have
this natural weight loss, their hormone levels remain high and they are much
more likely to get laminitis in the Spring.” Read the full article below.
Despite what we may thing about our horse’s being cold this time of
year, temperature in the South of the UK have rarely navigated outside of their
thermoneutral zone of 0° to 25°. Within this zone, they are more than able to
regulate their temperature using a variety of techniques to increase or
decrease blood flow as necessary. Outside these temperatures however, various
things can affect how much energy is required to maintain heat, including
weather, the size, age and breed of the horse and the shelter the horse has
available. These are documented in greater detail by Dr Marlin’s recent post on
whether or not to rug where he explains the scientific process of thermoregulation
and heat losses and gains.
Exercising
Therefore,
whether your horse is in or out, it’s important to schedule time for the horse
to exercise, either during ridden work or turnout in a sand paddock/arena for a
few hours a day. While some horse owners may see winter as a restful time for
the horse to enjoy some time off from work or due to lack of facilities, the
sudden change in fitness and lifestyle regime can actually be harmful for the
body.5,6 In order to schedule this important time for your horse,
plan ahead to maximise the light, schedule riding with your friends or get a
friend to walk your horse while you are at work. For more ideas on how to save
time and maximise your winter horse routine, take a look at ’40 Ways to embrace Winter’ by Horse and Rider
UK.
Take-away
Don't let winter take away your motivation. Save time where possible and continue as normal with your routine, just make sure you monitor your horse carefully in terms of feed and water to ensure they are getting enough and keep an eye out for any winter conditions should they occur.
Take-away
Don't let winter take away your motivation. Save time where possible and continue as normal with your routine, just make sure you monitor your horse carefully in terms of feed and water to ensure they are getting enough and keep an eye out for any winter conditions should they occur.
Further Links
Read the full article from Horse and Hound here on 'Rugging- a man-made problem'.
Caring for the senior horse in the winter
Products to help with Winter Management by Amy Frost at HorseHour
Caring for the senior horse in the winter
Products to help with Winter Management by Amy Frost at HorseHour
Written by Ruth Box @ruth_box6910 Email Ruth
References
3 Erica
Larson (2017) www.thehorse.com/articles/38388/winter-is-coming-are-your-horses-and-farm-ready
4 Mejdell,
CM and Boe, KE. (2005) Responses to climatic variables of horses housed
outdoors under Nordic Winter Conditions. Canadian
Journal of Animal Science. 85, 301-308
5 Robin Forster
(2017) http://www.thehorse.com/articles/38711/cold-weather-and-fresh-horses
7
http://www.thehorse.com/articles/35687/the-trouble-with-mud
Comments
Post a Comment