Horse Tales: Keeping up with winter care

It’s been a hard winter so far, with lots of snow and frigid temperatures. We’ve seen many days of wind chills well below zero, and so having a few days in the 30s is always a welcome respite! However, there is still more winter to come – and it’s a good time to utilize any break in the weather to prepare for what is to come.

If you’ve been blanketing your horse, those rare warmer and sunny days are an ideal time to wash blankets and towels. It’s amazing how dusty even unused barn towels can get in the barn. Examine your blankets carefully for tears or loose straps, making sure buckles are working properly.

It’s also a good time to check your horse’s weight, if you haven’t been doing that regularly, and make sure the blanket still fits properly. Ill-fitting blankets can result in rubbing and sores and can even cause the horse to become tangled if the blanket is too large or the straps are too long.

You can use a weight tape, which is quick and convenient and is pre-measured so you don’t have to do any “figuring.” Stand your horse on a flat, even surface and make sure they’re standing square. Place the tape over the horse’s back and move to the lowest point of the withers, bringing the other side under the belly just behind the front legs in the area of their elbow. Pull the tape snugly against the skin, allowing for the winter coat but not enough to cause discomfort. The tape should have a mark or zero indicator – match that up with the numbers at the other end and read the weight in pounds.

A more accurate way of weighing your horse is to use a regular tape measure – and a buddy. First, measure the circumference of your horse’s girth. Using a long, flexible tape, measure from just behind your horse’s elbow, up over the withers and back under the belly. Write this measurement down. Second, measure the length of your horse’s body from the point of their shoulder to the point of their buttocks. (This is where your buddy comes in – to hold the tape!) Write this measurement down. You will use these two measurements to calculate your horse’s weight, using the following formula:

Girth x girth x length / 330 = the horse’s body weight

For example, if your horse has a girth of 70 inches, and a body length of 68 inches, their body weight would be figured in this way: 70 x 70 x 68 / 330 = 1,010 lbs.

If you’re not good at math, here is a link from Horse Magazine that will provide the calculations for you: thehorse.com/tools/adult-horse-weight-calculator.

Just for fun, you can use a weight tape to check your math – and to see how close the measurement is.

For an older horse or one that you are trying to monitor weight gain (or loss, if the horse is overweight) it’s im-portant to monitor their progress. It’s a good idea to keep a chart or chalkboard in the barn and do this on a regular basis, like once a week, throughout winter to be sure your horse is not losing weight and is being fed adequately. Pick a day of the week when you’ll have more time, such as on Saturday morning or Sunday evening, and while you’re doing the daily chores, set aside a few minutes to check your horse’s weight. Having a chalkboard or whiteboard in the barn is helpful for recording these figures and enabling the vet or anyone else to see. Make sure you list the date, horse’s name and weight figure.

A good way to test to see if your horse is warm enough is to feel their ears. If they are warm, the horse is warm. If they are warm at the base only, they are somewhat chilled. If the ears are cold all the way down, the horse is cold. If this is the case, you need to determine if your horse can be given more shelter, more food, a blanket, drying out or a combination of all of the above in order to prevent deadly hypothermia from developing.

Check to be sure your bucket warmers or trough warmers are working properly. It’s a good time to give your watering troughs a good cleaning and scrubbing. Remember to provide plenty of fresh, unfrozen water to enable your horse to eat all the roughage it can – it is the hay or other roughage you feed – rather than grain or concentrates – that will keep them warm during winter. They’ll need water to help digest the hay and keep their digestive system working properly.

Don’t forget about your horse’s feet. Whether or not you choose to ride during winter, and whether your horse is shod or barefoot, they’ll still need to have their hooves trimmed regularly and their shoes checked.

Caution should be taken when riding on trails, especially during warmer mid-winter days. I remember one year taking advantage of a beautiful sunny late winter’s day when there was still some snow and ice in spots. I was riding with my husband on one of our mountain trails. We were going along nicely when suddenly my horse went straight down with no explanation – I was sitting in the saddle with my feet touching the ground when my husband called to me that one of my mare’s hind legs went down through a puddle, evidently in a “frost heave” spot. I immediately dismounted, talking to her calmly. With Ed’s help, I removed the saddle, then slowly took the reins in an attempt to lead her forward. She was shaking but was able to scramble and pull her hind leg up out of the hole.

I walked her back home to the barn. We were very grateful that thankfully she didn’t suffer a dire injury from an experience that could have been disastrous.

Good footing during this time of year cannot be overstated. Watch for icy spots leading into or out of the barn, especially around watering troughs or under barn gutters (ideally with downspouts). Horses can slip and fall on the ice just as easily as we can, which can result in serious injury.

In the past we’ve used cold wood ashes from the ash bucket to spread out on icy areas to provide better traction for our horses at the base of the hill in their paddock where ice tended to accumulate.

Don’t forget to provide stabled horses enough daily exercise and distractions to work off their excess energy. Stay warm – and enjoy the rest of winter with your horse!

by Judy Van Put