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When you care for your horse, it is important to make preparations for the colder months. Horses must be able to tolerate the cold climate and remain as healthy as possible. For the period of the winter horses will have special needs which you as the owner will have to deal with. It is vital to get ready for winter ahead of time.

Horses naturally lend themselves to cold weather conditions. In fact, horses handle icy conditions a lot better than hot weather. Despite this, there are some rudimentary things owners will need to do to ensure their horses stay healthy. You should make sure the horse doesn’t have any parasites, and has been fully vaccinated. The expenses for doing these things will significantly pay off throughout the winter, as the outlay of feeding your horse will be much reduced.

You may also consider consulting your vet in planning up a health plan to care for your horses. Preparing your horse for cold weather will help it reduce the necessity to eat larger amounts of food in order to sustain its weight. There’s no need for your horse to lose weight during the winter. Permitting your horse to gain a small amount of weight will help them through the colder months, as the extra fat will act as a guard to provide the horse with energy if it becomes stressed. Throughout the winter you will want to provide your horse with some extra calories.

Probably the most effective protection for a horse in the winter is its natural winter coat. If allowed to grow, it will act as a warm blanket which will reduce the heat loss that the horse will experience in frosty environments. The coat is also slick and will brush off the frost and ice. If you keep your horses outside, you must make sure their coats grow enough before winter.

To check the condition of your horse, you will want to feel its ribs. A large winter coat can easily hide the fact the horse may be losing weight. You should be able to feel your horses ribs, but not be able to see them. You should also feel your horses ears. Are they cold? If this is the case, your horse is cold.

As is the case with every warm blooded animal, horses have to regulate their body temperatures in order to remain healthy. It is important that they retain heat through the winter, so you should ensure they’re equipped for the cold.

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