Our changeable weather in Alberta certainly does make horse keeping a challenge — one week it is 6C and the next week it is -22C.
My woolly horses were almost sweating last week but, by the weekend with snow piled on their backs, they were looking at me with sorrowful faces wondering what was coming next.
One winter concern with horses is cold weather colic. One generally doesn’t think of colic in the wintertime but it is a real concern if certain conditions exist.
One serious condition is a lack of fresh, unfrozen water available to the horses.
According to veterinarian Dr. Scott Leibsle, this is the No. 1 cause of colic during the winter. Dr. Leibsle stated (in an article for The Horse) that “horses need 10 to 12 gallons of fresh water every day and can dehydrate quickly if water is unavailable”.
You may ask why a horse that is not drinking enough is a problem? Just like in humans, insufficient consumption of water may cause indigestion or impaction. Both conditions are very uncomfortable and can lead to full blown colic if steps are not taken. The culprit can be a frozen water trough or water that is so cold that the horse will not drink it.
Your solution is heated water buckets or heated water sources such as automatic waterers. I use the automatic waterers for my horses but these items must be closely monitored in the winter — one electrical failure or malfunctioning float can cause them to freeze up and provide you with many hours in frigid temperatures trying to thaw them out.
The first year I had automatic waterers was quite the learning curve — one had a sticky float, overflowed all over the place then froze up. I spent quite a few hours in heavy clothing in the frigid weather with assorted heat sources trying to replace the float valve, thaw out the waterer itself and deal with the ice overflow so the horses could get at the water source.
I was not a happy camper. Eating snow is not an acceptable substitute for fresh water — the volume of snow a horse would have to consume to meet his fluid requirements would be impossible.
The second condition that could lead to winter colic is exposure to cold temperatures. Horses have a great system to keep themselves warm — they grow a wonderful, thick hair coat that will protect them extremely well as long as they remain dry and have access to a shelter allowing the horse to get out of the wind and offers protection from some of the snowfall.
When we interfere with this process by blanketing our horses, we have to manage the blankets by always insuring the horse has a dry blanket on. There certainly are situations where blankets are warranted — particularly when your horse has been clipped and that protective layer of winter hair removed. You will need a wardrobe of blankets so that your horse always has a clean, dry blanket appropriate for the weather conditions.
One of the best things you can do for your horse in the winter is to increase the amount of forage (hay) in it’s diet. The effect of this is to help prevent impactions and will help to keep the horse’s body temperature at the proper level.
The digestion of the forage is a fermentation process which actually generates heat thus helping the horse to maintain a healthy internal temperature. While you may think that giving your horse extra grain or supplements aids in this heat generation, it is really the forage that does the job the best.
Keep an eye on your horse in the winter. If you see signs of lethargy or reluctance to move, you may need to take action. Bring the horse in to a protected area out of the elements, check his temperature and take steps to warm the horse e.g. blanketing, providing a warmer environment. If the horse is wet, dry him off and blanket him.
With proper horse management techniques, the nasty winter colic can be avoided.
