Put On Your Coats, Its Winter Time!

I'm sure all you horse lovers have noticed your 4 hooved companions have become much furrier in the last few weeks. Horses are starting to grow their winter coats out to fend off the cold weather that is heading our way. Cold weather means many things for horse owners, and especially means more work. Horses need extra care in the winter time to help them survive the winter without the shivers. Although many owners look at it as "Horses survived in the wild for 1000's of years, they can face the snow" this idea is not necessarily true. Horse's bodies do adapt to the cold weather but their bodies have also become more domesticated since they became more of pets then wild animals. I though I'd post a few suggestions on what may help your horse enjoy this snowy winter.

Blankets
Blankets are not necessary for some horses, but are great to have on hand. Horses that do not grow a winter coat or are going to be ridden hard all winter long should wear a blanket. The blanket will keep thin haired horses warm and keep heavy worked horse's coats thin so their saddle still fits right. I don't blanket my horses throughout the whole winter, but if we have freezing rain I will put blankets on them because its hard for them to stay warm if they are wet. My favorite blanket so far I have ever purchased is a Saxon Turnout Blanket. My paint mare had succeeded in shreading every blanket I put on her until I found this amazing turnout blanket. It is a muust have for the upcoming winter months on my farm.

Extra Feed and Water
One of the best ways to keep your horse healthy and warm during the winter is to provide more food for them. The grass is dead in the winter and often times the snow covers up anything that doesnt die of the cold. Horses can be supplied with a round bale out in their pasture or square bales a few times a day depending on how many horses you have. My 3 horses each get 2 flakes of hay in the morning and in the evening. I also give my horses a scoop of grain in the evening, but some horses put on too much weight from grain. Along with all this extra food is extra water. Hay is much drier then grass and can lead to blockage in the horse's intestines if they dont have enough water to soften up the food. A heater for our water trough was the best thing we ever bought because we never have to worry about the water freezing!

Watch for Ice!
Ice is one of the most dangerous surfaces for horses to walk on because horses have no grip on their hooves. Ice can easily build up around water troughs or low laying spots where ice has melted. To avoid injuries to your horses their are a few things you can do. First, put salt down anywhere you see ice build up to help melt the ice before your horses slide on it. The salt will also add a rough surface for the horses hooves. Also, if ice/rain is in the forecast horses should be put inside so that they arent out running around on the ice. One of the neatest creations I've ever seen are snow boots for horses. Although I dont own any, I'm sure they can be very helpful!

• If you need more advice or safety tips for riding in the snow, visit Clinton Anderson's sight. Clinton is a huge supporter of working horses through the winter, and has some great tips to keep your horse in top shape during the cold, winter months.