Outdoor living in winter
Horses are perfectly capable of living outdoors in the winter months, as long as some basic conditions are met.
Providing hay 24/7 to horses living outdoors is a must.
When the temperatures drop below freezing and snow covers the land, humans prefer to stay indoors and covered up to stay warm. Because of this, we often assume our horses feel the same way. But most horses don't mind the cold and snow and are completely ok to stay outdoors. Of course, some will need some help staying warm. Older horses, horses that are on the skinny side or horses that are not used to the cold, might require a blanket to keep them comfortable and to prevent them losing weight while trying to stay warm. But in general, most healthy horses with a good winter coat are perfectly capable of regulating their body temperature to stay warm.
If you are thinking about keeping your horses outside during the winter months, but are unsure about it, here are some things to keep in mind. It's always a good idea to provide your horses with choice. For example, offering hay outdoors as well as inside a shelter allows them to choose the option they prefer. That way you are able to worry less, if the horses are standing outside in a snow storm. If they were uncomfortable, they could go inside. When it comes to hay in the winter, it is very important that it never runs out. The horses rely on their metabolism to keep warm, so providing hay 24/7 is a must if the horses are staying outdoors. Another thing to keep in mind is access to water. When the temperatures drop below freezing, water troughs can freeze over, leading to dehydration and potentially colic. Be very diligent about checking the troughs on a regular basis. Some horses will drink less when the water gets too cold, so make sure to keep an eye out for how much they're drinking. If you are feeding any supplementary feed, you can soak it and make it very »soupy« to increase their water intake.
Make sure the water doesn’t freeze over and that the horses are drinking enough.
When it gets really cold you might see frost forming on their coats. Similarly, when it snows, they might be standing around with a good layer of snow on their backs. Don't panic, this is very normal. It just means their insulation is working! Their thick winter coats are trapping air close to their bodies so efficiently that heat isn't escaping to melt the snow. If you think about it, the snow on their backs actually provides even more insulation, keeping them even warmer. If horses do get cold, they will start to shiver to keep warm. If this goes on for a while, it might be time to get them a blanket, so they don't end up losing weight. But most of the time, horses do just fine outside in winter. The important thing is to provide them with food, water and shelter, and keep monitoring them.
Nothing to worry about here!