Horse Care Tips & Tricks in Fluctuating Weather – Part 2

As you continue to care for your equine companion through the seasons, it’s important to adapt your horse care approach to their ever-changing needs. Part two of this guide will delve deeper into specific strategies for managing your horse’s well-being during the transitional periods of fall and spring. From adjusting their diet to accommodating fluctuating weather patterns and maintaining stable conditions, we’ll provide actionable tips to keep your horse healthy and comfortable no matter the season.

Implement a Regular Grooming Routine

Regular grooming is more than just keeping your horse looking good – it’s an essential part of their health care routine, especially during weather changes.

Regularly removing dirt, debris, and loose hair affects your horse’s ability to regulate body temperature. Check for skin issues that may arise due to sweating in hot weather or dampness in cold, wet conditions. Pay attention to hooves, as changing weather can affect hoof health, too.

To support overall skin and coat

health, which can be challenged by weather fluctuations, consider supplementing your horse’s diet with Ker-A-Form™ or Contribute®. Ker-A-Form is a hoof and coat supplement that promotes keratin, helping eliminate dry, flaky coats and supporting the components of healthy hooves. Contribute’s essential omega-3 fatty acids help maintain healthy inflammation levels throughout the horse’s body, promote a shiny coat, and support skin integrity, which can be particularly beneficial during seasonal coat changes or in harsh weather conditions.

Preparing for the Winter Horse Care

You can—and should—start early to help your horse adjust to seasonal weather changes. As fall approaches, it’s time to start your preparation for the winter season.

• Schedule a dental check-up to ensure your horse can chew hay efficiently during winter months and pasture or hay in the warm seasons.
• Discuss with your vet any special needs your horse might have developed, such as arthritis, tooth loss, or weight loss in a senior horse or potential weight gain in horses who will be out of regular exercise during winter.
• Plan your winter feeding strategy, considering strategies for maintaining weight in hard keepers or ways to safely increase calories for easy keepers or metabolically challenged horses.
• Assess your horse’s body condition and aim to have them at an ideal weight before winter sets in.
• Check and repair fences, shelters, and water systems to ensure they’re ready for harsh weather.

For horses that need extra support maintaining weight during the colder months, consider adding Equi-Jewel® to their diet. Equi-Jewel’s stabilized rice bran provides highly digestible, “cool” calories and supports overall body condition, which is helpful leading into the winter season. Seniors and horses who will be on a mostly or all-hay diet during the winter also can benefit from Micro-Phase™, which replenishes the natural vitamin E that is drastically reduced in the move from pasture grass to dried, stored hay. It also helps horses and ponies at any age who would benefit from additional vitamins and trace minerals, which are less available in hay than in pasture grass.

Use Blankets Wisely

While blankets can be beneficial in certain situations, using them improperly can cause more harm than good. Provided they have adequate shelter from the hot sun, wind, and cold rain, most horses can cope well with changing weather conditions.

• Only blanket if necessary. Horses with healthy winter coats can usually regulate their temperature effectively if they also have suitable shelter from the elements.
• If you do blanket, check underneath daily for sweating or skin issues.
• Remove blankets promptly on warmer days to prevent overheating and sweating.

Horses who are clipped, aged, or stressed can require blanketing when other horses do not. So can horses who cannot reliably access shelter, such as those who are low-status in a herd. Be mindful that they might need extra warmth on chilly or windy days, and monitor them closely during changeable conditions, especially for signs like shivering or colic.

Keep your horse’s blankets and sheets—including a lightweight sun-sheet for horses who are prone to sunburn—clean and in good repair all year, not only in preparation for the winter season. That way, if there is an unexpected change in the weather, you’ll be ready to help your horse with an extra layer of protection if needed.

Monitor Senior Horses’ Condition

Sharp temperature changes or sudden weather systems can be harder on senior horses. For senior horses or those prone to weight loss, pay extra attention to their body condition and demeanor and consult with your veterinarian about potential adjustments, from providing a cooling fan in a heat wave, adding a blanket in a cool snap, or changing their diet. If dietary changes are called for, be sure to build in time in your feeding program to make those changes gradually, which will help prevent digestive stress and upset.

For horses that need extra support during feed transitions or those prone to digestive issues, consider adding Neigh-Lox® ADVANCED to their diet to support digestive tract health by maintaining proper pH and nourishing a healthy microbiome. That’s all especially beneficial when switching from pasture to hay or during times of stress caused by weather changes.

Don’t forget to go back and read Part 1 of Horse Care Tips & Tricks in Fluctuating Weather!