Caring for horses and ponies in snow

Horses and ponies need more care and attention in snow and frosty conditions if they are out on grass. While many horses are kept in stables during bad weather, ponies and quiet horses can still remain out.

Feed
Be sure to feed plenty of roughage, such as good quality hay or haylage because there will be little or no grass available. I also give them a hard feed to help keep condition on them, such as a coarse mix added to a chaff such as Dengie Hi Fi. I find Dengie Alfa A Oil very good for thoroughbreds or old horses which are inclined to lose weight in winter. Be careful not to overfeed in snow and frost conditions as the horses may get too lively and injure themselves on the hard ground.

Water
Horses need water as dry feed like hay will increase their thirst. Make sure water is available at all times to guard against colic. The ice in water troughs should be broken every morning. If the trough is all ice, top up with warm water to melt it. If, as happened to me yesterday, the troughs are solid with ice, put out buckets of water and replenish as necessary.

Warmth
Horses and ponies will keep condition better if they are rugged up for the winter. I always use a good quality rug, which is more expensive, but lasts for years, can be repaired and does not slip out of place. Check the clips and the fillet string regularly. A rug without a fillet string (the strap across the back under the horse’s tail) will be blown off very quickly by the wind or when the animal rolls. It is said that 80% of a horse’s energy goes towards keeping warm in the winter so a rug, although expensive, saves you money on extra feed.

Lively horses
I would not put very lively horses out on grass in frozen and snowy conditions as I would be afraid they would gallop about and injure themselves. You know your own horse so use your gut instinct.

Slippery walk ways
Be careful horses don’t slip and injure themselves on ice and snow as you lead them to the fields. Throw down a path of sand or grit to prevent this and make them walk slowly. You can also use used straw or shavings from the stable bed but this will create a mess to clear up afterwards. If ground conditions are very slippery, keep the horse in and don’t risk injuring him.