Tips On How Keep Your Horse Protected During Winter

Last Updated on 2 years ago by Nicky Johnson

Being a pet owner means you must ensure that they are always happy and healthy. Owning a horse can be very rewarding but comes with a lot of responsibility and hard work.

Because horses are outdoor pets that are kept either in their field or in their stable, they need a bit of extra help when it comes to keeping warm. There are ways that you can make sure your horse is provided for in the winter, whether that’s with heavier horse stable rugs or improved shelter. You can find more tips on how to keep your horse protected in the colder months below.

Horse rugs

Horse rugs

Horse rugs are an essential part of keeping your horse comfortable in all seasons, but especially in winter. Rugs come in all different weights for different seasons but for winter, you should be opting for a heavyweight turnout rug for when your horse is in the field.

Heavyweight rugs are perfectly designed for when your horse is out and about in wintery conditions, there are also stable rugs available that are perfect for when they are indoors. There are features that you should look for in a heavyweight turnout rug for example, whether it is waterproof.

It is essential that your horse is protected from adverse weather and waterproof rugs will help them to stay warm and dry. Some winter rugs even come with reflective strips, so your horse is more visible during the dark, drizzly days.

Movement

In winter, it is easy to think that your horse would prefer to stay inside (just as we would!) but that is not the case. Horses are animals that can walk for miles every day and being kept in a stable can restrict their movement.

Horses need to be active in the winter to keep them burning energy to keep them warm when they need it most. Regular exercise, no matter the season, will not only have a positive impact on your horse’s physical health but on their mental health too.  

Shelter

When your horse is out of the stable in the winter, it is good to make sure that there is still shelter available if they need it. Horses are quite happy to be outside in all weathers if they have the right rug to keep them warm and a roof with three walls to shelter under.

We all know that weather in the winter can be unpredictable and sometimes downright horrid with sleet, snow, and wind. A horse’s body heat can easily plummet in a cold wind so providing shelter makes sure that a barrier is there to protect them.

Keep them dry

Just like humans, horses can become cold if they get wet and don’t have suitable protection. As we mentioned above, turnout rugs used in the winter should be waterproof so that your horse can protect its coat from becoming wet.

Providing your horse with a way of sheltering and keeping out of the sleet, snow, and rain means you can help them to stay warm when they’re turned out. Your horse uses its hair as natural insulation, and when this gets wet, it will struggle to stay warm. Providing a waterproof blanket can help to reduce the overall risk of heat loss in winter.

Hello, My name is Nicky Johnson. I am glad to welcome you to my Site. At StyleBuzzer, we pride ourselves on delivering hot and new content daily related to fashion Trends.