And why do I provide fresh water?

I just let our dogs out and saw our mare drinking, deeply, from a mud puddle. Blah! The worst part, she is drinking from a puddle RIGHT NEXT TO A WATER TROUGH THAT IS FULL OF FRESH WATER!!

Cold Weather Feeding

Borrowed from Facebook today, posted by Purina Horse Feed:

"Did you know? It is a myth that feeding more corn during cold weather will help keep horses warm. It simply provides more energy (calories)."

This post makes me wonder, as I often do, about how much common sense and how much actual knowledge is applied to being a horse owner, AND, how much horse owners are swayed by manufacturers to buy their product. This post is like a commercial for some sickeningly sweet treat during cartoons designed to sway the kiddos into begging.

I personally feed more hay during the winter. I don't increase the grain because that is a manufactured product and it just causes fat. I increase the hay, the natural forage. 

When increasing the hay, I increase it throughout the day, not just at morning and night. I have always fed my horses throughout the day. One big meal morning and night just doesn't make any common sense. They need a constant supply of grass or hay. They don't eat all day long, contrary to popular belief. I have observed my horses and they do stop, even when in grass, to snooze, or just to take a break. I have stuffed hay in hay bags in the early morning and have found hay in them late in the afternoon. Some horses do moderate their eating. I have had mares in my barn that are absolute vacuum cleaners, that can eat faster and more than anything I have ever seen, but most horses do not eat like this.

In the winter they will move around more to stay warm. It is not because they are freezing. Their natural instinct is to move or shiver to stay warm and they are well-equipped to deal with the elements. When they do this, they use up the calories from their food. The colder it is, the more they move, the more calories they need. Obviously if you see your horse shivering you should consider why and check them all over.

I also turn out in the cold. Many people will say "it's too cold for the horses to be out". No, it's probably too cold for humans to be out. The horses are FINE!! As my awesome vet once said, they can stand around in a stall and be cold or get out, get fresh air, and be outside moving around staying warm. Barns are just as cold as being outside. I have yet to come across a heated barn. They might be about 10 degrees warmer because the wind is blocked and there's heat generated from the horses, but barns are cold, too. Now, if they don't have shelter to protect them from wind, you should always check on them often.

Shopping - Back In the Saddle

I feel like doing some cyber shopping....cute stuff!!

http://www.backinthesaddle.com/

Blanketing: For the Human or For the Horse?

It's that time of year, the time when horse owners suddenly lose their minds because, gasp, it's getting cold!! The temperature drops to 50 and horses everywhere have blankets on.

I'm not making fun of them. Blanketing is a personal decision for the horse owner. If it works for them, so be it.

I do worry about the horse, though, when the temperatures are NOT STABLE. They drop to 40 one day, 20 overnight, and shoot up to 65 the next day, and the horse is blanketed the same for each temperature. THAT is when the owner really should be paying attention.

I personally do not blanket my horses until the temperature remains steadily under freezing, day and night. While my horses are out 24/7 unless it's dangerous, they have snug shelters to go into if it's windy. I will put them in their stalls if the wind is unbearable overnight, if we're getting a wet snowstorm, or there is freezing rain. Otherwise, I let nature do its job.

I have three different blankets suited for our region. I have rain sheets, lightweights, and mid-weights. All are waterproof and breathable. I wash them in the special detergents and waterproof them again each season.

We also remove blankets and groom regularly. We check for sores and spots that might be getting rubbed. We check the blankets for tears, the buckles for bending, and the leg straps to see if they are adjusted correctly.

The other very important thing that I do is feed more often during colder temperatures. I give them hay all day long anyway, I just increase it when its steadily at or below freezing. I do not increase grain, I increase hay. I also provide every horse with a heated bucket in their stall and every trough outside has a heater on it.

My horses are fine, fluffy, fat, and happy. I must be doing something right.

The following article, courtesy of thehorse.com, goes over suggestions given by a veterinarian about blanketing.

http://www.thehorse.com/articles/32878/to-blanket-or-not-to-blanket-a-good-cold-weather-question