Horse-keeping during the winter brings its own unique challenges, and those challenges can wreak havoc on your horse’s GI tract and increase his risk for digestive upset. But with the right care and support, you can help ensure your horse has everything he needs to maintain a happy and healthy hindgut.
Risk: Inadequate water intake
Some horses drink less in the winter because of cold water, but proper hydration is essential to your horse’s well-being no matter season it is. Because a dehydrated horse may not have adequate water supplies to successfully pass feedstuffs through his digestive tract, he’s at risk for GI trouble, including impaction colic.
Smart Tip:
Make sure your horse has fresh water, ideally free from ice, available at all times. If your horse is a poor drinker, consider adding a daily salt supplement like SmartSalt Pellets to encourage normal drinking. In addition, a heated bucket or water bucket cover may be helpful if you notice your horse isn’t a fan of cold water.
(43 reviews)Risk: Increased time inside
Winter weather often leads to changes in your horse’s turnout and exercise routine. Research shows that increased number of hours spent in a stall has been associated with increased risk of colic. It also suggests that there is a higher risk of colic in horses that have a significant change in activity.
Smart Tip:
Keep your horse’s turnout and exercise schedule as consistent as possible, and try to make any changes gradually. When winter weather limits your horse’s turnout time, try hand-walking, lunging, or riding if possible.
Risk: Hay and grain changes
Changes in hay, including switching types or feeding a new cut, can increase your horse chances of developing colic by ten times. In addition, studies indicate that changes in the amount or type of grain can increase his risk up to five times.
Smart Tip:
Keep your horse’s diet as consistent as possible. If you must make a change to your horse’s hay or grain (either in type or amount), make the change gradually over 7-10 days. A digestive supplement that provides yeast, prebiotics, and enzymes may also help keep your horse’s hindgut happy as he makes feed transitions.
Now that you know more about winter colic risk factors, learn how you can help keep your horse’s digestive system healthy- protect yourself and your horse by enrolling in ColiCare!
With the comprehensive support of clinically studied ingredients and a veterinarian-directed wellness program, you can rest easy knowing that you’re providing the ultimate in digestive health. Best of all, ColiCare provides up to $7,500 of colic surgery reimbursement, should your horse ever need it. Signing up is easy— apply today at SmartPak.com/ColiCare
†Cohen ND, Factors predisposing to colic, 8th Congress on Equine Medicine and Surgery, 2003.
White NA, Equine Colic II: Causes and risks for colic, 52nd Annual Convention of AAEP, 2006
(281 reviews)
I feel that in the winter time horses are more thirsy, and thier intake needs GI supplements because the winter can be harsh on thier systems, with weather change especially in the winter. there supplement intake changes as climate changes, just like in the summer time horses need electrolytes cause they sweat.
All horses need more time spent outside then in, let them hair up and stay outside. Give them the Vita lix even that will help them in their guts.
Anyone ever wonder about the old cowboy saying give your horse a beer a week?? It is due to the yeast mostly that is in the beer.
you can grab packets of yeast from your nearest store and yogurt mix it into the pellet feed and it will also help your horses stay healthier.
Horses in the wild drink water from rivers and ponds. The intake is needed whether the water trough has a heater in it or not you have to make sure there is no ice in the trough.
the people that keep their horses stalled really please let your horses have a break in the winter months and let them hair up. Any horse would rather be outside then in, they know more then some of the owners.
Thanks. Never heard the cowboy saying. Lol
I have a question. Do you know where or if a solar heater is made put in horses water trough? We don’t have electricity where the horses are
I don’t know if they still make them, but Amesco made a solar tank called a Sun tank I believe. They are pricey, but work well. They have/had a website. The water tank is inside with a solar panel on the front and afloat on the top to keep they water from freezing. The horses drink a couple times without the float so they know there is water, then they learn to just push on the float when it’s in. You can hook it to a water feed and have it refill automatically, or fill it with a hose. In summer, there is a white cover to keep the solar panel from heating the water, and the insulated tank and float keep the water cooler so that algae is much slower to grow. I think it comes/came in 25 gallon and 40 gallon size and was great in the pasture.
They always sold the solar tanks in Nasco Farm catalog. I have one & it always worked well. You can also order directly from Sun Tank — I did, but it was a several years ago. On especially cold mornings I had to pour a gallons of hot water on top to free up the float. Always check it to make sure the float is floating freely.
Your best bet is to call elect company. Most should have programs using solar heat and would be best to do the install. We have no heat also and we just tough it out and bucket 5 gallon buckets up several times daily. our barn is very old but my husband built a barn inside a barn with a overhang which in winter is blocked with plastic clear in color for light and wind is kept off. The bucketing is kind of a pain but house water is better for them…average temp from my experience. I know if they are thirsty and your late getting to them they will break ice to drink. We have a fifty gallon drum which is out as well for them if we are late for some unusual hiccup in scheduling.
Good luck and hope ur electric co supplies this option. If not try a heating and cooling contractor to install something to adjust to ur liking
PS I forgot our horses are able to go in and out on their own and its best to allow them to do so for exercise as mentioned above and make sure u heed the notice of diet to avoid causing colic.
tks
As far as solar buckets, there are a lot of good posts & sites for DIY solar surrounds for buckets & troughs. To generate enough power to use a typical electrical heater, you would need quite a few solar panels – I was hoping to do this at my run-in shed, but it was cost prohibitive. I live in western NY and buckets/troughs typical freeze overnight (and sometimes during the day!)! My horses have access to both an barn & run-in shed 24/7, they are not stalled – free choice hay, insulated buckets w/plug-in de-icers and minimal grain. They are moving around constantly and happy as can be!
In the winter I use a large Coleman cooler out in turnout. Keep its cover on at night. If any, thin ice on top in the am just break it. It really works.
What a cool idea!
If the Coleman cooler is covered how do they drink at night? Or is it in an area the horses are just there during the day?