The nights are drawing in, leaves are falling and your equine friend is starting to grow their winter woolies. As winter fast approaches the UK, now is the time to build a winter health checklist for your horse and ensure you and they are prepared for the months ahead. 

Table of contents

Stabling

Many horse and yard owners choose to have their horses turned out for most of the summer. And then stable them in the winter, either full or part time.  This change in their routine, diet and management can present owners with some challenges. The BHS recommends that this change should be carried out over 10 to 14 days to allow horses to adapt. 

Before commencing full or part time stabling, the stable itself should be checked to ensure it is suitable to house a horse. Any leaks or damages should be repaired; the stable cleaned thoroughly to reduce environmental dust; and a suitable bedding laid down. 

Boredom associated with prolonged stabling can be a significant challenge and should not be overlooked

Evidence suggests that horses confined to a stable environment are more prone to developing stereotypical behaviours such as crib biting, weaving and box walking, likely due to their reduced time eating and interacting with other horses. Horses at grass spend up to 18 hours a day grazing, and will also interact with, groom and play with paddock mates. In a stable environment, many of these behaviours are restricted leading to stress and boredom. 

Environmental enrichment and so called ‘boredom busters’ can help keep your horse entertained. Examples of environmental enrichment include licks, fruit and vegetable kebabs, treat balls and forage buffets. As with all supplemental feeds, they should be introduced gradually and only given in moderation to prevent unwanted weight gain. 

Other non food related sources of enrichment include horse-safe mirrors and windows and even music; with some studies suggesting horses respond well to certain genres of music (especially classical). Interaction with other horses is another vital part of environmental enrichment which is often overlooked. A study by Emily Borthwick published in the Journal of Veterinary Behaviour found that “horses were more relaxed when stable design allowed them to engage in social behaviours”. 

If physical contact between horses isn’t practical or safe, horses should be able to see another horse easily. Or should have the company of another species or regular human contact at the very least. This was backed up by recent research by Megan Hutchinson at Duchy College, who found that hearing the sounds of other horses without being able to see them was highly stressful – Ed.

Turnout

Winter turnout can be difficult to manage in the UK. Just about every horse owner has encountered knee deep mud, trashed gateways and recurring mud fever. Although a certain amount of mud is inevitable in our climate, some easy changes and management practices can really help. Ideally, paddock preparation should start in spring to ensure adequate drainage and good soil quality; but as winter sets in, damage limitation is the name of the game. Protecting gateways and heavily trafficked areas such as around water by laying down old carpet, field mats or woodchip as well as fencing off gateways with electric fencing. Similarly, fencing off areas of the paddock for future use can avoid paddock-wide destruction and preserve some grazing for later in the year. 

Supplemental feeding can also prevent overgrazing and boredom. But should be contained in a feeder to prevent spoilage, waste and further damage to the soil. A source of shelter in the paddock is important year round, but particularly over the winter months. Horses should have 24/7 access to good quality natural or man made shelter to protect them from the elements. 

Preventative healthcare

Preventative healthcare is important year round, but certain elements become more pertinent in preparation for the winter months. 

Dental healthcare is essential going into the winter

In general, horses in the UK consume more preserved forage such as hay and haylage over the winter months due to a lack of grazing. Hay and haylage require more chewing than grass. This means good dental health is vital to prevent ailments such as choke and colic as a result of poorly chewed forage. A horse’s teeth grow continuously throughout their life. Regular, thorough examination by a vet or qualified Equine Dental Technician (EDT) is vital to ensure problems are detected early. Ideally horses up to the age of 5, and over the age of 20 should be examined every 6 months; with others being examined annually as a minimum. As prey animals, horses are very good at disguising pain. Symptoms of dental issues will often only become apparent once they are advanced. 

Hoof care is also important over the winter months 

In this season, issues such as thrush, mud fever, abscesses and white line disease become more prevalent. Horses’ feet should be picked out and examined daily. Horses should have access to an area of dry standing to allow their feet to dry out. Applying a moisturising hoof dressing or barrier can help manage moisture levels within the hoof. And as always, your horse should be seen by a farrier every 4 to 8 weeks. 

Parasite control changes with the seasons 

Over winter months, the important parasites to consider in the UK are encysted red worm larvae and tapeworm. These two parasites present the challenge that they are not detected by faecal worm egg counts (FECs) and encysted red worms are not killed by most wormers. Targeted parasite control is important to prevent resistance to drugs and over-worming our horses. There are tests available for both encysted red worms (blood test) and tapeworm (blood or saliva) to allow owners and vets to target treatment to those animals who need it. Blanket treatment should be avoided where possible, but in those horses who require treatment, they should be treated with a tapeworm product in September-November (praziquantel or pyrantel) and a product suitable for red worm larvae in November-February (moxidectin). Combination products containing both praziquantel and moxidectin are also available; however, it is important to contact your vet for specific worming advice. 

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Diet

There is no one size fits all approach to winter feeding. An in depth analysis of this topic is beyond the scope of this article. An appropriate diet varies significantly depending on your horse’s age, type, management, exercise level and body condition score. In the wild, horses naturally drop weight over the winter months as food becomes more scarce. It is important to remember that controlled weight loss over the winter is not always a bad thing. It can help reduce the risk of obesity and metabolic conditions. Hay and haylage are generally lower in energy and nutrients than grass. So it is important that all horses regardless of size and shape should be provided with a complete nutritional supplement or balancer to ensure they are getting their essential nutrients over the winter period. 

Ensuring fresh, clean water is always available goes without saying. But over the winter months care needs to be taken to ensure water sources don’t freeze over, making them inaccessible. Insulating buckets and taps, adding a tennis ball to troughs and buckets and using automatic water drinkers are all ways to prevent freezing. 

Rugging

Rugging horses is common practice in the UK. It can help protect our horses against the harsh British weather, but are we over rugging? When do they really need it, and how much is too much?

The thermoneutral zone is the temperature at which body temperature is maintained with little to no energy expenditure (i.e. no shivering or sweating). A horse’s thermoneutral zone is 5-25 degrees celsius, which means they only feel cold when temperatures drop below 5 degrees. Fermentation of fibre within the horse’s hindgut generates heat and helps to maintain their body temperature. A human’s thermoneutral zone is 25-30 degrees celsius. Therefore we shouldn’t base our decision on when to rug our horses on how cold we are!

When allowed to grow, the horse’s hair coat is naturally insulating and waterproofing. And constant access to forage provides horses with their own central heating source. Keeping a horse too warm can affect their metabolism, their immune function and even their growth and healing rates, promoting obesity and metabolic issues.

Moisture trapped under rugs from sweat and rainwater can lead to skin conditions such as rain scald. So rugs should be removed, washed, reproofed, repaired and changed regularly. 

So when should you rug your horse?

  • When a horse is severely underweight or malnourished; rugging will slow down their metabolic rate and extra calories will help add condition.
  • If your horse is clipped, rugs replace the coat’s function in maintaining body temperature and protecting against the elements.
  • When a horse can no longer self-regulate their body temperature, for example old (generally over 20 years old) or very sick horses.
  • When temperatures drop below 5 degrees celsius or in particularly inclement weather conditions. 
  • Horses with a very thin hair coat, such as thoroughbreds. 

Clipping 

Clipping is used to prevent overheating and sweating while in work over the colder months. It can also be beneficial in preventing tack rubbing, reducing the moisture and mud build up on legs and managing conditions such as Cushing’s which can lead to excess hair growth. 

If you’re planning to do it, horses should be clipped around October, once their winter coat has come through. This may need to be repeated throughout the season. It’s important to remember that without their coat to protect them, clipped horses will need protection from the elements in the form of rugs, additional shelter and stabling. 

Grooming

Regular grooming increases blood flow to your horse’s skin. And it helps to remove dead skin and loose hair, improving skin and coat health and appearance. With a thicker winter coat, identifying injuries and ailments can be more difficult, and regular grooming provides owners with an opportunity to get their hands on their horses and give them a good once over. Grooming has also been shown to strengthen the owner-rider bond. And it can be a good opportunity to spend time with your horse when the weather is too bad to ride.

Exercising

In horses with restricted grazing over the winter, exercise becomes particularly important to provide mental and physical stimulation and avoid boredom, weight gain and muscle wastage.

There are several factors to consider when exercising a horse in the winter compared to the summer. Adequate time spent warming up and cooling down your horse is important to prevent injury and aid recovery, especially when exercising them straight from the stable. As a general rule of thumb, the warm up/cool down should last 15-20 minutes each as a minimum and should involve stretching and lengthening exercises. Using a cooling rug can help wick away excess moisture while keeping your horse warm after exercise. 

Taking the weather into consideration is also important. Snow and ice can prevent significant dangers to both horses and riders and should ideally be avoided where possible. Greasing the underside of horse’s hooves can prevent snow from balling up and ensuring your horses feet and shoes are in good condition can help ensure they have good grip. 

Seasonal ailments 

With the changes in weather, routine and management, winter can bring with it the risk of various ailments, including rain scald, mud fever, colic, respiratory disease, gastric ulcers and choke. 

Rain scald: 

Rain scald is a bacterial skin infection affecting the back, rump and neck of horses and forms small, moist scabs. The causative bacteria is a natural inhabitant of horses skin but with persistent wetting and damage of the skin, it can become a problem. 

Preventing rain scald includes protecting your horse’s skin through appropriate rugging, providing shelter, daily inspection of skin, allowing skin time to dry out, regular grooming and addressing underlying health conditions such as Cushing’s which may affect skin health. 

Mud fever:

Like rain scald, mud fever is a bacterial skin infection but affects the lower limbs of horses. Prevention and management is much the same as rain scald, and clipping horses with heavy feather can reduce the moisture trapped against the horses skin. It is important to note however, that although it is tempting to wash your horses legs off when they come in, this can actually cause more harm than good and it may be better to allow your horses legs to dry and then brush the mud off afterwards. The use of turnout boots and barrier creams must be used with caution as whilst they can help, if used incorrectly, they can trap moisture and bacteria against the skin, making the problem worse. 

Colic:

Increased stabling, dietary changes and reduced water consumption over the inter months can create a perfect storm when it comes to colic. Impaction colic is most commonly seen in the autumn and winter and happens due to a slower passage of feed material through the gastrointestinal tract causing a blockage and gas build up. 

Encouraging water intake by offering warmed or flavoured water and supplementing their diet with salt can help reduce their risk of impaction colic. It is also important to introduce new feeds and management changes slowly, and ideally ensure your horse has access to as much turnout as possible over the winter months. 

Symptoms of colic include pawing at the ground, rolling, reduced passing of faeces and inappetence. If you notice any symptoms of colic, contact your vet immediately. 

Respiratory disease:

Dusty stable environments, poor ventilation and dusty hay or bedding can lead to the development of respiratory conditions such as Equine Asthma (EA) in horses. Ensuring stables are adequately and safely ventilated, using dust-free or reduced bedding options such as pellets or paper and soaking or steaming forage can help reduce these risks.

If your horse is showing symptoms of respiratory disease such as coughing, rapid breathing, nasal discharge or exercise intolerance, contact your vet. 

Ulcers:

Increased amount of time spent stabled, feeding concentrate heavy feeds and reduced time eating can all contribute to the development of gastric ulcers. Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) describes the erosion of the horse’s stomach lining, due to prolonged and inappropriate exposure to stomach acid. EGUS affects up to 1 in 3 horses, and often goes undiagnosed for extended periods of time. 

Clinical signs of gastric ulcers include poor appetite and weight loss, dull coat, poor performance, mild or recurrent colic episodes, crib biting and sensitivity to touch around the girth and abdomen. Some easy steps to prevent gastric ulcers include continual access to forage, frequent feeding, preventing stress and boredom and feeding a low concentrate diet.

The only way to diagnose EGUS is via a gastroscope; a long, flexible camera that is passed into the horses stomach via their nose.  If you are concerned your horse may have ulcers or may be at risk, contact your vet for advice.  

Choke:

Choke develops when the oesophagus (the tube from the mouth to the stomach) becomes blocked, usually with food material. Common offenders are unsoaked sugar-beet or other pelleted feeds, apples or carrots and dry forage such as hay or straw. 

Choke can look very dramatic, with saliva and feedstuff coming from the nostrils and the horse appearing in a lot of discomfort. Unlike in humans, the trachea (breathing pipe) isn’t blocked, so horses are generally able to breathe normally. Most choke episodes will clear on their own, but it is always advisable to call the vet as prolonged episodes can lead to aspiration pneumonia and other complications. 

Preventing choke involves maintaining your horse’s dental health, soaking feeds adequately and introducing new feeds slowly. Older horses and those with dental issues are more at risk of choke and may need to be fed forage replacers instead of hay. 

General health check 

Most equine veterinary practices will offer a general health check and this can provide a valuable way to assess your horse’s health before the winter and highlight any conditions which may cause issues. A health check often involves a thorough clinical exam, a full history of your horse’s management and previous health concerns, and may include diagnostic tests such as blood tests and faecal samples. 

Summary

Winter presents many challenges for horse owners in the UK, but taking a proactive approach to your horse’s health and well being can help avoid issues and ensure your horse remains happy and healthy coming into spring. 

References and further reading