Emergency Winter Weather Prep – Horse and Rider

When severe winter weather hits with little warning, having an action plan ready can protect your horse from health issues. If you’re expecting temperatures to drop significantly in the next few days, are preparing for heavy snow, or getting ready to battle ice storms, here are critical steps to take.

It’s important to know what your horse requires from you during winter weather. Does he need a blanket, or is his coat long enough? Is he shod? Is he a hard keeper? These are all questions to ask yourself to determine what he needs. Mark J Barrett/adobe.stock.com

1. Increase Feed

Your horse uses feed as fuel.

As temperatures prepare to drop and winter weather moves in, consider upping your horse’s feed intake to help him stay warm. You can also split feedings up to feed throughout the day to help him maintain his body temperature. Warm mashes can help increase water intake, and feeding heavier in the evening so he eats throughout the night can be beneficial.

2. Modify Water Management

Consider adding a salt block or salt source near waters to encourage drinking, or add electrolytes to water sources. Ensure that added electrolytes won’t put your horse off drinking by trying them out a few days in advance, or offering a plain water source alongside the flavored water as an alternative.

If you don’t have access to heated water tanks, you’ll need to be prepared to break ice on tanks every 2-3 hours during freezing temperatures. You can try out insulated buckets to slow freezing, or keep spare buckets to the side so you can rotate them out as they freeze. Check for signs of dehydration and keep an eye on his water intake.

This is especially important if you have senior horses that struggle with balance or arthritis. You can spread sand or cat litter on high-traffic areas to help with footing, or clear paths between water sources and feeding areas. If you’re able to bed horses under cover so they have somewhere warm and dry to get out of the weather, be sure that you’re also cleaning out these areas often and that they’re well-ventilated.

If your horse is shod, chip out ice balls from his hooves throughout the day, or apply products to keep ice from building up in his feet, like Vaseline or Pam spray. Try not to keep his feed somewhere that he’ll struggle to get to if ice builds up, such as at the bottom or top of a hill. Do the same for his water; keep it in an easily accessible area.

4. Make Blanket Preps Now

If you blanket your horses, take time before weather hits to make sure blankets fit properly, are in good shape, and clean. Test out the clips, clean the underside of the blanket, and fit it to your horse while the weather is decent so you’re not fumbling with frozen fingers trying to lengthen straps. Check under his blanket often to ensure it’s not rubbing him or causing hot spots.

Keep blankets where they’ll be dry and easy to access if you need to use them. Hanging them from a hook on the wall can help keep them cleaner, and easy to grab when you need them.

5. Position Your Emergency Supplies

Move your feed into an easily accessible and covered area. You don’t want to have to dig through a foot of snow to find the next bale of hay. Set aside empty buckets that you can fill with water if need be, and keep spare halters and lead ropes near your pens just in case you need to move horses quickly.

Stage emergency supplies where they’re accessible but under cover. It’s always better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it. It might not hurt to photograph your emergency preparations and share the location of supplies with anyone who might need to care for your horses. Keep regular checks on weather forecasts and set up alert systems for sudden changes in conditions.