Warm or Cold – Winter Water Choices

Breaking ice in water troughs is a LOT of work!  Step one....sledgehammer.  Step two....double layer of Playtex Gloves to fish out the floating boat-sized chunks.  Step three....blow hot air on your hands to thaw out!  It's miserable work!  

Many of us use tank heaters to keep our horses water ice free and avoid all that work.  Ever wonder how our horses feel about it?   

Several studies have been conducted regarding ice-laden water versus heated water in the winter months.  If given a choice between warm or cold water, the majority of horses will go for the cold water.  Perhaps the choice is instinctual, but no-one has explained why.  However, if horses have warm water as their only choice, they will consume 40% more than if they had cold water as their only choice.  And, regardless of the temperature, horses will drink most of their water within a few hours of eating their grain or hay.  

At the end of the day, water temperature is really the owner’s choice!  Which sounds like less work?  Running extension cords to all your water tanks, or swinging a sledge hammer?  Either way, the average 1,200 pound horse will drink 7 to 10 gallons of water a day, year round, and he honestly doesn't care if it's warm or cold!  

Wild Winter Weather – Cause for Colic?

Yep, it's winter in Texas!  It can be 70º today, then drop 40º tomorrow!  How do horses handle this shock?

Typically, healthy horses can adjust rather quickly.  And, most of the time, it's not the temperatures that effect them…it’s the barometric pressure changes.  In humans, these changes can cause headaches, dizziness, and arthritis flare ups.  In horses, they can cause colic.

We can't control Mother Nature and her winter wonders, but we can stay one step ahead of her.  Keeping a close eye on the10 to 15 day forecast, as well as monitoring the current temperature and barometric pressure readings, are important to avoiding weather-related incidents of colic. 

When you see changes coming, here are a few things you can do to help your equine buddies…

• Add electrolytes and probiotics to their feed several days ahead of the storm
• Set them free!  If horses are able to move about, they can stay warmer, lay down and roll to help their own GI tract adjust
• Don't worm, vaccinate, travel, change their diet, or exercise them heavily
• Don't dramatically change their housing; if they are accustomed to being stalled or in a pasture, just leave them be
• Watch closely for signs of colic in the first 24 hours after barometric pressure changes; while there are no confirmed study cases of barometric pressure changes and colic, most veterinary clinics will report an increase in colic calls

At Cold River, we believe that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  That includes doing everything possible to help our equine companions withstand the roller-coaster conditions of our Texas winters.

Winter Wear for Your Horse - Not a Blanket Statement

Old Man Winter has started to show his frosty face again, even way down here in North Texas.  It’s time once again to locate your horse’s sheets, blankets and coolers.  But, before you bundle up ol’ Buddy there, let’s talk a little about when and why you should be using a winter blanket at all.

It’s important to remember that horses are cold weather beasts by nature.  They thrive in cooler temperatures, and I’m sure you’ve seen this when your horse is friskier as soon as the weather turns cooler.  Their internal thermometers also run hotter than humans so, when we’re grabbing a sweater or jacket, your horse is just happy the AC has finally been turned on!

Your horse’s coat is built for maximum insulation.  Hair follicles erect the hair, allowing more insulating air pockets to form between the skin and the end of the hairs.  The skin also produces a layer of insulating dander – that white flaky dust you will see near the skin – so don’t wash it away!  As the temperature warms, the hair coat lays down flat again and releases the trapped heat.  It’s truly an amazing process!

But blankets actually compress the hair, forcing it to lay flat and preventing it from creating those insulating pockets of air.  And, if you blanket over early or over extended periods of time, your horse will grow less of a hair coat to begin with.  So, blanketing may actually be doing your horse more harm than good.

Horses who live in Texas can easily withstand temperatures down to 10ºF without blanketing, provided they are in good condition, get plenty of the right nutrition and can get out of the wind and rain.  Rain and sleet are particularly dangerous, as the water will flatten and saturate your horse’s coat, reducing its ability to provide insulation and warmth for your horse.  But a cold wind can also penetrate your horse’s coat with the same results.

Keep in mind that, when you work your horse hard enough in cold temperatures, his sweat penetrates his coat from underneath, with the same consequences as rain.  Drape his body in a cooler made of wool or other quick-wicking fabric to draw away the moisture and trap warmth underneath at the same time.  Always walk out your horse until his respiration drops, he stops sweating, and his chest no longer feels hot to the touch.

Here at Cold River, we blanket senior horses more than others, thin horses who need to gain weight, hard keepers and the ones who, despite the dark days and cold temps, just don't grow much of a coat at all.  It’s all part of our “whole horse” approach to taking care of our equine companions!

When Things Get Hairy: Your Horse’s Winter Coat

Is your horse starting to grow that longer, thicker winter coat?  Are your thoughts turning to blankets, clippers and other means of coat control?

Before you invest any time and money, consider first what causes your horse to do this each Fall.  It might surprise you to know the regulation of hair growth starts with photoreceptors in the eyes plus heat and cold sensors in the skin. Combine these sensors with a decrease in the number of daylight hours and the cooler ambient temperatures, and boom!  You've got hair!

So, if you really want to stop your horse from growing a winter coat, you will need to put him under “full spectrum” lighting, which most closely mimics light from the sun.  And, if you do that, you will also need to keep him warm inside, either with a heater or a blanket.

Blanketing by itself won’t stop hair growth, but it may affect the thickness.  Body clipping will only remove the hair that is already there, and then you will have to keep him blanketed to make up for the missing winter fur.

And, regardless of how you minimize or eliminate winter hair growth, you are increasing the risk that your horse will get sick.  Your horse’s coat was designed to keep him warm in the coldest of conditions.

Here at Cold River, we believe horses are healthier and happier when they can romp outside in the furry winter coats Mother Nature gave them.

Choke – Cause, Treatment & Prevention

It's rare but it happens.  Unlike choke in humans, which blocks the trachea, your horse can still breathe, because the blockage is in his esophagus.  If he is unable to swallow, you may see or feel a bulge in the neck, and he may show signs of distress. 

When it does happen, it’s important to keep your horse calm and, if you are comfortable giving IV shots, administer a sedative.  The sedative will reduce the involuntary spasms of the esophageal muscles.  Often times this, along with an increase in salivation, allows the blockage to pass without further treatment.

If that doesn’t work, get to your veterinarian as soon as possible to avoid complications like a rupture in the esophagus or aspiration pneumonia.  Your vet can use a stomach tube to slowly empty the contents of the esophagus (see photo below) and administer antibiotics and pain relievers if needed.

Here are some good tips for preventing a choking incident…

• avoid pellet feeds
• soften alfalfa cubes by soaking in water before feeding
• feed hard treats, including carrots & apples, in bite-sized pieces
• good equine dental care
• lots of fresh clean drinking water 24/7

If you have a dainty, slow eater, these tips will probably be enough.  But if you have a horse that “bolts” his food down, you may want to slow him down.  Several large rocks added to his feed bucket is an old but effective trick.  There are also compartment feeders like the one shown below.

If your horses are like mine, feeding time is their favorite time of day.  Keep it safe for them as well with a little prevention.

Straight from the Horse’s Mouth – Equine Dental Care is a Must!

Is your horse evading the bit?  Tossing his head?  Refusing to flex or turn?  Believe it or not, the teeth can have a lot to do with this!  

Annual tooth care is the general rule, but age, conformation and health can dictate more frequent exams.  Youngsters are shedding baby teeth and it's important to check on proper exfoliation.  The mouths of middle-aged horses have stabilized, but it’s important to prevent wave mouth or ramping with at least annual floating. Seniors can fracture molars, form pockets that trap food or develop uneven wear, all of which can become critical, so it’s important to stay ahead of these issues with annual or more frequent exams.  

When your Veterinarian or Equine Dentist comes to provide tooth care, be sure they use a speculum with a bright light and examine all the way back....not just pull a cheek off to the side for a quick peek.  The majority of problems happen in the back 1/3rd of the mouth, including ulcers, wave, ramps, hooks, and lacerations of the tongue and cheeks. 

And, when treatment is required, less is better when it comes to removing tooth structure.  Your horse needs to be able properly chew his food to stay healthy and happy well into his 20s.

At Cold River , we take a whole horse approach to horse care, and that includes effective dental treatments.  And you can take that “straight from the horse’s mouth!”

Bring Back Basic Boarding

I have a friend who is an experienced rider with a finished horse, and she simply cannot find a suitable place to board her horse.  Her “wish list” isn’t that long or difficult…24/7 pasture turnout with a stall for bad weather, an arena with good footing, and a knowledgeable staff that can take care of her horse if he gets sick or injured.  It’s basic horse boarding, and it’s not as easy to find as you might think!

Finding a barn with 24/7 turnout isn’t easy, and turnout on pasture narrows the field (no pun intended!) even further.  But, often times when you do find it, you also find requirements to take riding lessons or to have your horse in training.  Not only is it expensive, it may be totally unnecessary and even seems a little presumptuous of your barn to decide what lessons and training you and your horse need!

We believe horses should be allowed to be horses, with 24/7 turnout and stalls only when bad weather threatens.  We will do everything we can to ensure your horse is happy and healthy.  And, we do offer lessons, training and exercise, but we’ll leave it up to you to decide what you want and when.  Basic boarding is alive and well here at Cold River!