Caring for a horse at any time of the year can come with its challenges but it becomes even more crucial to have the right care over winter. There are lots of things you can do to make sure your horse is well cared for. Here we discuss our top tips for how to properly look after your horse over the winter period.

Check the water supply

Checking your water buckets regularly is essential during the colder months. The water can freeze over if temperatures get low enough. Horses can drink up to ten gallons of water a day and will often end up drinking more water in the winter months when fed dried forages.

If you are unable to check on your horse’s water throughout the day, it might be worth investing in a water bucket heater. These powerful heaters can warm a five-gallon bucket of water in just a few minutes and will stop your water from freezing.

Provide adequate shelter

It may sound obvious, but your horse must have sufficient shelter from the elements during the colder months. There are many different options when it comes to providing shelter for your horse, each with its benefits.

If you choose to stable your horse, you must make sure they have enough space and can easily be attended to even if you are ever unable to reach them. You must make sure a stabled horse is turned out daily to exercise and be in their natural habitat. If you confine a horse inside for too long, it can start to suffer from both physical and mental problems.

Keep your paddock tidy

Making sure your horse’s paddock is kept clean and tidy becomes essential during the winter months, especially when mud starts to develop. Keeping on top of the amount of mud in your paddock is very important. If you don’t remove excess mud from your horse’s legs regularly it can lead to fungal or bacterial infections.

Chose the right rugs

Over time, horses and ponies have evolved so they can fluctuate their weight depending on the temperature. Their enate ability to change their weight means that not every horse needs to be rugged during the colder months.

It’s important to determine if your horse needs to be rugged. Typically breeds with finer coats like Warmbloods and Thoroughbreds, are more likely to need a rug to help keep them warm.

Shop our range of horse rugs here.

To make sure your horse is well cared for this winter, browse our full range of products.