This is my first horse and he is an Appendix (thoroughbred/quarter horse cross). He has a long slim athletic build much like a thoroughbred. I came out to feed him this morning and he was shivering horribly. I stalled him for the morning to dry off by I have questions. I've decided to put him on grain to add some weight to him since his skinny build doesn't seem to provide much warmth. I bought him a blanket but when is it appropriate to take it off/keep it on? Should I stall him at night and turn him out for the day as the temp drops? And what grain do you suggest?
3
-
where do you live,protection against wind and some type of roof or some thing your horse can stand under during the night will help your horse stay warm.– trond hansenCommented Oct 1, 2018 at 3:47
-
6what's the temperature range atm? Have you got a photo of him? Does he have shelter in the paddock? Is he with other horses? How old is he?– user6796Commented Oct 1, 2018 at 4:03
-
well, if your horse shivers, give it a blanket, take a look at the temperature, remember that and also regard the wind strength and moisture. Keep track on that and listen to your horse since actually you can simply let your horse decide whether it wants the blanket or not. I seldom use one, but I do once in a year or so rug up my horse (e.g. on hurricane Sabine, fast temperature drops combined with strong winds or rain, ...). Does it look stiff in the cold? Does it shiver? Does is get thin? If you answer any of these with yes: Rug up. Above 0C should be too warm for a rug for most horses.– kaiyaCommented Mar 8, 2020 at 0:45
Add a comment
|
2 Answers
Shivering
Shivering is a way to protect an animal from the cold. It generates heat. This is fine when you have a horse that is nicely rounded from plentiful feed over the warmer months, as shivering uses energy and use up fat stores. If a horse is underweight they are likely to feel the cold more, plus have less reserves to combat that old through shivering.
Nutrition
The best source of feed to help a horse cope with the cold is roughage. Pasture (which is often in less supply over winter) or hay are good ways to fee roughage. Ensuring your horse has a plentiful supply of hay is the first thing to consider. This combined with a hard feed regime if they're struggling to keep weight on may be necessary. Grain alone is not a good idea. It can cause hind gut acidosis, plus rev the horse up. Large amounts of grain can be eaten quickly and get pushed through the gut without being adequately digested. Abundant roughage helps prevent this. The horse will be more prone to ulcers also. As horses need feed in their stomachs around the clock to prevent acid from hitting the top of the stomach.
Rugging
If the horse is thin or doesn't have shelter, then rugging may be necessary. Older and very young horses may also have different rugging requirements to fit healthy adult horses. The issue with rugging, is overheating can cause dire health problems for horses. So horses left with rugs on during the day, if the temperature rises and there's no shade (even with shade) can cause a problem for the horse. If the temperature is rising during the day and you cannot take the rug off in the morning and put it back on at night, it may be preferable to leave rugs off altogether.
There's various research on the temperatures to mind when rugging horses. Note, these are not hard and fast rules, there's considerations, such as rain, snow, wind, shelter, horse condition and health. If it drops below 5 degrees C overnight, pop a rug on. If it's getting to 15 degrees or higher during the day, take it off. Horses need sunlight, even during winter they absorb the sunlight into their skin through their winter coats, so it's a good idea to try and avail horses some rug free time during the day. I have an old horse, if the temperature drops to 11 degrees C overnight or lower, I rug her. She's 27 and has trouble keeping weight on.
Be mindful of the rug heaviness/thickness and whether it's waterproof. Canvas rugs are preferred by many horse owners, as they are breathable. Synthetics are lighter weight, but horses are also more likely to sweat and not get relief from the damp caused by sweat under a synthetic rug. Where we live it doesn't get below 5 degree C at night. I use a combos 200 and 100 gsm rug when it's bitter and my old mares had limited shelter and on a young foal without a mother (the other horses remained unrugged). When it wasn't so cold I used an standard rain sheet, no neck no padding to help my older girl cope with the rain and the cold. Now the nights are dropping to 14 degrees C and it's raining, I'm not so concerned, she has shelter and the days are reaching 22 degrees C. Too hot for rain sheets and winter rugging.
Pic of combo for older mare and rug for young foal without mum
Pic of rainsheet on older mare for the transition weather
Pregnant mare paired with young foal (with no mum). Mare is not rugged, foal is. Winter here.
Stalling
Horses naturally stay warm by moving around. They're also social creatures and require the company of other horses. They will naturally find shelter and shelter as a group. If there is no shelter, possibly stalling overnight would be good. But ensure there is a plentiful supply of hay and fresh water. If the temperature is dropping within the stall, rug him. He cannot move around to get warm in a stall.
-
In addition, which degrees are best depends on the wind, moisture and the horse itself. My horse, for example, needed to be ragged once when he was very thin, but I rugged only at under the freezing point. Older or thinner horses might need a rug earlier, some horses never need a rug. As a conclusion, never rely on fixed temperatures, it's always a highly individual matter.– kaiyaCommented Aug 22, 2021 at 12:25
If your horse is shivering then you'll need to look at getting it a blanket. Your first instinct to fatten it up is also solid, especially if you think it's underweight.
But don't be afraid to take your horse out even if the temperature drops. Even when it's cold your horse will prefer to be out and about. If you're really concerned, just make sure he's blanketed and well-fed. If he shivers alot they tend to lose weight as it burns alot of calories and energy, so feed them more as the temperature drops.
