Hay everyone!
New Jersey sure is pretty frigid this week! I hope y’all are staying nice and warm like me. Extreme temperatures, whether that be hot or cold, calls for some extra care for your horses. That’s why this week, I wanted to chat with y’all about how your horses stay warm and when they might need some extra help.
Just like you, horses are mammals. That means that they are “endothermic” or “warm-blooded” and produce their own body heat. When it gets cold outside, horses have a variety of ways to make sure that they stay warm:
Muscle Activity:
Movement and exercise are one way to produce heat. When you use your muscles, some of the energy makes your muscles contract and some of it is released as heat. That’s why you shiver when you get really cold! Your horse does the same thing, and it’s why you probably see them running and playing if they’re out in the pasture in the winter.
Hindgut Digestion:
The digestion and fermentation happening in the hindgut of a horse acts like a furnace to help maintain body temperature. In a cold environment, the energy requirements of a horse increase by about 25%. This is because on top of the energy that the horse needs to maintain regular body functions, extra energy must be used to keep itself warm. You can make sure that your horse has enough energy to do all this by feeding approximately 25% more forage.
Hair:
Your horse produces its own built-in coat: hair! During the winter, the coat gets thick and dense. As long as it stays dry, it provides excellent insulation by trapping a layer of warm air near the skin. The skin also produces oils that act as a waterproof barrier against rain and snow. You can even see this in action if there is snow on your horse’s back or rump. The hair is providing an insulating and waterproof layer that prevents body heat from escaping and melting the snow!
If your horse stays in the pasture, make sure that they have protection from wind in the form of a run-in shed. If your horse is very young, old, or sick, they might require a blanket or to be brought inside to deep-bedded stalls to make sure that they warm. Regardless, all horses will need some form of shelter, adequate forage, and lots of water. The NJAES website has a lot of recently-updated factsheets where you can learn more about the specifics of caring for your horse in the winter:
Until next time.
Your friend,
Lord Nelson