-9 Degrees Coming

[ratherrapid]

What's too cold for an outside horse?
Any of u folks up north have a feel.
We're getting 0 degrees to -9 degrees here in KC for 48
straight hours with -20 to -30 degree wind chills.
At what temp. point must they have blankets.
Is this cold a danger to survival?

[TJ]

What's too cold for an outside horse?
Any of u folks up north have a feel.
We're getting 0 degrees to -9 degrees here in KC for 48
straight hours with -20 to -30 degree wind chills.
At what temp. point must they have blankets.
Is this cold a danger to survival?

Hi Rather,
It would be a good idea to get them some shelter if possible and definitely blanket them, preferably with a full neck and head hood. Since this is an unusual weather event, if no shelter from the wind is available, I would double blanket them and keep an eye on them (so they don't break out in a sweat if the weather turns). TJ

[Cree]

And make sure they have hay in front of them at all times, and water that isn't frozen.

[ratherrapid]

txs for response. they moderated our forecast a little. I always wonder at what temperature point blankets become appropriate. Mine in the past has been at about -2 degrees.

[Joltman]

They'll shiver if too cold, but the key is lots of hay to keep the heat engine inside warm. Cold itself can be managed but roll in wind or precip and they need all the help they can get. Lots of warm water too. If really cold (-10), and out, I would put a hood on too. I know my hat does wonders.

jm

[wilf]

Jolt is right, the blanket thing is irrelevant, just give them a bellyfull of good hay and water and a place to get out of the weather, a simple run-in shed and the animal will take care of the rest.

[madelyn]

Big round bales strategically placed not only provide food but they pull some of the hay down and roll up against the bales for warmth. We just had buckets of rain which is going to be followed by freezing temps and if mine had blankets on they would be soaked to the skin and shivering to death. A good fluff of the fur coat alone slicks off the rain and is better protection.

[erins isle]

Can't believe this, such an awful weather, on this side of the North Sea it is rainy, sometimes sunny and 14 degrees celcius, unbelievable for this time of the year. No frost at all.

[CherryDavis]

I blanket anytime it gets into the teens. It doesn't matter how much hay you put in front of them, there comes a point when they cannot consume enough to offset the amount of calories they are burning to stay warm. It makes financial sense to blanket because they will need to consume less and they will look better at the end of the winter because they are not burning more than they can replace. I have heaters in all of my water tanks, and with the current bitter cold I am adding hot water to all of their buckets in the barn and turning their feed into mashes. Blankets should be waterproof, if yours are getting wet underneath you either are not using turnouts or they were improperly washed and lost their waterproofing. Mine never get wet underneath.

[Joltman]

My vet sent out an email blast to clients - text version below:

Will My Horse Freeze Tonight???
The short answer is NO! Your horse is uniquely designed to withstand much colder temperatures than we will have in Virginia tonight. Here are some things you can do to help your horse in cold temperatures:
1. Provide access to fresh water all the time.
2. DO NOT change their normal routine. (Your horse is more likely to colic if you suddenly keep him locked up in a stall when you normally don't.)
3. DO NOT feed them extra grain or "warm mash" as this will not warm them up. It only changes their gut pH and they are more likely to colic.
4. Provide access to an area they can choose to get out of the wind and the wet if they want, but keep them in their same pasture. A run in shed or a stall with the door open is best.
5. Offer extra hay. Hay WILL actually "warm" them up because it is a substrate for fermentation which produces heat.
6. Only blanket your horse if they are used to a blanket or if they have a thin hair coat for showing or they are under weight. If they have extra fat or they have a good thick winter coat, they will do better letting their own hair provide the warmth it was designed to provide. A blanket will just flatted out the air spaces between the hair follicles and the insulation property of their own hair coat will be lost.
7. Did I mention fresh water available all the time? Colic from not drinking water is the single biggest cause of colic in the cold.

+++++++

The vets/techs get to do the visits at 10 below and help the horses, so I think I'll let my guys out now...

jm

[TJ]

In unusual colder weather like this, when you don't have heated water troughs.... allow the water to freeze solid over the top. Then break through the ice large enough for a snoot or two to enter:>) Refill to below that opening and it will usually allow your horse access to fresh water without freezing below that ice line. TJ

[ratherrapid]

My vet sent out an email blast to clients - text version below:

Will My Horse Freeze Tonight???
The short answer is NO! Your horse is uniquely designed to withstand much colder temperatures than we will have in Virginia tonight. Here are some things you can do to help your horse in cold temperatures:
1. Provide access to fresh water all the time.
2. DO NOT change their normal routine. (Your horse is more likely to colic if you suddenly keep him locked up in a stall when you normally don't.)
3. DO NOT feed them extra grain or "warm mash" as this will not warm them up. It only changes their gut pH and they are more likely to colic.
4. Provide access to an area they can choose to get out of the wind and the wet if they want, but keep them in their same pasture. A run in shed or a stall with the door open is best.
5. Offer extra hay. Hay WILL actually "warm" them up because it is a substrate for fermentation which produces heat.
6. Only blanket your horse if they are used to a blanket or if they have a thin hair coat for showing or they are under weight. If they have extra fat or they have a good thick winter coat, they will do better letting their own hair provide the warmth it was designed to provide. A blanket will just flatted out the air spaces between the hair follicles and the insulation property of their own hair coat will be lost.
7. Did I mention fresh water available all the time? Colic from not drinking water is the single biggest cause of colic in the cold.

+++++++

The vets/techs get to do the visits at 10 below and help the horses, so I think I'll let my guys out now...

jm

that seems excellent advice, although I might disagree somewhat on the blankets since perhaps any matting of the coat will be compensated for by significant heat retention due to the blanket. Since horses dislike blankets--my opinion from observation--I avoid blanketing to a point.

. Turned out we hit -7 degrees but only for a couple of hours. Put all the hay on low side of hill away from wind, and they showed zero distress. I've seen it cold enough were they do show some distress and seem to appreciate the blankets. Q is at what temp. point to blanket.