Mid-Atlantic Storm
Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster
-
Shammy Davis
- Chef de Race: Classic
- Posts: 4451
- Joined: Sat Oct 02, 2004 8:23 am
-
Shammy Davis
- Chef de Race: Classic
- Posts: 4451
- Joined: Sat Oct 02, 2004 8:23 am
The Horse.com has a good article on how to help our horses though this cold weather..
Bottom line is they must have plenty of good hay which will ferment and provide all the heat they need,, Second they need access to plenty of water so the hay can ferment and third they are much better served with a three sided shed than locked in a barn as the poor ventalation in the barn stalls can cause pneumonia.
The article also caution that blanketing a horse can cause a lot of problems if the blanket gets wet.
griff
Bottom line is they must have plenty of good hay which will ferment and provide all the heat they need,, Second they need access to plenty of water so the hay can ferment and third they are much better served with a three sided shed than locked in a barn as the poor ventalation in the barn stalls can cause pneumonia.
The article also caution that blanketing a horse can cause a lot of problems if the blanket gets wet.
griff
"We has met the enemy and he is us" [Pogo]
griff wrote:The Horse.com has a good article on how to help our horses though this cold weather..
Bottom line is they must have plenty of good hay which will ferment and provide all the heat they need,, Second they need access to plenty of water so the hay can ferment and third they are much better served with a three sided shed than locked in a barn as the poor ventalation in the barn stalls can cause pneumonia.
The article also caution that blanketing a horse can cause a lot of problems if the blanket gets wet.
griff
Yepper. All horses really need in terms of winter shelter, even in cold snowy Western NYS, is a dry place out of the wind. They are happier and healthier, especially if they have access to the outdoors 24/7, than shut up in a barn. You do need to site the open side of the shed correctly -- east or southeast.
My dad kept his beef cattle in that kind of a set up for years, and my horse shared it with them.
If you do have your horses in a barn, they would be best served if you have a functional cupola or some kind of venting under the eaves or at the gable ends to allow moisture to escape.
my guys are almost always out except in the worst of it. But when they do go in the barn they really relax. Its warmer (even though I leave the top of the stall door open) and out of the wind. Because they are flight animals, the wind is disquieting because they sense movement and can't sense the presence of the proverbial lion-out-to-get-them as easily. When they go in the enclosed barn they seem content - for a while. Then when they do go out they love to run. So the respite out of the weather (even a shed) helps I think. THat said, prolonged stays in the barn are boring and confining for horses bred to run.
jm
jm
Run the race - the one that's really worth winning.
They're calling for snow in Florida!!! 
Shades of 1977.......I was 15 and had to stand outside at the bus stop for school. We all had a blast making golfball-sized snowballs that took five minutes each to make!
Ah well, I'm glad my kids might get the chance to see it, they'll have their own memories just like I do!
I don't have horses any more, so won't be worrying about mine enduring the cold, but I feel for those who do.
Shades of 1977.......I was 15 and had to stand outside at the bus stop for school. We all had a blast making golfball-sized snowballs that took five minutes each to make!
Ah well, I'm glad my kids might get the chance to see it, they'll have their own memories just like I do!
I don't have horses any more, so won't be worrying about mine enduring the cold, but I feel for those who do.
Justice: When you get what you deserve.
Mercy: When you don't get what you deserve.
Grace: When you get what you don't deserve.
Mercy: When you don't get what you deserve.
Grace: When you get what you don't deserve.
-
Shammy Davis
- Chef de Race: Classic
- Posts: 4451
- Joined: Sat Oct 02, 2004 8:23 am
-
erins isle
- Grade III Winner
- Posts: 1125
- Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 6:26 am
- Location: The basement of Europe
Here in Europe weather has not been so awful since years. England is struggling with snowfloods, terrible if you see this on TV. In Holland we have not had so many snow since 1979. It is very cold, we are inspecting more snowshowers and there is a North East wind blowing.... 
which makes it much colder. The weatherforcast is expecting to keep this weather on for a week.
It will be a long cold winter.
which makes it much colder. The weatherforcast is expecting to keep this weather on for a week.
It will be a long cold winter.
The more I get to know people, the more I love animals.
