Winter Horsekeeping

Temperatures fell into the twenties today in NYC, and with the subarctic chill comes thoughts about my pasture bound Quarter Horse retiree, who, thanks to lots of TLC, a hefty daily feed ration, and a well tailored blue blanket, manages to live outside quite happily during the winter. He's got a barn to come into and a stall nicely bedded down with warm shavings when the weather turns brutally cold, but as long as I've had him he's preferred the open range type of lifestyle to being stalled up. (Though I once owned a paint gelding who was a bit more high maintenance, and LOVED to curl up in his blanket and sleep cold winter nights away in his stall, sheltered from the elements.) With him in mind I thought it fitting to outline some winter care tips for your horses, to keep them safe and healthy when the cold snaps hit.

1. Horses have at least 7 different mechanisms by which their bodies naturally insulate them from cold weather, and are better adapted to dealing with cold than with heat. That being said, dealing with cold requires a hefty energy expenditure, and it is important to provide extra quantities of free choice hay to facilitate these higher caloric needs.
2. It is particularly important in the winter to ensure that horses have access to enough water, a feat that can seem daunting when buckets and troughs freeze over. Make sure to break the ice that collects on top of water sources, or invest in heated troughs or portable bucket heaters. Water should be kept somewhere between 45 and 65 degrees to facilitate consumption.
3. Give cold horses lots of time to get muscles and joints warmed up at the beginning of each workout. This is particularly necessary in older horses who may suffer from arthritis or joint stiffness that can be exacerbated by long stretches of cold weather.
4. Pay particular attention to cooling your horse out after a workout in the cold. A sweating horse can quickly become chilled, and should have ample time to cool out and then dry, preferably via a good towel rubbing or a long walk underneath a cooler.
5. If using blankets, check them frequently to make sure they are not rubbing or scratching your horse, and ensure that they fit properly. Make sure to remove the blankets and groom your horses on a regular basis, paying special attention to any changes in weight or coat health.
6. Special importance should be paid to caring for older horses once the cold sets in, as it can be harder for equine seniors to keep weight on or compete with their pasture mates for an adequate supply of hay and water.
7. Satisfy hungry horse bellies with the occasional warm bran mash, a favored treat for most equines. Jazz up your recipe with carrots, apples or peppermint, and enjoy watching your horse eagerly lick his bucket clean.
8. Rub petroleum jelly on the frogs of your horse's feet to prevent snow buildup inside his hooves. If doing lots of outdoor winter riding over snowy or icy terrain, consider investing in horseshoe caulks or rubber horse boots to improve traction.

There are undoubtedly lots more ideas out there for cold weather horsekeeping, so feel free to share yours. Here's hoping you get to enjoy watching your fuzzy pasture bundles frolicking in holiday snowfalls!

Pony Pilates!

New Yorkers are religious about their workout habits. It's a very fitness conscious atmosphere up here, and many of our urban residents are committed to some type of regimen to ensure they stay svelte and healthy. Yoga and Pilates are favorites of the workout minded in the area, with private studios available in every neighborhood, and classes offered at every major gym. I myself am a fan of modified Pilates workouts, as I tender a strong core section to be a major requirement for maintaining strength, good posture, and endurance both on the ground and in the saddle. Building one's ab and back muscles provides support for your spine and lends strength to the other muscle systems of the body.

It was not, however, without skepticism that I read a recent Horse.com article touting the benefits of Pilates for horses. I mean, just how does one get a horse to strengthen its core independent of the rest of its body? The good news is, the article makes a compelling argument for a Pilates inspired practice with horses, providing a series of exercises, done from the ground, that require a horse to stretch and flex the muscles surrounding his midsection. The concept was developed by equine physiologist Hilary Clayton, DVM, from Michigan State University (and her colleague Narelle Stubbs) who competes with her Pilates strengthened Arabians in dressage.

Pilates based exercises for horses are organized into three categories, that increase with difficulty as you cycle through them. The first set is the "mobilization exercises flex," which is targeted to improve flexibility through the spine and midsection. The next group of exercises are "core strengthening," and both improve the horse's posture and help stabilize the major muscle groups that hold his rib carriage and hips in proper alignment. As Dr. Clayton points out, these exercises "'are particularly good for horses with a sagging top line or hollow belly.'" The final set of exercises are "balancing exercises" that "improve balance and stability for athletic performance by teaching the horse to control manually induced shifts of his weight." Because some of these movements require the horse to be positioned on only three legs, they are contraindicated for horses with nervous system or other similar disorders.

To learn about the unique exercises involved with the process, read more here.

Beating the Dog Days

Ahh, the dog days of August. They've finally descended down upon New York City like a hazy, shimmering (smoggy) cloud. It had been hard to know whether summer had even come at all given June and July's relentlessly water logged weeks, but now, with temperatures forecast into the high 80s all this week, there's no denying it.

The tail end of summer, even with its attendant humidity and fly control issues, is still a great time to be at the barn. I can't even begin to count the lazy summer afternoons I've spent watching horses graze, or the training sessions timed just so as to catch that sweet spot as a hot day fades into a cool, breezy evening.

With the return of summer's heat, though, do come additional horsecare caveats to be kept in mind. Trailering horses to and from shows and trail dates is already strenuous enough without the added burden of potentially high heat and humidity within and outside the trailer. It is important that trailering stints are timed so as to allow a horse adequate rest and recuperation when temperatures climb, and that water is offered as often as possible.

A horse drinks, on average, 5-6 gallons of water a day, without the attendant stress of higher temperatures, and water loss due to increased sweating. Some horses are particularly finicky about drinking on the road or from foreign water sources, so dehydration can set in rapidly and last for several days. Trailering is also akin in terms of energy expenditure to moving at a walk for the same period of time, as the horse works inside to balance himself. He may therefore be inclined to drink more due to this exertion. As you travel with your animal, make sure to offer water at regular intervals (The AHSA recommends every four hours or so), and consider flavoring the water with sports drink powder or some of the readily available flavor additives currently marketed for equine athletes.

The Most Difficult Decisions

I have always had a bleeding heart for animals and children. Seeing abuse or mistreatment of either gets my hackles up immediately. So it was, of course, with consternation that I read a recent conversation on MSN.com regarding a reader who had opted to turn the family horse (and dog) loose rather than continue to pay its bills or deliver it to an adoption facility. Many readers wrote in responding that it was downright dangerous to do such a thing, both for the animal's welfare (as it would surely starve) and for human welfare in the vicinity, because the occupants of a car colliding with a loose, scared horse would likely suffer significant injuries. Many others, however, argued very reasonably that if it came down to a choice between feeding the horse and feeding the children, it would not be so difficult to make such a decision.


This got me to thinking about our current economic crisis and how it is affecting those who own, train, breed and sell horses. Numerous articles have been written about the difficulties of supporting an equine passion during a bear market, but I think it's nearly impossible to investigate the myriad angles from which this situation is squeezing the horse owner (both middle income and wealthy). There is already horse overpopulation and economic fallout wrought on America's equine economy by the current ban on equine slaughter. The price of hay, fuel, feed and bedding have all risen meteorically in the last year, making boarding and caring for a horse suddenly out of the economic reach of many American families. Horse purchases are down across industries for horses that lack top conformation and pedigrees, as evidenced by less than stunning figures brought recently at the Kentucky Fasig-Tipton sale and the Ocala Breeder's Sale (thoroughbreds). This confluence of elements is creating a horse industry that is strapped for cash but flush with horses. When top level professionals who make lucrative livings with equines are opting to show less, breed less, and buy less, how is the middle-income horse owner expected to curb the effects of the dampening?

As evidenced by the discussion above, the answer can be quite difficult. I am incredibly lucky to have my retired QH gelding tucked safely away on a friend's farm, but the farm's owner has been gracious enough to keep him basically at cost for his board. Many who own horses aren't afforded the same luxury, and are now being faced with difficult decisions. It is a good time to keep in mind that there are options for your horse if he or she has become too much of a financial burden. Turning a horse out onto the back nine to fend for itself is likely only a death sentence. At least inquire with adoption, rescue and rehab facilities as to whether your horse is a possible candidate for their programs.

And as a final and related note, I recently watched (part of) a documentary on HBO called "Running for Their Lives" about the pipeline that exists in this country to funnel to area auction houses racehorses that get injured or never find success . Here they are kept, traumatized and frightened in small pens with little food or water, and either die or are eventually sold to Mexican slaughter plants. I could only watch about 3 minutes of the video before I began crying and demanded it be turned off. Luckily it appears I am not the only one appalled, and that the racing industry is stepping up to investigate.