Make winter easier for your older horse
The season ahead may be hard on aging horses in cold climates but with some planning and preparation you can help yours sail through until spring.
The season ahead may be hard on aging horses in cold climates but with some planning and preparation you can help yours sail through until spring.
Abrisk nip in the morning air, trees losing the last of their leaves, flocks of noisy geese flying south---these signs of an approaching winter can stir up a range of emotions for those who have a beloved older horse in the barn. The changing of the seasons is a reminder of the passage of time and the precious few years that may be left for an old horse. Add in unease over the practical challenges that winter may hold and wistfulness gives way to worry. But it doesn’t have to.
Most of the factors that make the winter months difficult for older horses can be mitigated with a bit of forethought and preparation. When you anticipate challenges, you can either work to eliminate them or, if that’s not possible, provide the support your horse needs to overcome them. Of course, problems that you didn’t anticipate can, and will, arise---that’s just the nature of horse ownership. But with some prep work, you can be ready to provide the help your horse needs. Here’s a basic framework for planning ahead, as well guidance on how you can help your horse cope with winter-related challenges.
STAYING WARM
Challenge: Older horses don’t necessarily have more trouble keeping warm than do their younger herdmates, but if they do get chilled the consequences can be more significant. A cold horse will burn calories in an attempt to stay warm at the expense of maintaining his body condition. If an older horse has trouble holding his weight to begin with, being cold will just make it more difficult. Cold can also exacerbate pain and stiffness in arthritic joints, making it more difficult for an older horse to get around.
Plan ahead: Check now to ensure the blankets you intend to use on your older horse still fit. Changes in weight and musculature can dramatically alter the fit of a blanket. The body shape and thinner skin of elderly horses in particular can lead to painful pressure sores, especially at the withers, under blankets that otherwise seem to fit. Remove your horse’s blanket daily to check for problems and if you are short, or the horse is tall, stand on a step stool to inspect his back regularly.
Next, consider shelter options. An older horse does not need to be kept indoors---in fact, that can be detrimental to his respiratory health (more about that later)---but he does need shelter from wind and precipitation. A run-in shed provides more than adequate shelter without respiratory risks.
Troubleshooting: As you monitor your old horse this winter to make sure he’s comfortable, keep in mind that horses have individual tolerances for cold just as people do. A content-looking horse with a flat coat is likely coping with the cold just fine. If his coat is “puffed” out---with the hair standing on end---it means his body is making an extra effort to stay warm. He’s not cold yet but could be if the temperatures drop further.
If, however, you find an older horse shivering this winter, he’s cold and you need to help him. Bring him into a sheltered, dry area right away and cover him with a blanket, even if it doesn’t fit perfectly. In an emergency you could bring the horse into a heated garage or shop space, but you’ll want to remove as many of the tools and vehicles as possible for safety. Avoid using space heaters due to the fire risk. Once the horse is secure and blanketed, make sure he has forage and slightly warmed water and call your veterinarian for further
Most of the factors that make the winter months difficult for older horses can be mitigated with a bit of forethought and preparation.
guidance. When your horse has recovered and is comfortable, you’ll need to find a more permanent solution with appropriate shelter and a properly fitted blanket.
MAINTAINING WEIGHT
Challenge: Older horses often drop weight in winter. This is usually the result of dental problems that make it difficult or painful to thoroughly chew food, particularly dry forage, combined with an increase in the calories needed to stay warm as temperatures drop. Add in the fact that weight loss can go undetected for weeks under winter blankets and a loss of body condition can become a serious issue. Ideally, an older horse will go into winter with a body condition score (BCS) of 5 or 6, which means his ribs may be visible from some angles but cannot be felt without pressure, his withers are rounded, and there are some small fat deposits around his shoulder and neck. Anything less than a BCS of 5 may mean he’ll feel colder and his immune system may be less robust this winter.
Plan ahead: Assess your horse’s body condition now, asking for the opinion of a trusted, knowledgeable friend or your veterinarian if you’re not sure. If your horse is underweight at the beginning of the season, you’ll want to figure out why and remedy the situation without delay. It’s possible he needs a more calorie-rich diet or perhaps just more of the feed than he is currently getting. You can also increase his caloric intake by adding corn oil or a supplement designed for weight gain to his ration. Also have your veterinarian do a full dental checkup---if your horse can’t comfortably eat, what you feed him doesn’t really matter. Finally, consider asking your veterinarian to do bloodwork to rule out any underlying health conditions, such as kidney disease, that could make it difficult for your horse to maintain his weight.
Troubleshooting: If your horse is losing weight midwinter, address it as you would at any other time of year but with more urgency. Don’t make dietary changes suddenly, which can increase the risk of colic, but avoid taking a “wait and see” approach, which in this situation can have devastating results. Make a weight-gain plan and implement it immediately. Feeding more grain may be your first inclination, but don’t overlook the importance of forage in maintaining weight during the winter---its slow metabolic “burn” helps keep a horse warm. Also be sure your horse is properly blanketed and sheltered.
BREATHING EASY
Challenge: Equine asthma, commonly called “heaves,” is a progressive narrowing of the small airways of the lungs. Affected horses have trouble exhaling during flare-ups. Episodes of heaves are triggered by tiny dust particles arising from footing, bedding, hay and the environment. During the winter horses are more likely to be kept indoors, where air quality can be poor, for more hours per day. Ironically, many owners may think they are doing something positive for older horses by keeping them in warm barns, but the opposite is usually true: Dusty indoor air can irritate a horse’s respiratory system, leaving him less comfortable and more compromised
than if he were left out in the cold.
Plan ahead: If you know your older horse has heaves, arrange to keep him outdoors as much as possible during the winter. This means thinking about all the ways to keep him warm without shutting him up in the barn: blanketing, feeding and shelter. Horses with heaves do best with hay that has been soaked to reduce dust. This is more difficult in the winter, but it’s critical to still do so. Keep in mind that hay doesn’t have to be soaked for long to control dust---a thorough wetting with a hose is fine. Also, it’s fine to feed frozen hay to horses, so don’t worry about that. Steaming hay in commercially available devices will reduce dust without freezing and without removing any precious nutrients. When blanketed appropriately and given shelter, older horses can live outside 24/7, even in very cold weather. Consider putting mats and bedding into a run-in shed to make it more comfortable for your horse to lie down while still enjoying plenty of fresh air.
Troubleshooting: If, despite your best efforts, your older horse has a heaves flare-up in the middle of winter, the first thing to do is remove him from the dusty environment. This may mean moving him from the barn to a paddock outside, even if it’s very cold. Make sure his hay is also dust-free. Then call your veterinarian. Medications, including steroids, can help a horse through an acute episode of heaves, but the only way to sustain improvements is to make lasting management changes.
PROTECT HIS GUT
Challenge: The risk of impaction colic increases dramatically for all horses over the winter months, a direct result of eating drier forage---hay versus pasture---while drinking less water because of cooler temperatures. A painful blockage can form anywhere in the intestines but often occurs at the pelvic flexure, the portion of the large colon that folds back on itself in a hairpin turn. Older horses are at an even higher risk of impactions due to age-related dental problems that make it difficult to chew hay thoroughly.
Plan ahead: The first step in protecting against winter colic is a full oral checkup by a veterinarian. Dental care in older horses isn’t always as simple as floating; a horse may need extractions, periodontal treatment or other work to ensure he can comfortably and effectively chew his hay all season long. Your veterinarian can identify possible problems and address them.
Next, set in place a strategy for keeping your horse hydrated. This means ensuring that the temperature of his water buckets and troughs stay
Ironically, many owners may think they are doing something positive for their older horses by keeping them in warm barns, but the opposite is usually true: Dusty indoor air can irritate a horse’s respiratory system, leaving him less comfortable and more compromised than if he were left out in the cold.
slightly above freezing all season long. Multiple studies have shown that horses are more likely to drink slightly warmed water and numerous products---from submersible heaters to insulated buckets---are available to achieve this. But you may also need to give your horse a hydration “boost” in anticipation of a particularly cold bout of weather. Electrolytes, a staple of summer months, can help by triggering a thirst response. Just follow the dosing instructions on the product and ensure your horse has access to plenty of unfrozen water afterwards.
Troubleshooting: If your old horse colics during the winter, of course immediately call your veterinarian. Remove all feed from his stall as you wait but leave his water bucket. Do not attempt to hydrate the horse with a syringe or hose or any other method. You do not need to walk a horse with impaction colic unless he’s so uncomfortable that he may thrash around and hurt himself. Fortunately, when caught early, most impactions are treatable with medication. And even if surgery is required, research suggests that older horses have just as high a chance of making a full recovery as do younger horses.
MOVING IN COMFORT
Challenge: Just as your own joints may ache more in the winter, older, arthritic horses feel the cold more than their younger herdmates. Scientists don’t fully understand why joints hurt more in the cold, but changes in barometric pressure, colder ambient temperatures and reduced exercise all seem to contribute. Older, arthritic horses are often stiff under
Scientists don’t fully understand why joints hurt more in the cold, but changes in barometric pressure, chilly ambient temperatures and less movement all seem to contribute.
saddle during the winter months, taking longer to warm up at the beginning of a ride. Some never work out of the stiffness and remain in a continual state of discomfort.
Aching joints aren’t just uncomfortable, though; they can make it difficult for an old horse to stand again after lying down for REM sleep. If the horse also has any weakness or neurological issues, “difficulty” can become a life-threatening “inability.”
Plan ahead: If your horse has had any history of joint pain in warmer months, now is the time to act to protect him. If he’s not already on a supplement formulated to protect joint health, you may want to start him on one. If your horse is already on a supplement, talk to your veterinarian about the possibility of increasing the dosage.
Joint injections may be another option---they aren’t just for highpowered equine athletes anymore. Corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid or a combination of the two injected directly into the joint can have dramatic positive effects by limiting inflammation and supporting to the production of lubricating synovial fluid. Likewise, polysulfated glycosaminoglycan---injected intramuscularly---can reduce inflammation and support joint health.
Another way to ward off arthritis pain is to keep your horse moving. Regular exercise keeps joints lubricated and the muscles that support them toned. Plan now to have a place ---ideally, an area with good footing, adequate shelter and friendly herdmates---where your older horse can be turned out every single day of winter. There may be days when even that space isn’t suitable, so put a backup plan in place, such as turnout in an indoor arena or even hand-walking up
and down the barn aisle for 30 minutes twice a day. You don’t want any horse to spend an entire day in a stall this winter, but it’s particularly important to avoid leaving your aging horse idle throughout the day.
Troubleshooting: If, despite your best efforts, your older horse’s arthritis acts ups in the cold weather, medication may be appropriate. Talk to your veterinarian about starting a course of phenylbutazone. This non-steroidal anti-inflammatory is effective but can be hard on a horse’s kidneys. Your veterinarian may want to draw blood to ensure your horse’s renal function is normal before you begin regular dosing with “bute.” An alternative is firocoxib, a different class of anti-inflammatory drug with fewer side effects. It’s more expensive but may be the best choice for long-term regular use.
SAFE GROUND
Challenge: Winter footing, whether it’s slick mud and ice or rocksolid frozen fields, can be treacherous for older horses. Arthritic pain, along with generalized weakness or balance issues, can cause an older horse to stumble, trip or even fall on terrain a younger horse could negotiate easily. What’s more, dicey footing can make an older horse reluctant to approach water, hay or other resources in the pasture, leading to other health problems.
Bad footing isn’t just a turnout problem; riding any horse on frozen ground can lead to hoof bruises and concussive strain on leg structures. Older horses may have a hard time coping with both of these, leading to soundness problems.
Plan ahead: Think about the areas of your farm that typically get frozen or slick during the winter months. These are probably the high-traffic areas, such as around gates, troughs or run-in sheds, or low-lying places on your property. Take steps now to shore up these spaces. An easy and (relatively) economical option is to put down a layer of crusher-run gravel. If you have more to invest, look into ground-stabilizing geo-textile fabrics or grids. You can also move the troughs or gates themselves, but that is only a temporary fix and may need to be repeated several times over the winter. If your riding space needs a footing refresh, now is the time to do it. Otherwise, consider alternatives where you can ride if the footing freezes or gets slick. Perhaps there’s a local indoor arena you can rent by the hour.
Finally, consider your horse’s shoes.
Studs on shoes can increase a horse’s “grip” on slicker footing, while pads under them can act as shock absorbers. Talk to your farrier and possibly your veterinarian about shoeing changes you can make now that might help your older horse deal with tough footing later this year.
Troubleshooting: If poor footing is an immediate concern, the best action to take will be determined by the nature of the problem. Ice poses the greatest danger: If there’s an icy spot in the field, make sure your horse doesn’t have to go anywhere near it to access water and hay.
If the entire field is under ice (after a storm, for instance) keep older horses out of it until the thaw begins. If horses are stranded in a run-in shed or corner of the pasture, take a tractor out to break up the ice and deliver hay and water to them so they will be comfortable there until the ground thaws.
If mud is the problem, try to move the horses to higher ground. If that isn’t possible, arrange your routine so an older horse isn’t chased or harassed near the gate or trough by other horses. The idea is to let him calmly and slowly navigate the slicker areas. You can use temporary fencing to allow part of the pasture to dry and recover before turning horses out in that space again.
Winter can be a tough season, for horses and horse owners. But with a bit of preparation and a plan for addressing problems as they arise, you can help your old horse overcome the challenges of the season---and even thrive.