Equine pros offer tips for horse care in winter

People use blankets to stay warm, as do some horses.

STAFF REPORT

Chances are Mr. Ed, the talking horse, could have said when he was cold, but horse owners in the area rely on instincts and rules to keep their animals safe from the winter chills.

At Wolf Creek Equestrian Centre in North Jackson, barn manager Cheryl Fossesca said horses’ needs depend on each individual animal. Some horses’ coats are clipped, but others have a full winter coat.

At Wolf Creek all of the animals get blankets. Clipped horses that are used for show and lessons are provided with three blankets including a polar fleece layer, mid-weight blanket and a heavyweight blanket, said Fossesca.

These covers help keep the animals from getting chilled or wet.

The horses that are not clipped are still lightly covered with a waterproof blanket.

“A lot of people don’t believe you should blanket them because their coats provide such good insulation,” said Fossesca of the animals with full winter coats.

Ann Frederick, owner of Storybrook Farm in Cortland, is one of those people who doesn’t believe in blankets, but said it’s always necessary for the horses to have shelter.

Horses are much like humans, she said. If they are left out in extreme winds they can suffer frostbite on ears and noses and can catch pneumonia or a flu virus.

Shelter is important, as well as hydration.

Both Frederick and Fossesca said horses drink more when it’s cold. “It’s very important in the winter for [horses] to have fresh, clean water,” said Fossesca.

If people have a pond that freezes over, they should break up the ice along the edges so horses can still use the pond as a hydration source, said Frederick.

As for diets, increasing hay is a good way to keep horses warm. Frederick also suggests adding corn into a horse diet during winter months.

Other issues that arise with cold weather and snowy conditions are when the horses are taken out for a ride. Sometimes snow and balls of ice can get jammed into horseshoes and need to be picked out after a ride. An easy way to eliminate that problem is to use an oil based cooking spray or Vaseline on the bottom of the hooves, said Frederick and Fossesca.

“We ride in the winter; it’s good for [the horses],” said Frederick, noting that the horses at Storybrook take one-hour rides every Sunday.

Frederick said she won’t take the horses out if the temperature is 18 degrees or lower, whereas Fossesca said her rule is 10 degrees or lower.

“You just have to use a lot of common sense; horses are just like people,” she said, adding that people usually get colder before the horses.