Winterize your barn

Prepare your barn and horses for this cold winter with these helpful hints.

Barn:

• Complete any barn or fence repairs before the cold weather hits.  Mending a fence at below freezing temperatures is miserable and dangerous.
• Protect the water pipes from freezing.  If you can, turn off the supply to any spickets not in use.  Adding pipe insulation or heat tape can also help prevent pipes from freezing.  Dedicate one hose to watering and drain it nightly.  The coil hoses are especially handy in the winter because they drain so easily.
• Use heated buckets or flexible rubber buckets that can easily be emptied if frozen.  I like to keep an extra empty bucket available for each horse in case both water buckets freeze.  Use a tank heater for pasture water troughs and cover them at night.
• Don’t button up your barn too tightly.  Adequate ventilation is key to keeping horses healthy and reducing the chance of a respiratory infection.  Clean stalls and extra absorbent bedding will help reduce the ammonia levels.  You may be cold in your barn, but the horses will be just fine and need as much fresh air as possible.
• When freezing temperatures are expected, put down a pet safe de-icer such as Safe Paw before the snow or ice comes.  If it’s really slick, leave the horses in for the day with extra hay to keep them quiet.
• Rodents can be a big problem in the winter.  Sweep up uneaten feed immediately and store all food in air tight containers.  Switching the type of feed to pellets or beet pulp will keep grain out of the horse manure eliminating yet another food source for mice and rats.  Hang up all blankets and keep the floor space free of clutter which acts as hiding places.  I hate to use poison, so keeping a tidy barn with several mousers is a better method.  Storing your hay in a dedicated structure away from the barn will also reduce the number of uninvited visitors.

Tack room:

• A heated tack room is a luxury but also essential to protect your tack.  Mildew can ruin your expensive bridles and saddles overnight, especially in damp weather.
• If you tack room is not heated, bring your leather items inside for the winter to protect them.

Horses:

• Horses actually handle the cold weather than they do in extreme heat.  Keeping them dry and out of the wind is essential.   If you are using a turnout blanket, it has to be waterproof.  A wet blanket is more harm than no blanket at all.  If your horse is in pasture board, he will need a three sided shelter and may need to be brought into a stall on the colder nights.
• Pay special attention to young, elderly, or sick horses since they will have a harder time regulating their body temperature in the cold weather.
• Always provide clean, fresh water to your horses, snow doesn’t count.  You may need to use a tank heater.  Be sure to protect the power cord and use a GFI outlet.
• Have an emergency stock of feed, bedding, first aid kit, and vet supplies on hand and especially if a big storm is predicted.  You don’t want to be stuck without essential items.
• Your horse should be a healthy weight going into the winter but may need extra calories.  Since winter grass has little to no nutrients, provide extra hay which will help your horses stay warm and maintain his weight.  Always consult your veterinarian regarding weight and feed.
• Add electrolytes to their feed to encourage them to drink plenty of water.  I like to know that they are getting a regular dose of electrolytes rather than relying on a salt block.
• If the horse is not in regular work, let them grow a full winter coat and consider removing their shoes to help reduce snow pack issues.   If they have shoes on you can put petroleum jelly on their hooves before you turn them out.  Make sure to clean their feet before you lead them onto concrete or even stall mats.  They can slip and fall very easily with snow packed feet.
• Regular grooming is essential even if your horse isn’t being worked.  If they are blanketed, make sure to take off the blanket a few times a week and look for any areas that are getting rubbed.  Keep an eye on fungus, especially on the lower legs.  Remove any dried mud or manure from your horses coat allowing their hair to stay fluffy and keep them warmer.

Barn dogs and cats:

• Provide a warm spot in the barn away from drafts for your barn cats and dogs.  A small dog house with hay for bedding will work well but if it’s below freezing cats and dogs need to be brought inside at night.
• Small and short hair dogs will need a winter blanket if they are at the barn all day.
• Ask your vet if your dogs and cats will need extra calories for the winter months.
• Use a heated water bowl with auto turn off to insure a fresh water supply.

Thanks to Lauren and Duostar Dressage for the fun pictures of Buddy and Magic playing in the snow.