When it's -20 below outside (-40 with the wind chill factor)

[backwoodsnanny]

Welcome to my world we have sub zero temps often in winter and last week and most of this we have not seen above zero F as for doing things differently not alot of difference. I was advised by our vet NOT to blanket unless someone is obviously cold ie: shivering. When our little stallion came from Oklahoma 3 years ago in October he was cold and we did blanket for periods of time until he got more used to Maine temps. That said when it is very cold like this mine go out for a run and then are back in their stalls and every horse has one. This limits the number I can have at any given time but the only way to do it here in my opinion. They get warm water when it is super cold and they do get free choice hay most of the time. I just am super cautious watching what everyone drinks and that the output doesnt look too dry. My horses are spoiled and they are really good at letting me know when they want to come in. They will stand at the gate and talk to me.

 

[bevann]

We don't get extreme cold like many, but I do make sure all my heated buckets are working(nothing frozen over-check daily).I put table salt in the feed to encourage more water intake(like us eating salty ham)and check poop to make sure it looks normal.Very small indicates lack of water intake.My horses are out in run in sheds and have lots of hay.I check everybody more often in colder weather just to head off any potential problems.You guys in really cold places have my sympathy.This is the kind of weather when I want to scream when people complain about paying a certain amount for boarding a horse somewhere.They are not out in the cold dealing with the wind, etc.-just writing a check from their nice warm house.good luck and stay warm.We are due for 10 degrees this week.Not looking forward to this, but it sounds warm compared to many of you.

 

[AJ]

Minus 40 degrees today.(-40 celcius same as -40 fahrenheit). Horses out in run in shelters all doing fine and frosted up. Right now they are enjoying the sun shine and they feel totally warm when you touch their fur on the sunny side.

 

[Lewella]

At 10am today the windchill was -43 and the air temp was still -17.

I don't really change anything. They have free choice hay all winter and stay outside 24/7 - they rarely go inside even though they can. Like LaVern - I have to put out round bales more often when it is really cold like this because they eat more. I also have to fill water tanks twice a day instead of just once a day because mine drink a lot of nice warm water when it is bitterly cold.

:

 

[Mercysmom]

But even in our relatively mild winter, we make certain they always have hay in front of them. Their beet pulp is extra soupy in case they don't drink enough, and probably more for my benefit, they get it served warm..

I feel as if we are constantly de-icing tje water trough, and have transferred my big mesh kitchen colander to slush removal duty...it has saved my fingers.

I do a soupy mix of alfalfa cubes and beet pulp shreds - my girls who do not drink well get a lot more "soup broth". They are getting more hay and I am making sure they have unfrozen water.

An ice-fishing ladle works well on getting floating ice out of the buckets.

:

My veterinarian in CT told me when he was growing up he had a pony who lived in a run-in shed in South Dakota winters and was happy and healthy being outside. She did not wear a blanket and lived to be 30, if I remember right.

Denise

Silversong Farm

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

Well first off I would JUST DIE in weather like that OMG :new_shocked:

but that aside Sanny i would do exactly what you are doing now leave them in the nice warm barn heck they can take turns wandering around the barn aisle visiting while you are cleaning stalls and such

Barns and stalls are not a horses enemy. In fact most really like them. I had a horse who had lived in a pasture all her life her owner told me she doesnt like to be in.. well I will tell you in a matter of weeks being here she was the first one to run to her stall and want IN.. with a fly system, out of the heat of the day or the rain or wind.

 

[disneyhorse]

You mean it gets colder than 40 degrees???? :new_shocked:

I have to say... I like living where I do. If it's below 60 degrees I am freezing.

Andrea

 

[Danielle_E.]

It's not the cold that will chill a horse, its the wind so in temps like this here today -40 with the wind, they are snug in the barn with LOTS and LOTS of hay. This way I have peace of mind knowing they are all okay when I am not home during the day, no worries.

 

[minihorseluver]

My mares get a little more hay than normal, and my older ones get as much as they can handle. I don't change the weanlings diet over winter as long as they are mainaining their heavier weight that they put on in fall. I don't give any extra hay to my stallion, he's already overweight throughout the off seasen, and he lives in his heated barn, so he's good :bgrin .

All of the horses get as much water as they can handle, and the preg mares get more grain than normal, but I don't do the beet pulp mash thing yet. Although, the thought is beginning to become more appealing with all the negative degree weather around here. My little sister's school was cancled due to the frigid temps, and the sun is out! I checked the temp when I went out to break ice, and it said -15 w/out the wind chill. It isn't too windy today so the mares went out for the first time since Thursday, and boy were they happy. I had a big square bale put in their pen for a wind break due to the fact that we don't have a shed built yet. They all come in for the night, and run in the isles. I'd rather have to picth out the whole barn than have to dig a hole from one freezing to death.

: Next winter, all the stalls will be done, so I won't have that worry. All we can do is make sure our babies are all eating, no one's coughing or has a runny nose, and there plenty of hay and water and sit out this darn cold spell.

And I thought that it was cold when it was 10 degrees, boy how we would wish for that weather now

: .

 

[Reble]

Our barn has that blow on insulation, keeps it a little warmer. They can come in and out on their own.

Extra feeding and heaters in their water. Have turned on a couple of heat lamps.

Today looking at the camera I noticed a small animal run across the stall up to the water trough and was balancing itself to get a drink.

Yelled for hubby and we watch for awhile, dream catcher our deer went right up to it gave it a sniff, it still kept drinking. Hard to tell what it was, I told hubby to stay at the camera to see where it runs too, I went out-thinking when I open the barn door off it would go.

Nope it stayed there with its two hind feet holding itself up so it would not fall in and looked up at me and kept on drinking ( It was a fair size mole) when I yelled into the camera Glen it isn't moving. It jumped down and off to his hole.

OK it was cute, but how do we get rid of this Fermat.

Sure gave us a laugh and surprised how daring.

 

[Ashley]

Mine have nothing different done at all. But then agian mine seldom ever are in the run ins, except fatty. He would melt if he had to go outside.