Cold Cold COLD

[Miniequine]

This cold is getting OLD! Any tips to make things easier on horses AND people?

I've been offering warm water several times a day and lots of hay.

Elec buckets keep water liquid.. but still cold.

I also bed down with straw... that seems to help.

I am soaking hay for a laminitis case... a real pain in these temps.

Edited to add.. I also feed very soupy warm beetpulp wth their feed twice a day and add salt to their feed.

The horses all seem fine... maybe it's just ME!

~Sandy

the surgical glove inside leather gloves.. great idea!

 

[Genie]

We are sort of used to the cold weather for quite few months each winter and maybe our horses become more accustomed to the cold.

THis morning for instance, it was about 20 below (celsius) but no wind so that helps.

Many people keep their horses out 24/7 even when 40 below, but my gang likes the barn.

They like to go out for exercise and then back in.

We feed a warm mash and hay twice a day. There is hot water in the barn to keep the pails clean and filled.

We keep a salt block handy for everyone and they drink lots after the mash and hay feedings.

To keep warm ourselves we layer our clothes and wear the surgical gloves underneath our barn gloves and also wear insulated boots.

The mash recipe is a mixture of beet pulp, Horse Krunch and a low fat oat pellet and canola oil with lots of warm water. Wait till it gets thick and feed a large cup to everyone. This was suggested by our vet so they stay hydrated and there are no impactions due to eating the solids and not drinking enough.

Cold weather gets pretty "old" by the time March and April rolls around

 

[targetsmom]

I swear the cold is worse for us than it is for them! I think you hit the key points Sandy. I find that when it's cold, the ones that are outside move around more, which is another reason they need more hay. I also spread their hay in the sun in the morning, because the sun is a very popular spot!

One extra thing I do in the winter is give everyone (except the IR mare) a few alfalfa cubes soaked in plenty of warm water along with their usual bedtime hay.

I do all my soaking in the house - bring the alfalfa cubes in to soak when I feed dinner, and store the beet pulp in the house. Would not want to do that with hay, though! But maybe you could bring in a bucket of hay and soak indoors?? I soaked in a Strongid bucket when I went through this - and was very glad it was a mini and not my big horse!

 

[Marty]

Hey Sandy Dandy!

This weather is make me grumpy. I do not want to participate. I can't go out without my OJ knit little hatty or wool booties on my feet or what's left inbetween will freeze me to death for sure. The worst part for me is I have no warm water in the barn and Hus refuses to do it for fear of fire due to electrical overload, so I can't argue with that one, so I slave away hauling warm water from my house.

After breakfast I bring a large bucket of beet pulp to the house for warm water soaking so by lunch time its ready to take out.

I tried something different this past two weeks for experiment:

I've been bedding most of my guys with their hay! This is killing two birds with one stone as its bedding and also providing grazeing. Its much cheaper than shavings or pellet bedding and is saving wear and tear on my poor Bod. I pull out a couple of thick hay pads, pull it apart and make a big nest all over the stall, except I keep it away from their poo places which is usually against a back wall for most. For the ones that crap everywhere, this seems to have forced them to aim against the wall and keep it out of the middle. I do this am and pm before bedtime. They seem to like this and graze away and then lay in it. So its like a double dip. Its a lot easier on me than passing out hay a hundred times a day and not stinky or difficult to clean VS when I tried to bed with straw a long time ago. I"ll probably only continue this during this outrageous cold we are having but I'll wait and see. I am trying to get everyone out daily for at least a little while but the past two days we are hold up in the barn as we have ice on the ground now everywhere. Maybe I could save time by wearing ice skates.

I found that when I tried bedding on straw, they eat it and it can be loaded with sugars and can impact/founder them; not a straw fan.

 

[Becky]

I wear 2 knit stocking caps when it's frigid! One, I call my 'bank robber ski mask' since it covers my face.

Heavy socks, warm shoes, cotton legging things under my sweat pants, long sleeved t shirt plus a sweatshirt, ski pants and quilted winter coat. Two pairs of gloves as needed. One light weight fleece pair that I get from Lands End. Love those! Plus heavy ski gloves as needed. I look like the abominable snow man for sure!

My horses seem to fare better in the cold temps than I do. I just make sure everyone has access to shelter, plenty to eat and unfrozen water to drink.

Sitting here right now the Saturday noon testing of the City's storm sirens is going on. Hard to believe that tornado season is fast approaching when there is snow on the ground and frigid temperatures!

 

[wildoak]

We don't deal with extreme cold nearly as often as most of you, but I think maybe we suffer more when it is cold lol.....we are pretty wimpy about it! My horses seem to be fine, the ones who have a choice are usually out in it unless it's extremely cold and wet. I've been feeding lots of extra warm soupy beet pulp and extra hay, and of course carrying water....the worst part. For myself, I have some heavy insulated overalls that I only break out in very cold weather. I think they weigh 10 lbs, I'm exhausted from just wearing them around but with long johns and a turtleneck & down vest and winter jacket I stay pretty warm. My feet suffer the most - I have Raynaud's & tend to get very painful in a couple of toes so I'm in wool socks & heavy insulated rubber boots (again, more weight to carry around

).

I have several pair of gloves and rotate in and out of them as they get cold/wet. One pair goes in the dryer while I wear the others. The little hand/foot warmer disposable packets are great too for gloves and boots. They generate heat for up to 10 hours.

Jan

 

[Miniequine]

Just wanted to add... Last year.. I bought a pretty (cheap) pair of black rubber insulated boots at

Southern States... I think I paid 29 bucks. Amazing.. My feet NEVER get cold in these things!

And of course,, my Berne (womans) coveralls. I am getting ready to try out the surgical glove trick under my leather gloves.... I'll report back...

)

Keep Warm you guys

~Sandy

 

[Taylor Jo]

I got SMART!!!!!!! I was having some electician work done in my barn and I had them add an strong amp to my box and I now have a microwave in my barn. So now EVERYONE gets hot beets for dinner. I think seeing how it's sooooo cold I'm going to add a cup in the morning tooo. They love it. If they're outside and I yell "it's time to come in" Man they fight over who can run the fastest. Of course my biggy always win, but my Sonny who's 34" gives her a good run for her money.

I also, keep extra shavings in their bed so they can stay warmer and I double blanket. I have a felt liner on them along with their winter blankets and they stay fine. When it comes time to take them off and have them put back on again EVERYONE stands still and WANTS them back on. My biggy used to wander all over the place and wouldn't stand still, NOW she doesn't move a muscle. Everyone also gets the blankets OVER the head. Saves time. TJ

 

[Miniequine]

ok.. the surgical gloves under the leather gloves.. WOW...

Works GREAT! my hands get HOT! LOL

Great ideas you guys

 

[muffntuf]

For the most part what you have posted it about what I do up here in the tundra. I will add soy oil to their feed when we start the really cold stuff. Gives them a bit extra calories. We now have had 5 weeks of cold weather and I just did a check of bodies. I have one who seems to have lost some weight, so I will start adding a bit more feed and start with a tablespoon of oil and build up to 1/2 a cup a day.

I also break their hay down into lots of feedings per day, making their normal portions work so I don't get them overloaded with hay. I add one or two feedings when the temp in the barn is 10 below zero during the night. But not a ton of hay.

Hopefully we are pulling out of this within the next couple days, this cold snap has been longer than they expected.

 

[osu_barrelracer]

For the most part, people worry way too much about their horses being cold. As long as they have hay, water, and shelter (which we all know they won't actually use in bad weather!) they are usually set!

The only horses in the barns are show horses, training horses, and boarders horses. The only horses that get blankets are horses that are being used all winter. We have issues at shows and rodeos with hairy horses and cold. They will get too sweaty, and then too cold, and its a pain to try to cool a hairy horse out. The only other horses that get blanketed are a few of the older girls, and a broodmare I have from JB Quarter horses that doesn't seem to think she can grow hair!

The last few days when it was in the single digits and 20-30mph winds here in Oklahoma, the horses in the barn stayed in. But usually, if its just cold, but not bad weather, they get bundled up and turned out!

We keep stock tanks in every pasture and turn out with tank heaters in them, and make sure the stalled horses have water 24/7. We really don't do a whole lot different in the winter. For the most part our horses could care less about the cold...its my horses that are show blanketed and slick that are the big babies!

As for me, If it gets down bellow 20 F I'll wear my overall type coveralls and a hoodie and gloves. If its above that, I usually just wear a hoodie. The cold really doesn't bother me too much.

 

[Leeana]

Unthawing frozen solid buckets - Buy a space heater and put in your tack room (if enclosed), put frozen buckets infront of the heater for several minutes...will unthaw them in no time. We don't leave the space heaters going for long periods of time, only to unthaw frozen solid buckets and on nights if its going to get really cold, we leave it on in the tack room so the water doesn't freeze up. We also bring the water hose in and set it in the tack room and leave the space heater on.

 

[Matt73]

Each horse is individual. Teddy got (he was sold 3 weeks ago) a thicker coat, but nowhere near the "yak" coat I've seen on some minis and could go out in -20 celsius weather and be perfectly happy. Lexus will start to shiver badly in the barn below -5 celsius (around 30F?). She gets a blanket and last week, during some -20 and less nights, she was still shivering. She has a nice layer of fat over her ribs and is well fed...she's just a princess. I think if they were out 24/7 she'd be better equipped. Briar has her furry foal coat still and is more than happy. Royal is a fat fuzzball and is happy in the cold weather. My Thoroughbred gets blanketed because he's a Thoroughbred lol. I give lots of hay and lots of lukewarm water (at every feeding time). Lex will only drink warmer water in the winter. Barrick will down half a bucket at each feed (he prefers to have it when I'm holding the bucket, of course

). So...they're getting plenty of water; it's just a lot more work.... Okay Spring, I'm ready

 

[Charlotte]

I guess my horses are whimps. I now have 3 ulcering on me (one was SS and he was really bad but I caught the other two quickly and am treating aggressively) and the only reason we can come up with is the cold. this is very unusual for us. We have single digits at night and hasn't been above freezing for 3 days now.We've almost never had water buckets freeze in the barn and for several nights now they have frozen over. Now I'm taking a gallon milk jug of HOT water and adding to the buckets untill the water is quite warm. (the milk jug spout fits through the bars so I can top off the buckets from outside the stall). all of the horses are drinking way better.

I feed alfalfa soup with a little mineral oil and salt in the middle of the day. they love it. This helps me in the summer too when a show horse decides he doesn't like the 'strange' water...if I have them used to eating soup we get by just fine.

for me I have a couple of those LL Bean caps that are nylon with fleece on the inside.....earflaps and fasten under my chin. those were the only thing that got me through 9 winters in northern Illinois. And I moved to Ok to get away from this!

Where is spring?????

Charlotte

 

[Miniequine]

Each horse is individual. Teddy got (he was sold 3 weeks ago) a thicker coat, but nowhere near the "yak" coat I've seen on some minis and could go out in -20 celsius weather and be perfectly happy. Lexus will start to shiver badly in the barn below -5 celsius (around 30F?). She gets a blanket and last week, during some -20 and less nights, she was still shivering. She has a nice layer of fat over her ribs and is well fed...she's just a princess. I think if they were out 24/7 she'd be better equipped. Briar has her furry foal coat still and is more than happy. Royal is a fat fuzzball and is happy in the cold weather. My Thoroughbred gets blanketed because he's a Thoroughbred lol. I give lots of hay and lots of lukewarm water (at every feeding time). Lex will only drink warmer water in the winter. Barrick will down half a bucket at each feed (he prefers to have it when I'm holding the bucket, of course

). So...they're getting plenty of water; it's just a lot more work.... Okay Spring, I'm ready

aww that sounds like my ponies!

 

[Miniequine]

Unthawing frozen solid buckets - Buy a space heater and put in your tack room (if enclosed), put frozen buckets infront of the heater for several minutes...will unthaw them in no time. We don't leave the space heaters going for long periods of time, only to unthaw frozen solid buckets and on nights if its going to get really cold, we leave it on in the tack room so the water doesn't freeze up. We also bring the water hose in and set it in the tack room and leave the space heater on.

Frozen buckets.... urggg.... I have added a couple elec buckets a year... one of the best

things I've done.. They always have water... but I still offer warm water on these really cold events.

Come on Spring!!!

Charlotte,, How is Skipper?

 

[Miniequine]

We don't deal with extreme cold nearly as often as most of you, but I think maybe we suffer more when it is cold lol.....we are pretty wimpy about it! My horses seem to be fine, the ones who have a choice are usually out in it unless it's extremely cold and wet. I've been feeding lots of extra warm soupy beet pulp and extra hay, and of course carrying water....the worst part. For myself, I have some heavy insulated overalls that I only break out in very cold weather. I think they weigh 10 lbs, I'm exhausted from just wearing them around but with long johns and a turtleneck & down vest and winter jacket I stay pretty warm. My feet suffer the most - I have Raynaud's & tend to get very painful in a couple of toes so I'm in wool socks & heavy insulated rubber boots (again, more weight to carry around

). I have several pair of gloves and rotate in and out of them as they get cold/wet. One pair goes in the dryer while I wear the others. The little hand/foot warmer disposable packets are great too for gloves and boots. They generate heat for up to 10 hours.

Jan

Hi Jan,, Where do ya get them!!??

 

[OwnedBySockit]

I have latex gloves will those work the same as he surgical gloves?

 

[Leeana]

I have latex gloves will those work the same as he surgical gloves?

I put latex / medical plastic gloves on over my jersey gloves for mixing beet pulp, alfalfa cubes ext (which...i mix with my hands) and they work great. For some reason, they seem to keep my hands warmer ontop of the gloves too..

I work at a NH / extended care facility so I basically have "unlimited access" ....... LOL.

 

[mydaddysjag]

For those that cant have heated buckets in their barn, a bandaid for that is getting a few electric tea pots. When I go to water I fill their bucket mostly with cold water, then I'll fill my little tea pot, plug it in for 10 mins, and top off their bucket with that. It gives them warm water without having to carry a big bucket. Then you just unplug your teapot and have no risk of electrical problems. I got my teapots at a goodwill for like $2 a piece. I never thought about this until I got pregnant and simply Couldnt carry a heavy bucket of water to the barn.