How can you tell if a horse is cold?

My draft mare will stand outside in most weather, and she has the option to go in. I check under her mane and behind her armpit to see if she is warm. She always is. I have had a light horse that would shiver if he got too cold, it is scary to see, but with a little extra hay it would stop. The first bad snow storm we had and Bess did not go in, I was nervous, but I figured she knows best what she wants to do. Her hair is very thick and the snow piles up on her back,which I think means she is well insulated.
Jean

I agree with what everyone has said here….hay, access to shelter and unfrozen water are really all most horses need, even here in the northeast. That said, I have two horses that sometimes need a blanket for added warmth, generally only during a storm. While most of my horses have a thick insulating coat and snow will pile as high as 3 inches during a storm, my TB and aged QH just get wet backs. I guess it is due to their wimpy winter coats…while they stay warm in very cold, dry conditions without an additional layer, add some moisture and they get cold.

So a word about blanketing. IF you choose to blanket a cold horse intermittently (meaning they are not body clipped and need a blanket all winter), I recommend a wicking layer next to the body like fleece or wool to wick the moisture off the horse, then an insulating blanket. Putting a single layer on a horse will not warm them, just tamp down their fur, preventing their nature ability to warm themselves.

I also notice alot more activity with my herd when the temperature dips low, probably their way of warming up.

We got a nice foot of snow here last night…beautiful! Jennifer.

@Carl Russell 4143 wrote:

I don’t worry about a cold horse, nor a wet horse, but a cold wet horse is another thing. My horses are out 24-7-365, with the exception of freezing rain.

I only blanket them if they are still sweaty after work, with a wool blanket to wick away moisture. Even -20, they are out, and they are always psyched to get out of the barn.

I think a wind break is a good idea, humane maybe. My turn out is on the leeward side of a small forested hill, which gives pretty good protection.

People who ask you questions like that are really just expressing their concern, and showing their lack of experience. If you get into the habit of coddling your horse because you think it’s cold, before you know it, you’ll be staying in the barn with her.

Carl

I guess being overly concerned beats not being concerned when we should be, but yeah hard to imagine a situation where horses could get too cold … given dry air and a wind break. I have read stories of horses freezing to death out on the plains, but I think that is usually in extremely, extremely cold weather & several days of it at that.

I do know a guy that was once the manager of a farm in Northeast Texas that raised Clydesdales. The owner was from Chicago, but was living in Dallas. The previous farm manager had told him that when it got below freezing that someone had to sit in the barn with the horses, to keep their water from freezing! He had (supposedly) been hiring local people and charging the owner time and a half for someone to sit out in the barn all night in cold weather. Me thinks no one was actually sitting out there; though just a guess! (Keep in mind that this is an area that seldom gets below the mid-teens even in the coldest of weather)

Wonder if that guy needs any help? I sure could stand to pick up a few extra bucks right about now!

When working the horses, I often head right back to the barn, or trailer from the last load to the landing, so it’s not just wet, but warm, producing sweat, so I blanket them to wick away the moisture as they cool down slowly, so as not to chill. Almost every time they are turned out after some hay and grain, they roll in the snow, warm body, melting snow, but as long as they have had that cool-down period, I don’t worry.

I am much more concerned about the cold rain, or freezing rain, which penetrates their coat faster than they are warming themselves. Same thing goes for wind, although a wet horse in the cold wind is more concerning to me than a dry horse that has the ability to move around.

If they are really wet, or sweaty, and it is really cold, and I don’t think the cool-down period will coincide with my evening schedule of chores and family, I will just leave them in with the blanket on, maybe for the night, or for a couple of hours until I come back to water them for the evening, then take off the blanket and turn ’em out.

I try not to leave blankets on too long, or use them too often, as they do interfere with the horse getting a good coat. I will almost always blanket them for the trailer ride home after working them for the day, because of the wind (Stock Trailer), and it’s easy, then take the blanket of when unloading at home.

A well-fed and active horse can handle some pretty extreme conditions, but every owner, or teamster will develop habits that are suited to their own situations.

Carl