Wintering animals

It is possible to keep your horses outdoors during winter, but it does mean adapting the way the pasture is managed in order to preserve its quality for the following spring.

Grazing as long as the soil is load-bearing

The load bearing capacity of the soil is a good indicator as to whether horses can be left outdoors without damaging the pasture.

Rotating pasture

As long as the soil has good load-bearing capacities, rotation over several pastures allows horses to be grazed with or without a moderate supply of forage between mid-November and the end of January. The animals are moved to another parcel as soon as the first has been consumed (minimum 5-6 cm of grass remaining) or when the cover deteriorates too much (depending on the rainfall).

Continuous grazing on large grasy areas

Where a large area of grass is available, extensive grazing (e.g. 0.5 to 1 ha/horse depending on the load bearing capacity of the soil and weather conditions) may be practised.

Respect a rest period of at least 2 months

In any case, it is essential to allow pastures a certain amount of rest during the winter period to encourage good regrowth of the plant cover the following spring and thus ensure the sustainability of the pasture. A minimum period of two to three months without animals in the parcels allows the plants to rest. They will not be trampled on or grazed down to their roots, as horses can do in winter.

A break in January-February during rotational grazing

During the wettest period, from January to February, the rotation pattern is interrupted to occupy only one grazing parcel known as the “sacrificial” parcel, allowing the other parcels set aside for spring grazing to have two to three months’ rest.

A pause before grass growth in the case of continuous grazing

A two-three month rest period before plants start to regrow for pastures planned for spring grazing is essential. However, if the parcel is not used until the end of spring (e.g. parcels intended for harvesting), it may be possible for winter grazing to take place until the end of winter.

The idea that horses must be taken indoors in winter is wrong. Horses are much more resistant to the cold than you might think and can actually stay outdoors for much (if not almost all) of the year. In reality, it is the available grazing areas that determines the choice of accommodation.

Stabling or stabilised area with shelter if there are insufficient grassy areas.

Collective accommodation in a stable or stabilised area with a shelter is the solution commonly chosen when the forage areas are insufficient in relation to the number of horses to be accommodated. This ensures that all the pastures are preserved during the winter and that the animals are kept dry and sheltered. It is possible for the horses to move about, but this remains limited. Several recommendations in terms of m²/horse are given: on average 6 to 10 m²/horse.

Entirely outdoors if there is sufficient grass

Full outdoor wintering is possible, provided that sufficient grassy areas are available. A feeding area with rack(s) can be set up to supplement the horses with forage when grass is sparse. The topsoil must first be loosened and then limestone or wood chips must be added within a radius of 10 m around the rack. This prevents the ground from being broken up by trampling and thus prevents muddy areas from appearing; horses can feed themselves cleanly, without stagnating in mud up to their knees. The plot of land set aside for feeding is then “sacrificed”.

Depending on the amount of grass available and the weather conditions, it is often necessary to supplement the feed with forages. Special attention must also be paid to ensuring free access to water.

Feeding

Forage (hay, wrapped and silage) is the main feed required for horses kept outdoors when grass resources are sparse. It also constitutes the main food source for horses housed in stables or on a stabilised area with shelter, which are being maintained or with little exercise.

When to add forage?

When weather conditions deteriorate, and grass resource becomes depleted, self-service forage can be provided. The horses will appreciate this all the more the weather is very wet, in periods of snow or frost. The addition of hay will limit the horses turning to other plants that are likely to be “attacked” but which should be preserved (trees, hedges). In addition, some of these various plants can be a source of food poisoning.

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How to provide forage?

Quality fodder, i.e. that which is harvested early, and which is richer, is reserved for breeding horses with high requirements (pregnant broodmares, growing foals...) and horses with regular physical activity. Horses with low needs, i.e. those which are on a maintenance diet or which do little exercise, will be satisfied with less rich fodder, harvested late.

The rack, which is filled from the outside, is ideal for limiting the formation of ruts in the pasture.

Putting forage on the ground is more wasteful but has the advantage of making it possible to easily change the location and limit damage to the soil.

To save money, bales can be covered with a small-mesh net to limit the spread of hay on the ground.

It is important to make sure there are areas where all the animals can reach the forage, in particular horses which are dominated, by spacing out a number of different forage areas.

Adding concentrates?

Horses on a maintenance diet or those performing light work can be fed mainly grass and forage in winter. The use of concentrates should be reserved for animals with high requirements (growing foals, gestating mares or lactating mares, old horses prone to weight loss).

The addition of concentrates can be a source of conflict within a group of horses, and it should be avoided or carefully managed, especially when a few non-dominant horses within the group need to receive supplements. If necessary, these animals should be isolated in order to feed them individually and to avoid aggression from other horses in the group. It is easier to manage horses when there are homogeneous groups of animals (with the same feeding requirements).

Water and minerals

Water

When dry feed is given (hay, wrapped), the need for water increases. In any case, an operational watering system close to the feeding area is essential (automatic drinkers, antifreeze systems, etc.). During periods of low temperatures:

• Anticipate frost and fill up non-automatic water sources in advance to avoid needing to supply water when the pipes are frozen;
• When it has frozen, it is better to break the ice on a small area of the container’s surface than to remove the entire block of ice every time. The smaller the amount of water in the container, the thicker the film of ice. Placing a stick across in the water (provided the horses do not touch it) limits the build-up of ice;
• Shut off and drain automatic water inlets to keep them from freezing over.

Minerals

A self-service salt block should be positioned, preferably at height (on a post, inside the shelter) to prevent it from dissolving into the ground.

In addition to housing and feeding, other things should be borne in mind when managing horses in the winter.

Assessing body condition

Longer coats can lead to errors in the visual assessment of how fat the animal is. It is important to gauge the thickness of the fatty tissue by pressing a flat palm of the hand onto the ribs, withers and pedicle. That way, it will be easier to interpret the body condition score (NEC). Much like the rest of the year, body condition should be regularly monitored to adapt the animal’s diet if need be.

Paying special attention to fragile animals

In winter, special attention should be paid to young and old horses, which are more sensitive than adults. These horses are often dominated by the others and do not always have access to the available feed when they need it. Also, their immune protection against diseases is not acquired (young) or is declining (old horses).

Inspect limbs and body regularly

Horses’ limbs are prone to infection when there is excessive mud or moisture. You should check regularly for cracks and/or scabs on the fetlocks and coronets, as these are the main signs of dermatophilosis or scabies. It is even more important to monitor horses with white socks, which have more sensitive skin. The tip of the tail can be cut just below the hock to limit mud build-up in the hair, which can cause wet rubbing along the limbs.

The feet must be checked and regularly maintained (condition of the horn, condition of the shoes on shod horses...). Abscesses causing severe lameness are more common in the winter period. Moisture can also damage the feet and can cause various problems.

For horses wearing a blanket, injuries caused by friction should be regularly checked (withers, tips of shoulders, where the girth passes inside the thighs) by removing the blanket completely. The same applies to waterproofing around the kidney area and at the seams of the blanket.

If necessary, help certain categories of horses to withstand low temperatures

Maintenance requirements corresponds to the amount of energy needed for the horse’s life and activity when it is not producing (lactation, gestation, work) to maintain a constant weight in its thermal neutral zone. In temperate climates, the thermal comfort zone, the range in which the body does not have to expend any additional energy to maintain the body’s internal temperature, is between +5°C to +25°C. For adult horses adapted to cold weather conditions, this range is between -10°C and +16°C. Thus, horses are largely capable of withstanding low temperatures in winter without human intervention. This is why they can be accommodated all year round outdoors, provided that they can shelter from the prevailing winds (natural shelter made up of trees, hedges, copses) and rain (artificial shelter), which increase the effects of low temperatures.

Wearing a blanket should be reserved for those animals most likely be in poor condition (old horses) or those that need to maintain a clean coat (working horses for example).