Is anyone’s horse experiencing tight muscles due to the ridiculously cold weather?
Just curious if this is why my horse’s body is tight (already did massages and PEMF and they help a little bit but it doesn’t last long).
It’s easily a cause and effect. It might well mean the horse needs more protection, so he’s not shivering, even if you’re not seeing it. My big WB will pretty quickly get tight hard muscles if he is too cold for too long or for too many days/nights.
But, diet can play a role too. If he’s been on hay for long enough, and not enough supplemental vitamin E, that can be a cause (fully or partially) as well.
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Did you mean off hay?
I have a few ideas of what could be a cause, so it is a matter of figuring it out. And vitamins was one of them, but he is getting fed some really nice green hay so lack of vitamins due to hay isn’t my first thought, but is an idea that I’ve been keeping in the back of my mind.
And the thought of needing more protection has crossed my mind. We are having weather in the high 40s & 50s, so I am hoping spring is right around the corner soon.
I meant on hay 
Hay has little to no vitamin E, depending on how old it is. It starts out low, and just degrades fairly quickly from there. IMHO, more horses than people realize are showing symptoms of Vit E deficiency as Winter nears its end, especially if they are in work, and are easier keepers (so not getting a lot of a fortified feed). They are using up their stores of E (fat-soluble, stored in fat) and can then easily start developing issues that get blamed on just cold weather, or just Spring conditions, such as tight muscles, rain rot, scratches, etc.
Then “magically” symptoms start disappearing as the weather improves, and the weather is credited, but people forget the horse is on more and more grass where there’s lots of E.
Green hay has more Vitamin A than bleached hay, alfalfa has more than grass to begin with. So that’s not likely an issue
Nothing else can be determined from the look of the hay though, for that you’d need an analysis.
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Interesting fact! Thanks! I use FeedXL to keep track of my horse’s vitamins and minerals, so I’ll see what his Vitamin E levels are. Granted, I don’t have his hay analysis, but it at least gives me a better idea than not having any information.
The thought of increasing his vitamin E was something I entertained a few weeks ago but didn’t do anything with it. I might give that a try to see. He does get a magnesium supplement to help with his muscles too.
Without the hay analysis, you’ll be given info based on an average of your type of hay. Just know that your may may vary a lot from that average.
Vit E only “lives” a matter of days after the hay is cut/baled so you basically do not count hay as a source of bio-available vitamin E. Yep that is Dr Green Grass’ drug of choice combine that with the stretching and stepping involved in the act of grazing and VIOLA looks like a miracle.
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I add vitamin E (Elevate) in winter for this reason. My old guy gets stiff. Back on Track products may help too. I have a saddle pad I only use in the winter. Long warm ups, blanketing, and good turn out too. It’s just tough especially as they get older. I am stiffer too these days!
Thanks for the suggestion and tips!
I don’t include the hay analysis so I can get a better idea of what he is getting that I know the values of. Based on just his grain and supplement and this website (http://gettyequinenutrition.biz/Libr…mmendation.htm), he could use a good bit more vitamin E. I like to do a decent bit of research on vitamins & ratios so I’ll keep reading up on it.
My joints also hurt in the cold too, so I am certainly looking forward to warmer weather. But I can tell he is uncomfortable and it makes me so sad.
A lot of people don’t believe in oral joint supplements, but I take one and it helps me! I give my older guy Absorbine Flex Max and he has been feeling his best this year compared to winters past. He gets stiff Nov- late March. He gets his stifles and hocks injected in spring and is usually good to go. But an oral supplement may help. If not, you can try Adequan or Penston. They work for some as with anything, but didn’t make a difference in my guy. Oh, he’s on Equioxx too! (He’s almost 16, TWH gelding, about 16 hands, 1100lbs- the one in my photo)
Agreed! I strongly believe my horse’s joint supplement actually helps him. He already gets Pentosan to help him since he is 24, but he hardly shows any sign of arthritis (lucky me! Ha). I think his problem is muscular since he gets grumpy during massages and he normally loves them. But I can that feel his muscles are super tight and knotted. 
You should be aiming for 1-2IU/lb of Vitamin E. IMHO, the higher end for more optimal health for a normal horse, and then higher if he’s got issues.
A lot of research, and even the NRC, just talks about health as a way of being disease-free. But that’s not the same as being optimally healthy. So keep that in mind when looking at research.
