This is basically all you need to know. We destroyed the previous record for the wettest year ever in Virginia. I was in the consignment tack store a few Saturdays ago. It was raining so hard you expected Noah to float down the street. The store had sold so many rain sheets that day that they had brought them all up from the basement to save time. The torrential rain + all the previous torrential rains was causing the waterproofing on everyone’s sheets to fail. Freezing rain/sleet/very cold liquid rain is harder on horses than snow. I’m not big on blanketing a previously unblanketed horse, provided it is healthy, has a good hair coat, and isn’t displaying signs of being chilled. A good winter coat lofts and keeps the horse’s body heat trapped. If you suddenly blanket the horse you basically smash the air cells out of the coat and compromise it’s natural thermal properties.
I feed unlimited hay in the winter to my horses, cows, goats, etc. It’s the heat generated by the digestion of high-quality forage that does the most to keep them warm. With the horses, I adjust the amount of concentrated feeds up if needed. Our cattle don’t usually get grain in the warm months but I add it in the winter for the concentrated calories (and the minerals to help make them drink enough to stay hydrated). But they always, always have ample hay in front of them. I’ll even throw in the occasional alfalfa round bale for the cows when I can find them. My neighbors think I’m nuts but I’ve never lost a cow or calf to the cold and they sure have.
Also - horses are often colder indoors if they’re shut in a stall and not moving around. I like to add an extra layer if they’re going to be in all night. Something to keep in mind.
