We’re forecasted to get a severe cold snap this weekend with temps going as low as -20s F. The rest of our winter has been relatively mild so this will be a big swing.
What’s the best way to double blanket to maximize warmth? I have medium and heavy blankets - does it matter which is top/bottom?
I’ll be keeping extra hay in front of everyone and making sure they’ve got un-frozen water.
Any other tips and tricks to keep my crew as healthy & comfy as possible?
I give electrolyte paste to encourage drinking. Some use powdered, but mine won’t eat it.
Heavier blanket closer to the horse, lighter blanket on top, or you’re just compressing layers.
Lots of hay, water that they’ll drink. Especially if it’s been warm enough to not heat the water this winter, keep an eye on consumption. Sudden changes, even going from unheated water to heated, can throw some off.
IME, horses usually do fine in the cold…it’s the people that suffer!
Speaking of water - don’t forget that water coming out of the ground from a well is often much warmer than the freezing water in a trough or bucket. Sometimes it is better to just dump the ice water and refill with fresh. I used to heat and carry water and add it to cold buckets until I realized the time I was wasting.
My well water comes up from the ground right at 60 degrees, all year round. My herd appreciates a fresh 60 degree trough in the morning to replace the icey overnight water in the trough.
You might add soaked cubes to their ration. Warm water soaks the cubes faster. Or perhaps entice them to drink with something like a very soupy Replenimash - its a Purina product that encourages drinking.
I double their granulated salt intake when big weather changes are forecast. Sport horses here, get 1 Tablespoon of granulated salt daily mixed in the once daily, grain and wet beet pulp. I give them each 2 Tablespoons of the granulated salt once daily, when storms, high or low temp changes are forecast. It “seems” to help increase water comsumption. Buckets are empty to the bottom most days, water is lower than “normal-for-them” as we refill tanks daily.
Ours are used to the daily salt, so getting a bit more does not cause refusal to eat their grain mix. Studies recently have said horses do not usually get enough plain, white salt, so supplementing is often needed. They CANNOT lick enough salt off blocks to provide what their bodies need. They just get tired of licking, maybe tongue gets sore, not because “they know they got enough salt.” Especially true with horses that sweat often during work.
You could pull out their tongue to put salt on it! Worked for me when one horse refused to eat the salt. She and I talked about it the second day of pulling out her tongue and salting it. I told her “You are going to get this salt inside you, the nice way on your grain or on your tongue EVERY DAY!!” She thought it over, cleaned up her salty grain mix the third day and every day after!! No more impaction colics with her again!!
Maybe luck? I prefer to think she understood my threat! Ha ha
I agree with heaviest layer on bottom ideally. However if one is too small to fit over the other one then you do what you gotta do.
Hoods, if you have them, seem to help my guys a lot when we get crazy cold snaps.
One of mine really appreciated warm water. I brought a gallon of tap hot water down to the barn every 4-6 hrs during the Siberian Express weather around Christmas. It was enough hot water to make a big difference for my horses in their stall buckets (I only have 2 horses).
I concur about giving extra loose salt. I give mine powdered electrolytes in addition to the salt. I bump up both during weather events.
Alfalfa.
While we don’t get much winter here, when we do it’s a big and uncomfortable change. My horses were ok in our last bout with winter, but both had uncomfortable moments. I hope you and your crew come through ok. That sounds like miserable cold. Do you mind sharing your general location?
Breathe. They will be just fine. 
Do you horses live outside?
I have noticed at my barn that when everyone is inside (during blizzards, cold snaps or whatnot), and most barn doors closed, it stays surprisingly cozy in the barn.
This week-end, the forecast is for -38F with windchill…I have a feeling the horses will stay in, and the ones who live outside might even be brought inside the huge indoor.
Thanks all - I appreciate the helpful suggestions!
I’m in NH so we’re used to winter :). This is tricky because it’s going to be a 40-50 degree temperature swing overnight so there’s no adjustment period.
My horses are at home and are out 24/7 with a run-in shed. I put in a Bar-Bar-A waterer last year and this will be a good test of how it works in true cold temps.
I think I’ll pick up some salt/electrolytes today and some extra alfalfa cubes. Thanks again!
Ya we’re supposed to get a cold snap here too (Thurs - Sun). I’ve got three boarded, one is out 24/7, the older gelding comes in a night, and the young mare is out at night and in during the day. I like the amigo and rambo blanket systems, the outer sheet is light and water/wind proof, and I can just keep adding liners underneath.
The only extra thing that I’ll be doing is giving everyone some electrolytes Thursday evening when I go out to add blankets. That’s when we’re getting the big downward swing so that’s when I really want to make sure they’re drinking.
I feel worse for my chickens, they just have to tough it out. They have wall heaters at night to help prevent frostbite on their combs, but during the day they come out into the run. I spoil them and add warm water to their feed, and tell myself that they already have little down coats on.
The ones I’m actually concerned about? My honeybees. Hopefully they’re fast enough tightening their clusters when the temps drop so they don’t freeze.
Has anyone seen a run on tack stores for last minute heavy blanket buying?
I layer the lighter one under the heavier one with no squishing down ever noted. Or, I may put a robust windbreaker type sheet over the heavy if I’m more concerned about fully blocking the wind and not so much about adding more insulation.
My heavies also tend to be a size larger so it would make no sense to put the smaller, lighter weight one on top.
I also read that horses don’t get enough salt from licking a salt block. A few years ago I added a bucket of loose salt in a communal area and the horses would go there to get salt - they never touched a salt block after that. At some point I started putting salt directly in their feed so even though the loose salt is still free choice, they don’t seem to get into it.
These forecasts always cause me such anxiety. Thankfully I have mine at home so I’m out there at least 4x a day checking to make sure everyone is warm.
Yup, we’re going from almost 40°F here tomorrow to a HIGH of 5°F on Friday with windchills dropping as low as -30°F. We’re not expecting additional snow or ice, so I’m assuming our crew will go out as usual.
My fully clipped guy has been in a 360g heavy and hood under about 30°F. Planning to swap him into a 220g liner w/hood and a 220g medium with a bellyband and hood.
If BM decides not to turn out, I’ll probably just leave him in the regular heavy he has on now. He’ll get electrolytes tomorrow and Friday and probably some RepleniMash, too.
I am wondering how to protect the ears from frostbite? I read that is rare in horses. but this huge temperature drop with wind makes me think about some form of ear protection. Any ideas?
I feed extra soaked beet pulp when it’s really cold. It helps get more water into them and as long stem forage, it also helps them generate their own heat. Mine lives out 24/7 with a nice run in and two tanks of heated water. She’s blanketed and I’ll pack an extra hay net or two on Friday night and Saturday morning.
I dunno what could be done for ear protection (aside from not clipping any ear hair) but I personally knew a horse that had gotten frost bite on her ears. Her barn name was Tippy bc she was missing the tips of her ears. She was just a foal when she got the frost bite. I dunno if young stock are more susceptible or if that was just a coincidence
I’m considering putting fly masks on mine, in hopes that it will give their ears & faces a little protection from the wind. Dumb idea?
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