When is it too cold for horses outdoors?

[asb_own_me]

It is 22 degrees right now. The horses in question have winter coats and are wearing turnout blankets. They were used to being in the barn at night, but the barn is not heated/insulated and seems to only run about 5 degrees warmer than outdoors. They do have a shelter to go into, a heated water tub and a round bale to munch on.

Opinions? It's supposed to be quite a bit colder in the coming days...think negative wind chills. I know other people's horses are out 24/7 and are fine. Am I being silly?

[Milocalwinnings]

My guy is out 24/7 in a pasture with 3 other horses and is fine. There is a shedrow barn with 3 stalls and an overhang that they can go in and out as they please, but as far as I know he usually has his head in the roundbale all day.

He does wear a sheet or mid-weight blanket if it's going to be really cold or wet, since if it's cold and rainy he will start to shiver. As long as he has a sheet or blanket on he's fine though.

[2 tbs]

It really does depend on the horse BUT! As a rule my trainer refuses to stand in the indoor and teach at temps below 20*F so I figure turnout at temps below 15*F is not necessary. I realize this is just for my own comfort but at that temp I've noticed my horses stand still, turn their back to the wind, and that's pretty much it. I don't feel like they are moving around enough to keep warm so in the stall they go.:) Now, I have to admit, if it's 15*F during the day I will put the horses out. I just figure in they day the sun is out creating warmth (even though it's not since the temps are 15*F WITH the sun but it makes me feel better).

My horse and one other horse on the farm wear a blanket. There is another horse who wears one sometimes and a couple that wear a sheet if they are needed clean for some reason. Other than that they are nekkid regardless of temps. Our horses are older (mostly in their 20's) and are TB's, QH's, and Walkers.

I will agree some horses can't handle the temps but mosty it's the wind that eliminates their ability to keep warm. Horses handle the cold very well so long as they have shelter from the wind and aren't wet. It's such a testament to horses when I get to the farm and find inches of snow accumulating on their backs - the hair traps the heat in so the snow doesn't melt :D If the snow is melting then the horse isn't insulating and therefore is probably cold. If it's not windy and not precipitaing they are generally fine. Those in a cozy blankie are fine no matter what the temp/precip (usually).

[KatieD]

My horses are outside 24/7 in -45 celsius...whatever that is in far. They have shelter from trees...they're fine. I have to feed them more in the winter, but my TB can stand the cold just as well as my QH. Just my opinion.

[wstrngrl]

If your horses aren't use to being outside 24/7 during the winter; I would keep an eye on them. They may not grow the kind of winter coat necessary to keep themselves warm when it's really cold...

I would definitely keep an eye on them when it starts to get below zero (without wind chill) or -10 or so with wind chill.

When I turned Sam out for the year, when he wasn't use to being out 24/7, that winter he didn't grow an adequate coat, and when it was about -15 or so, we had to bring him in because he was so cold/stiff he could barely walk. And he was wearing a heavy blanket.

[Sabovee]

In 1990, two purebred Canadian Horses, a nine year old mare, and a three year old gelding, spent eight weeks in the sub-zero temperatures of the Arctic when they accompanied the POLARLYS Expedition to Cornwallis Island.

http://www.lechevalcanadien.ca/gallery/work2.jpg
http://www.lechevalcanadien.ca/gallery/work3.jpg
http://www.lechevalcanadien.ca/gallery/work6.jpg
http://www.lechevalcanadien.ca/gallery/work10.jpg

I think your horses will be fine ;)

We always had horses at home who lived outside in temps regularly down to -38 degrees C (before the windchill) without blankets and lived well into their 30's and 40's.

[Pippigirl]

In 1990, two purebred Canadian Horses, a nine year old mare, and a three year old gelding, spent eight weeks in the sub-zero temperatures of the Arctic when they accompanied the POLARLYS Expedition to Cornwallis Island.

http://www.lechevalcanadien.ca/gallery/work2.jpg
http://www.lechevalcanadien.ca/gallery/work3.jpg
http://www.lechevalcanadien.ca/gallery/work6.jpg
http://www.lechevalcanadien.ca/gallery/work10.jpg

I think your horses will be fine ;)

We always had horses at home who lived outside in temps regularly down to -38 degrees C (before the windchill) without blankets and lived well into their 30's and 40's.

Wow, nice pics. heh, I guessing it would be nicer for the Canadien horses up there. Since they're such easy keepers, they'd get to eat more!

[veebug22]

Wow, Sabovee! Those are incredible pictures. Thanks for posting.

[county]

As long as they have access to hay I've never found cold to be a problem for a healthy horse. Coldest its been here since I've lived on this place is -36 with a -60 wind chill. Horses all did fine, didn't leave their round bales but stayed warm.

[asb_own_me]

Thanks!

[Chall]

I actually think my horses were warmer when they were outside in a herd with no blankets then they are now in a stall blanketed. When I visited them in the herd on the coldest days and got between them in a herd, it was really toasty between the horses. As long as they get along, in a herd I'm guessing they are well equipped to handle the cold. Sometimes I wish the two could share one big stall..

[trafalgar]

A FEW YEARS AGO A RAMBO REP TOLD ME THAT THE 'LITE' RAMBOS AND RHINOS WERE ONLY TO KEEP HORSES DRY BUT NOT WARM. HE SAID THAT BECAUSE THEY SMOOTH DOWN THE HORSES COAT THEY ACTUALLY CAN BE DETRIMENTAL IN THE COLD BECAUSE THE HAIR CANNOT FLUFF UP HENCE THE HORSE GETS COLDER THAN HE WOULD HAVE BEEN IF HE WERE 'AU NATURAL'. I KNOW ALOT OF PEOPLE WHO USE THE LITES IN THE WINTER BUT IT'S A TERRIBLE MISTAKE UNLESS IT IS JUST A WARMISH RAINY DAY. I AM SURE THIS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED ON THIS FORUM BEFORE.

[sk_pacer]

Worse than the actual air temperature is the wind - if they can get out of the wind they should be fine. That said, mine are in with limited out until this mess breaks - windchill now is -40...same on either scale.

[enjoytheride]

Nice pictures, but the pesimistic part of me wonders how much someone could know about horses in the cold if they think its ok to put a 3yo through that much hard work. Especially that much hard work in that much cold.

[RiverBendPol]

A FEW YEARS AGO A RAMBO REP TOLD ME THAT THE 'LITE' RAMBOS AND RHINOS WERE ONLY TO KEEP HORSES DRY BUT NOT WARM. HE SAID THAT BECAUSE THEY SMOOTH DOWN THE HORSES COAT THEY ACTUALLY CAN BE DETRIMENTAL IN THE COLD BECAUSE THE HAIR CANNOT FLUFF UP HENCE THE HORSE GETS COLDER THAN HE WOULD HAVE BEEN IF HE WERE 'AU NATURAL'. I KNOW ALOT OF PEOPLE WHO USE THE LITES IN THE WINTER BUT IT'S A TERRIBLE MISTAKE UNLESS IT IS JUST A WARMISH RAINY DAY. I AM SURE THIS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED ON THIS FORUM BEFORE.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:winkg rin::lol::lol::yes::yes:
Oh yes, it has been discussed alright! I have been making this point on these forums for years. Thank you for saying it for me.

As long as a horse has a good coat, he is better off naked than dressed. If he has a weak coat, dress him as tho he were clipped. Or better yet, clip him and bundle him up. 22 degrees? If I kept mine in at 22, they'd be in from November 1st - April.

[TrueColours]

Agree 100% with trafalgar as well.

The WORST thing you can do to try and keep a horse warm is to blanket them as they then lose the ability to allow the hairs to puff up and stand on end and rotate to face the wind direction to give them maximum insulation.

Of course if they are clipped, you're cooked. You have to blanket them and there is no hair left to stand up, roll over, play dead or anything else either ... ;)

[jubilee43]

Last night we were having 30 mph winds, blowing snow, 16 degrees F. I thought well I bet mine are begging to come in and went to put them in after work. (They are wearing 1200d blankets with 400g of fill,not clipped) I found 2 eating at the roundbale and 2 standing on the knoll in the wind. Not one of them made a move to come to the gate when they saw me. The blankets were completely covered in ice and crackling with every step since we also got a freaky rain after the snow. They have an area to get out of the wind but apparently it wasn't worth it to walk over there. I left them out with any guilt. They know my truck and will be waiting for me when I drive up if they have some unmet need, so I think the blankets were working rather nicely.

[My2cents]

Well, my friend just moved to Montana from N.H. with her two horses and a donkey. The horses there are treated VERY differently than how she treated them in N.H. Her horses had no time to acclimate to the really cold weather and so she is blanketing them (much to the chagrin of all the ranchers in the area that poo poo the thought) and they are getting grain (another 'what the?' from the ranchers). The temp on saturday was -22 and her horses are in a run in shed that is the size of a three car garage. But, as with all things, they are now used to it and yesterday when the temperature was 2 degrees, they all stood around dozing in the 'warmth'.
Here is a pic from a 'warm' day (20 deg)
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y295/My2cents/DSCN0298.jpg

[Woodland]

-30wcf coming my way in the next two days :eek: The horses will be turned out daily but not to excess.

[AngelainTexas]

I live in south Texas, so we don't get very cold here. It may get down in the mid 20's a night or 2 here and there but that is a exception. I board at a big barn. It infuriates me when a few people pull out the heavy blankets for these infrequent cold nights. These horses in question are as wooly as Texas horses get and are in the barn at night, not out in the elements. A few weeks ago I got to the barn early one morning to find one said blanketed horse obviously distressed, went in his stall to check on him and he was soaked with sweat under his blanket!! I took off the blanket and told the owner later, but alas....he still uses the blanket. Arrgg:confused:

[saultgirl]

Right now it is -12F(-24C) windchill -25F(-32C) and the horses are all outside and they are all fine. As long as they are dry and have somewhere to get out of the wind, they are fine.

[Jeff Wolf]

We used to stable our horses when we lived in Lancaster county, PA. We live in the mountain plains of central NM now (6300'), and the horses are out 24/7. PA wasn't any colder, but it was wetter. We see overnight temps in the teens from now through March, with the occasional excursion to single digits or even zero. We'll have between 2 and 4 feet of snow - not a lot. :winkgrin:

Having done both, I think 24/7 turnout is a better way of going for horses that can handle it that stabling them. They can move around, be social, get out of the weather if they want to, go stand in the rain or snow if they want to, etc. I always kind of felt like we were putting our horses lives "on hold" when they went in for the night. One place we boarded had tiny stalls, fed the last time at 5 pm, and if we didn't come in the morning to feed, no one got any hay or water before 9 am. That was an extremely poorly run barn, and we didn't stay long, but I also wondered often what it must have been like for those horses to stare at those walls in the cold with nothing to eat for 12-16 hours a day...:no:

Nope. Never again. We do blanket when the air temp is below 20 degrees and there's either winds above 20 mph or more than a 30% chance of precipitation. I think they'd be ok without the blankets most times, as getting out of the wind is easy, and there's hay 24/7, but keeping them from getting soaked is important. So, we blanket, And put a cooler on them after riding until they're dry.

Hay, a windbreak, dry. They'll be fine.:)

[WaningMoon]

IF a horse was clipped, old, sick, hadn't had a season ahead of the cold to get a good coat grown in then I would blanket, which has never been the case for me yet. I've never blanketed any of my horses in the whole 40 yrs I've had horses. It sometimes gets -40 here without the wind. They have a run in but rarely are in it. When very cold they get free choice hay and they are just fine. HOrses come with their own insulating system and I prefer to let them use it as I feel it is their best and healthiest defense.

[Kyzteke]

It is 22 degrees right now. The horses in question have winter coats and are wearing turnout blankets. They were used to being in the barn at night, but the barn is not heated/insulated and seems to only run about 5 degrees warmer than outdoors. They do have a shelter to go into, a heated water tub and a round bale to munch on.

Opinions? It's supposed to be quite a bit colder in the coming days...think negative wind chills. I know other people's horses are out 24/7 and are fine. Am I being silly?

Yes, you are being silly (although I know you mean well).

My entire herd is outside with no blankets -- last week the wind chill was -20 degrees. They are all fine.

They have various types of shelters, plenty of hay and thawed out water (either a heater trough or an automatic waterer).

95% of healthy, mature horses (not real young or old) do just fine without blankets -- in fact the blankets just squash the hair down and lessen the amount of natural insulation their coat gives them.

The only exception to this is the occasional horse who has come from a warm area to a very cold area and hasn't had time to grow a good winter coat -- they might need a blanket the first year. And, for the human's convenience a horse that you are riding -- otherwise they will take forever to cool out.

Today the sun was out and the HIGH was 5 degrees. I have 30 lbs of clothes on and was STILL freezing my hinny off. The horses were lounging around like they were in Miami.

I read an article by a breeder in Alaska who brings her's in and considers blankets only when it's "really" cold -- her definition is BELOW -50 F.

Horses aren't people. You have to respect their "horseyness" and recognize the difference.

[7HL]

Our are out during the daylight hours, no blankets and doing well. Inside nights with plenty of hay and fresh water.

Guess it's mild here compaired to others however only 26 today. We still are able to get in a ride or two often, however. Only concern is the footing. We had some nice trail rides the past few weeks.

[Paula]

I live in Florida and I just shake my head when I go out to the barn and see every other horse but mine out in heavy blankets in 70 degree weather! Seriously - they are in full winter blankets including hoods! Plus many have something I had never seen before - leg wraps made to protect them from the cold. And many of these horses aren't even clipped. My horses are Norwegian Fjords and the barn owner and I have been back and forth enough that she has finally given in and left me alone about not blanketing them. The worst we ever get is one or two nights a year in the 30's and I think my hardy ponies in their thick coats can survive that :) But I come from IL, OH and PA and I have never seen blanketing there like people do down here in Florida. When the temps hit 40 degrees down here people are panicing, the barns are closed up and every horse has two or three blankets and is treated like they are going to expire from the cold. Its a sight to behold...

[Auventera Two]

My horses are outside in -25 or -40 windchills. They stay in overnight during the winter so they get a good break with nice bedding. But during the day, they're out pretty much regardless of temp or weather. They wear blankets as needed, and have plenty of hay, with the option of coming back in the barn if they want to.

[manyspots]

Paula-I can't even imagine the scene you are describing in Florida... and I thought the Halter people in New England were crazy with there double blankets, nylon sheets, full sleazy hood, and insulated hood!!! :eek:

Mine are now out 24/7. My appy was a show horse who I now trail ride. I moved him from a barn where he got "half day" turnout = 3 or 4 hours. Then back in the stall. He now has access to a 12 x 12 stall and is outside MOST of the time unless the wind is brutal. I would never believed it unless I did this for myself... he really does like the choice. NEVER again will I lock em up unless it is literally a blizzard or due to injury. I suppose if I get back to showing he would be in the night before because is a red leopard... tons of white!!!! :) But seriously, tons of hay and water and they couldn't be happier.

[badawg]

Paula! LOL!! I can't imagine the sight! They would expire in a single breath out here as it was -30 before windchill last night, and my gelding was out naked!! My mare did have her heavyweight on, but that's really just so that she doesn't lose too much weight. Leg wraps to protect them from the cold!!!! Oy vey!! *shaking head*

[Brockstables]

I had to post, I was laughing so hard at the various descriptions of overdressed horses I had tears rolling down my face. I have seen it too! You are right, less is best!
I wanted to compare our barn to others, as well.
We do not have run-in sheds here, but we have heavy tree lines for shelter and we bring the horses in during the winter nights. As soon as the weather started becoming unpredicable and we could get flurries OR heavy rains it was time to put them in.
We have a 28yo, a 10yo, an 8yo and a 19yo. The 28yo mare lives in her medium turnout unless: a) the weather hops up to 40*+ and sunny, in which case she spends some time outside in the sun naked... or b) the weather drops below 10*, in which case we add a thin liner to her outfit. She is difficult to keep weight on, and this works best for her.
The 10yo wears a light turnout to keep him dry if it is precipitating (rain more than snow is the concern) and is otherwise naked. The 8yo' has barely any coat at all, so his owner is constantly changing his fancy clothing several times/layers a day (I don't think THAT is necessary). The 19yo has a medium turnout that he wears when the weather is nasty, or below 30* or so. Anything over 40* and sun gives them a chance to sunbathe and itch scratchy places in the snow. All have access to free choice hay in and out of the barn.
Everyone seems comfy and healthy and happy. They are standing around the hay pile in 2 feet of snow, and take occasional breaks to race along the fence beside the plow truck, tossing their heads and kicking up their heels.

[siegi b.]

Not to be a spoilsport, but I had a Hanoverian that froze half of one of his ears off in Minnesota before I bought him. So, it can get too cold for horses! I think most people do what works for them and then justify it by saying the horse likes it that way. :-)

[spotted mustang]

my horse is out all winter even at 40 below. As long as he has a walk-in shelter, plenty of hay and blankets when needed, he's just fine.

Goodness, those Florida folks - if I put a winter blanket on my guy in anything warmer than 20 degrees, he'd keel over from heat stroke

[spotted mustang]

Not to be a spoilsport, but I had a Hanoverian that froze half of one of his ears off in Minnesota before I bought him. So, it can get too cold for horses! I think most people do what works for them and then justify it by saying the horse likes it that way. :-)


yes, that sort of thing can happen when horses go downhill in cold weather - no shelter from wind, not enough roughage and/or blankies to keep the core warm. When the core temp drops, blood leaves the extremities, such as ears, and they get frostbitten.

That's why it's important to check your horse every day in cold weather - and I always feel his ears :) As long as they are reasonably warm (and they usually are, even at 40 below), I know he has heat enough.

[Bogie]

I just got back from feeding at the barn. It's 16 degrees and snowing hard. All day it's been snowing, sometimes on the verge of rain.

All three horses were outside. They all have icicles hanging from their blankets and from their forelocks. No one wanted to come into the barn.

I leave them out with plenty of hay and access to shelter. Since we started doing that the horses are happier and I know they always have access to water (big heated tank). It doesn't seem to bother them.

I do blanket, but that's because I also trace clip. Mine is in a heavy weight Rambo tonight and seems happy as a clam.

[the_other_mother]

Well my guys are out 24/7 with access to their bedded stalls so they can come in and go out as they please. They are blanketed tonight because its supposed to go down to 16 with winds gusting up to 40 mph and a wind chill of 0. The wind is going to be blowing from the west and will be blowing into their stalls. Part of me wants to close their stall doors and leave them in because of the wind chill but the other part of me knows that they will get out of the wind and be fine just the way they are. I wont be fine, but they will be. :)

[spotted mustang]

what helps solve the blanket-or-no-blanket question is this: since the insulator is trapped air, it is the loft that determines how warm your horse's coat is. How much loft does he have when his coat is fluffed up? Does the blanket offer more loft? If so, the blanket will keep him warmer than his own coat, especially when there is wind which blows the warm trapped air out of his coat but won't penetrate a thick blanket.

[Thomas_1]

Coldest we get here is about -18 and then with a wind chill on top straight from Siberia!!!

Rather than cold being a problem though, its when it's wet. If it's a dry but cold day then mine much prefer to be out and about. Fortunately here we tend to get a lot of days with no cloud cover at all. So the sky is the brightest blue and it's freezing cold and a very hard frost because there's no cloud. That is never a problem for the horses or any of the other stock.

However when the prevailing wind changes that's when I get cloud and though it is slightly warmer it's when I get snow and rain and persistent freezing rain leads to VERY unhappy stock.

That's when I bring the horses in and they start to have warm hard feed to supplement forage.

Mine aren't rugged though.

Other thing I don't like for horses is when the ground is just sheet ice and again we get a lot of days like that. It's absolutely lethal to walk on ..... even in the fields. So day's like that they're in a smaller area that's salted and gritted so they stay upright!

[equineartworks]

it's -20 here with the windchills this am and Dumplin is happily inside his stall with his neighbors the ducks. Normally I would let them come and go out of the barn as they please but the winds are blowing the snow into the barn. The winds are just out of control the past day or two...coming from every direction...crazy.

[Katie's Companion]

I live in Florida, I have seen similar situations of excess gear for 30-40 degree weather. I would like to ask you opinion on something. I board my horse and they feed about 6-7pm or so I upped my hay to 2 flakes, but I think they go about 12 to 16 until the next feeding. What can I do to help my horse in this colder weather. I do not blanket for only 30-40 degrees. Should I leave a full bale in the stall with her for the nights???

[tuppysmom]

They are fed at 7pm and not fed again for 12 to 16 hours, or until noon the next day? Really?

Horses can only eat so many lbs of feed at a time. Their stomachs are small, so they eat a while, rest a while, eat a while, get a drink, stand around, eat a while.....

It is likely that there is very little time when they don't have "anything" to munch on.

I would wonder aboout why they are not fed until noon everyday, though.

[asb_own_me]

I am LOL-ing @ Paula's description of the bundled-up horses in Florida!!! My retired mare, who has spent plenty of winters living out 24/7, and my show gelding (who is a complete pansy) are READY to come in by about 2pm most days. The Irish mare and the mini donkeys are only concerned about getting some feed, and they march back off into the wind most days.

Thanks for all the input - I guess I will keep following the horses' leads. There were a few days when even the Irish mare and the donkeys were clamoring to get inside, and I listened to them. I can rest easy when they make it so clear :)