Has your horse got the winter blues? 
Wet, muddy conditions, lack of daylight hours and often less exercise can make the winter a difficult time for your horse, and just like humans, if their immune system gets compromised, they will end up feeling under the weather. The immune system is there to help protect the body against infections and toxins. Many factors can affect the immune system including age, genetics, body weight, and many other reasons. In general, correct management and diet can help your horse to stay healthy, but in times of additional stress, such as winter weather conditions, they can need an extra nutritional boost to help them stay happy and healthy over the winter. To ensure your horse stays as healthy as possible over the winter months:
- Make sure your horse has enough forage- if at grass, they may need additional hay, and cold weather will also increase forage demands. Where possible, provide forage ad-lib throughout the winter
- Vitamins and minerals are lost during the process of making hay and haylage, so if your horse is not receiving full rations of a mix, cube, supplement or balancer consider adding these in to your horse’s diet
- If your horse is losing weight use oils or high fat supplements to add extra calories to the diet
- Try to stick to normal routines wherever possible to reduce stress
- Maximise turn out- horses are not designed to live in 12x12 boxes, so this can be stressful and increase the risk of digestive problems
- Try to keep your horse exercised- if riding is not possible, walking in hand, horse walkers and lunging are all good options to keep your horse active and stimulated
- Health check daily- keep an eye out for skin problems such as mud fever, which are common in wet and muddy conditions. Respiratory issues are also prevalent over the winter, as horses are in more, so watch for coughs and discharge, and optimise turnout and ensure regular exercise to help stiffness in older horses
- Feed a supplement that offers antioxidant and immune support during times of additional stress