Horse Care: Benefits of Winter Turnout

Turning out horses in the winter poses some logistical issues that don’t exist in the warmer months, such as supplying sufficient water; providing appropriate forage; offering shelter from wind and wet; and delivering concentrates, supplements, or medications daily. Given this list, one might wonder why we should go through the bother of turning out horses in the cold.

“Access to fresh air and open space is beneficial to the horse’s health, no matter the season,” noted Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a Kentucky Equine Research nutritionist.

For optimal respiratory health, maximal turnout is recommended to minimize exposure to dust, mold spores, mites, and ammonia from urine. Horses with equine asthma, even in its mildest forms, should not be inside the barn when stalls are mucked or aisles swept. Turnout remains a key strategy in managing horses with asthma, as does supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, such as EO-3.

Daily turnout is also important for joint health, especially in older horses that might be suffering from the aches associated with an athletic past. In the wintertime, horses often move less during turnout because forage is piled in one place. To encourage horses to move about, throw small piles of hay all over the pasture and far away from the waterer. Horses tend to drink more water when they eat hay, so strolling to the waterer a few times each day will increase their steps and loosen stiff joints. Research-proven supplements can also help keep joints mobile and comfortable.

This same management practice is ideal for easy keepers. Exercise is an essential component of shedding weight and keeping it off, so any way to inspire movement may help stave off obesity-related endocrine problems, especially when weather precludes normal work under saddle or in harness. Easy keepers on all-forage diets should have nutrient needs met with a research-proven vitamin and mineral supplement.

What about those times when horses must be stalled?

“Horses placed abruptly on stall rest can also suffer loss in bone density due to decreased activity and bone remodeling, depending on the length of confinement,” Crandell shared. “If a sudden decrease in turnout time must be instituted and becomes protracted, offer horses a bone-building supplement such as DuraPlex or Triacton, both formulated by Kentucky Equine Research.” In Australia, horse owners should look for Bone Food Plus or Triacton.

For horses moving into a stall from all-out pasture access, new management that includes meal-feeding of forage might predispose horses to colic, as some horses can be sensitive to the mildest change in feeding schedule. In these situations, it is best to mimic a free-grazing situation by offering appropriate free-choice forage based on life stage, metabolism, and nutritional needs.

Finally, owners must also consider the social needs of stabled horses, and the potential for stereotypical behaviors or vices.