Ah, the joys of horse management in winter: frozen water buckets, icy walkways, and the ever-present debate of whether or not to blanket your horse (and, if so, which blanket to use). Amidst all of these chores, many horse owners would also like to enjoy actually exercising with their horses at some point this winter. Here are a few things to consider before you tack up:
First, some anatomy: Horses can live happily in a wide range of weather conditions, in part thanks to their airways. Horses' extensive nasal passages are lined with turbinates - folded structures that function to condition (meaning warm and humidify) cold, dry winter air before it reaches their delicate lower airways. The mucus lining the upper airways also functions to help trap airborne particles such as dust, viruses, and bacteria. These airway defenses work great in typical winter turnout conditions where horses are mostly walking, with occasional brief bouts of light trotting or cantering. When horses exert themselves more for longer periods - for example, during a workout with extended trotting and cantering - they breathe deeper and more rapidly. This means that cold, dry air is rushing through the nasal passages more quickly, allowing less time for conditioning and increasing the chance that the lower airways are exposed to cooler, drier air.
Research has shown that airway samples from horses exercising strenuously in cold conditions (cantering and galloping on a treadmill at 4-5 degrees Celsius, or about 39-41 degrees Fahrenheit) showed signs of airway inflammation 48 hours after exercise. If you live in Wisconsin that study design might sound almost tropical, so chances are good that this effect may be magnified when the temperatures here dip below zero degrees Fahrenheit. It’s unclear how significant this risk is to horses, but studies have shown that human athletes can experience lasting airway damage from strenuous exercise in frigid conditions.
So, how cold is too cold? As with the blanketing debate, there is no “one size fits all” answer. Be especially careful with horses with existing airway conditions such as severe equine asthma (also called “heaves”) or exercise induced pulmonary hemorrhage (sometimes referred to as “bleeding” in racehorses). Keep in mind that in any horse, repeated, prolonged exertion in cold weather could lead to airway damage over time. Use your common sense - if the air hurts your lungs while you run, it probably hurts your horse’s too - so it may be best to stick with walking and light trotting on especially frigid days.
So, what else should you keep in mind when you do tack up this winter?
Remember that just like us, horses need extra time in cold weather to adequately warm up their muscles, tendons, and ligaments prior to strenuous exercise. Allow plenty of time for walking and light trotting before asking your horse to work up a sweat.
Keep in mind that horses don’t usually wear snowshoes, so it’s a lot more work to walk in deep snow than it is to walk in a sandy arena.
Speaking of shoes - is your horse barefoot or shod? Traction (or lack thereof) can become a serious issue in snowy or icy conditions. Always be aware of the footing conditions, and check out our article on managing ice balls here.
Speaking of snow - be careful about exactly where you enjoy your snowy ride outside. Deep snow can conceal hazards such as ice or dangerous holes. Cloudy days can make snow drifts tricky to spot before your horse ends up belly deep (I’m speaking here from personal experience!).
Just as a slow, steady warmup is important on winter days - the cool down deserves just as much attention. A wet, sweaty coat can cause a horse to get chilled very quickly, so use a cooler and allow plenty of time after your ride to make sure your equine companion is nice and dry before you turn him back out in the cold. Some people choose to body clip their horses in the winter to allow for faster drying - which brings us back to that blanketing debate… Check out a helpful article on that here.
