its about 30 below with the wind chill
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Marnie
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Mine have run in's, the biggest one is bedded, theirs walls on four side and a big door in the one side, a heated fountain is in their too, they can go in any time they want to. They do go in at times too. My animals like their shelter. But I don't think I'd ever pen them in, better to let them decide.
Minimor
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Not us! Here it's -35C (30 below for those on the fahrenheit scale) and with the windchill it's -45 (which is 45 below, doesn't matter which scale you use when it's that cold!!) and our horses are all outside. All have run-in sheds to use, so they can get out of the wind--no one (except me!) is cold. All are comfortable & healthy, and I have no worries at all about anyone getting sick because of the cold temperatures.
Matt73
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I don't have a run in or shelter. So if it's windy, they stay in. It's not so much about the temp., as much as wind, rain, snow, etc.
chandab
Well-Known Member
We aren't quite so cold, its right about zero here (fahrenheit); but I feel the same way and my horses are all doing great. They all have tons of grass hay and seem to be just fine with that. I don't worry unless we get some rain, which isn't often these days. We have pretty dry cold, so not as bad as those where its wet.
sedeh
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:Cold-Scared :Cold-Scared :Cold-Scared :Cold-Scared I am so glad I don't live where you guys do! We think it's cold when it gets down to the teens! Winter is my horses "be a horse time" they're all out of the barn on the pasture and they have run in sheds to get out of the rain(which we do have lots of) and wind.
HaazeMinis
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Hi Sue!
About the same temp here right now...
Gotta love Wisconsin..
Mine are all out now.
we let them out at 11:30am today as we do when its really cold.
We are leaving the sliding door open for them and the 2 foaling stalls 12x14 open for them to gather inside the barn , in front of or inside the stalls if they want to and they have an additional shelter outside if they need it with a wind block too. We have heated Buckets and troughs which help out alot too when its this cold. They also have plenty of hay inside and out and nice bed of shavings in the stalls and in the area inside the barn that is 8' Wide x 24' Length as well. So, plenty of room for all of the mares and fillies to get inside.
The 2 boys have their good wind block from the trees but they dont get let out until later and we dont ususally leave them out as long since they dont have "real" shelter out there when its this cold.
They dont mind at all being inside and I think my little sweetheart "Masters" loves his stall and really does prefer to be inside when its cold, but again he is originally from Texas and came to WI in March of last year so I dont think he is used to this kind of cold yet.
His coat isnt as thick as my others.
The mares & fillies all seem to perfectly content and are hanging out side at the moment, but I am sure that wont last very long.
It means more barn chores for me at night to leaves stalls open during the day, but I dont mind.
Jeri
About the same temp here right now...
Mine are all out now.
The 2 boys have their good wind block from the trees but they dont get let out until later and we dont ususally leave them out as long since they dont have "real" shelter out there when its this cold.
The mares & fillies all seem to perfectly content and are hanging out side at the moment, but I am sure that wont last very long.
Jeri
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Riverdance
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We are about -20 degrees today with the windchill factor. All of my Minis are outside. They all have large run in shelters, but not many of them are using them today. The yearlings are, but that is about it. I just give them extra hay when it is this cold. Alfalfa, grass mix.
Warpony
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I don't. I only put them in if it is cold AND they are getting wet. They have a 14x28 area of the barn they can go into and out of if they want to, and right now they are running around annoying each other and playing outside instead of staying in out of the cold wind... so it must not be bothering them too much.
Riverdance I am just 45 miles south of Duluth and its -15 without windchill -35 below with windchill. Mine have been in since Thursday night. They don't like it, but they are happy today to be in. I am running out every 4 hours to give them a bit of hay to keep their furnaces going. I will be blanketing the young ones tonight as they were just slightly shivering this morning at 7 am. Looks like we are in this until Tuesday.
Gotta love our state!
Gotta love our state!
Right now it's about 22 on the mountain but the wind chill factor has me frozen to the bone.
My kids are all outside with plenty of hay at the moment while I clean stalls and change water etc. They seem fine playing around and eating for right now.
I feel a daily turn out where they can run around some if at all possible is important to help digestion and ward away colic even if it's only for an hour or two when it's cold like this, but that being said, there have been days when going outside is simply out of the question; high winds, pouring rain, storms, etc. I have a using barn with stalls big enough for them to be comfortable and that is what it's there for and they will be back inside before the sky gives way and turns us all into mini-siciles.
My kids are all outside with plenty of hay at the moment while I clean stalls and change water etc. They seem fine playing around and eating for right now.
I feel a daily turn out where they can run around some if at all possible is important to help digestion and ward away colic even if it's only for an hour or two when it's cold like this, but that being said, there have been days when going outside is simply out of the question; high winds, pouring rain, storms, etc. I have a using barn with stalls big enough for them to be comfortable and that is what it's there for and they will be back inside before the sky gives way and turns us all into mini-siciles.
tagalong
Well-Known Member
At the farm I worked at prior to this one, the thermometer would also plunge to -35C... and with the wind coming off the lake, the windchill would have been lower.
The only horses who came in at night, big and small, were the pregnant mares and the elderly or injured. Everyone else stayed out 24/7 - and were happy and healthy. They also had deluxe run-in sheds with feeders etc... but mainly used them as outhouses.
It was not unusual to see them standing with their tails to the wind, snow piled on their backs - dozing peacefully...
The only horses who came in at night, big and small, were the pregnant mares and the elderly or injured. Everyone else stayed out 24/7 - and were happy and healthy. They also had deluxe run-in sheds with feeders etc... but mainly used them as outhouses.
It was not unusual to see them standing with their tails to the wind, snow piled on their backs - dozing peacefully...
JourneysEnd
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Sorry, but I can't resist.
It's 51 today in Houston.
We're supposed to have a low of 31 tonight, but it will be in the high 50s all next week.
Don't know how you guys do it.
It's 51 today in Houston.
We're supposed to have a low of 31 tonight, but it will be in the high 50s all next week.
Don't know how you guys do it.
M
macy--red carpet minis
Guest
Sorry, but I can't resist.
It's 51 today in Houston.
We're supposed to have a low of 31 tonight, but it will be in the high 50s all next week.
Don't know how you guys do it.
I'm with you! It was 40 here all day and just dropped into the low 30s, causing just a thin layer of snow, in North Carolina. I would never be able to live any far up North than NC without freezing my butt off!!
Hope everyone is staying warm!
I can't wait for Spring and I have a feeling everyone else is ready for it too
Hi Jeri, thanks everyone for your opinions so tomorow I will let them outside, they can get in the barn if they want, I'm just an overly protective mom I guess I love them to much, Big horses are doing just fine outside, they have a big run in shed to go into and their in there most of the time, The babies I will just leave out for a couple hours. I think tomorrow is suppose to be up to 6 degress, a heat wave.
I bring this topic up every time the weather gets really cold and hear from everyone - the forum, other horse owners I know, our vet, etc. that the horses do just fine and are happy and very healthy as long as they have access to a run-in or shelter from wind and from rain. I just read an article about winter horse care and one of the points in it was that horses - big or small - are actually at their most comfortable when the outside temp is between 20-40 degrees because in that range they are neither hot or cold and their body is functioning most efficiently and they stay comfortable in much lower temps than that as long as they have extra hay and stay dry and have shelter available.
Having said that, I do think there are exceptions, one of them being horses that have been clipped and the other being horses that are just accustomed to that lifestyle. The horses we took to nationals that got body clipped mid-September don't have nearly as thick and long coats as other horses, and a horse we got in October had been body clipped and his coat in my opinion, is very short and is not an adequate winter coat. All of our show horses are stalled at night year round regardless of the weather though I do usually put them out very early and in the winter they are turned out in a large pasture together with access to heated water and lots of hay. I generally bring them in late (9 or 10 PM) but when the weather is bad whether cold, windy, rainy or whatever their turn out time is shortened accordingly and I have had days they all stayed inside all day.
We are used to very cold winters and right now it is about -25 with the wind chill in MN. My husband and I hauled and stacked 100 bales of hay today and it was bitter cold for us. Even though I know the horses would be ok staying outside I just personally feel better bringing them inside even though it creates more work. I brought in half the horses already (the ones that were acting chilly when we were out stacking hay) and I am going out shortly to bring in the rest. We also have two pregnant mares, a baby and a stallion that normally are outside with run-in shelters 24/7 and I just couldn't leave them out in this weather. All the stalls in the barn are full, so our cars are sitting out in the cold and those horses are spending a few days in temporary stalls in our three car garage.
OH! (I know, I know)
another angle that I think needs to be a separate post is regarding working horses in the winter and making sure they are properly cooled off and their winter coats are dry before they are turned back outside.
Having said that, I do think there are exceptions, one of them being horses that have been clipped and the other being horses that are just accustomed to that lifestyle. The horses we took to nationals that got body clipped mid-September don't have nearly as thick and long coats as other horses, and a horse we got in October had been body clipped and his coat in my opinion, is very short and is not an adequate winter coat. All of our show horses are stalled at night year round regardless of the weather though I do usually put them out very early and in the winter they are turned out in a large pasture together with access to heated water and lots of hay. I generally bring them in late (9 or 10 PM) but when the weather is bad whether cold, windy, rainy or whatever their turn out time is shortened accordingly and I have had days they all stayed inside all day.
We are used to very cold winters and right now it is about -25 with the wind chill in MN. My husband and I hauled and stacked 100 bales of hay today and it was bitter cold for us. Even though I know the horses would be ok staying outside I just personally feel better bringing them inside even though it creates more work. I brought in half the horses already (the ones that were acting chilly when we were out stacking hay) and I am going out shortly to bring in the rest. We also have two pregnant mares, a baby and a stallion that normally are outside with run-in shelters 24/7 and I just couldn't leave them out in this weather. All the stalls in the barn are full, so our cars are sitting out in the cold and those horses are spending a few days in temporary stalls in our three car garage.
OH! (I know, I know)another angle that I think needs to be a separate post is regarding working horses in the winter and making sure they are properly cooled off and their winter coats are dry before they are turned back outside.
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Ditto! We are expecting a hard freeze here tonight.....maybe mid to upper 20's, but it's dry and still so almost everyone is out for the night. They do have shelter, at least a windbreak, and the few who don't get moved or come in when it's wet. I think the key, no matter how much colder it gets, is whether it's wet, windy and nasty. Most horses do fine in the cold and enjoy it, more so than our 100 degree summers I'm sure. The only obvious exceptions are clipped horses, or those that are compromised by age or health.
Jan
KenBen
Well-Known Member
-30 here in our part of Northern Ontario. Left the minis in and fed them.
KenBen
KenBen
Jill
Aspiring Cowgirl
It has never gotten cold enough where we live that we've had to stall the horses due to cold weather. Not that we don't have days that feel cold to us, but in my part of Virginia, it's very "mild" compared to other parts of the country.
Mary is about 2 hours southwest of me. Right now it is -16 and we have a strong wind, much stronger than yesterday. -44 Windchill. I actually blanketed my weanlings, in the barn as they were acting cold.
I turned all horses except stallions out for about an hour yesterday to kick of their containment jitters. The stallions did enough running, rearing, bucking and kicking in their stalls to get their "edge" off.
I also hayed at 1:30 am last night because it got sooooo cold. And have been going out every 4-6 hours to give a little bit of hay to munch on. I figure this is way cheaper than trying to warm a horse up!!
They say around 2:30pm or 3:00pm it will let up until sundown on the wind, I figure I can turn everyone out for at least 20 minutes to an hour or so.
If nothing else, the extra work and time, I am feeling more comfortable that they aren't shivering out in the wind. Just makes me feel better. Over protective Mom is about right.
Times like these you wish you had trees! LOL!
I turned all horses except stallions out for about an hour yesterday to kick of their containment jitters. The stallions did enough running, rearing, bucking and kicking in their stalls to get their "edge" off.
I also hayed at 1:30 am last night because it got sooooo cold. And have been going out every 4-6 hours to give a little bit of hay to munch on. I figure this is way cheaper than trying to warm a horse up!!
They say around 2:30pm or 3:00pm it will let up until sundown on the wind, I figure I can turn everyone out for at least 20 minutes to an hour or so.
If nothing else, the extra work and time, I am feeling more comfortable that they aren't shivering out in the wind. Just makes me feel better. Over protective Mom is about right.
Times like these you wish you had trees! LOL!
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