I think my brain purposefully gives me amnesia after a winter of horse care. Why? Because there’s no way I’d keep doing it over and over again if I could remember what I was in for each time!
Sadly, I can’t wave a magic wand and banish winter for good. Consequently, I’ve assembled some of the best winter horse care hacks I’ve found, learned or had passed on to me over 20 years of horse ownership. These pearls of wisdom have saved me time, kept me warm and helped me keep organised over the winter months – and I hope they’ll do the same for you.
Winter horse care hacks I’d recommend trying
1. Big rubber gloves
Getting my winter riding gloves wet doing yard tasks is one of my pet hates. Waterproof yard gloves are great, but until you can buy a pair, I recommend keeping a couple of pairs of oversized washing-up gloves on hand to wear over your riding gloves if they’re not waterproof – and it stops them getting muddy, too.
Doing this means I can tackle grooming, hosing legs and filling buckets without wetting my gloves. I can even whip them on over my gloves to smash ice in the trough without having to take my cosy gloves off. The Maridgolds stay at the yard and my gloves only ever get slightly damp, so even if I leave them in the car they’re usually fully dry by the time I want to wear them again.
2. Easy ice scooping
Speaking of icy troughs, keep a colander or large sieve on hand to scoop out floating bits of ice quickly and without freezing fingers. Floating a bottle of salt water in the trough can help prevent ice from forming in the first place – this also helps to stop water buckets freezing. Plus, you could wrap old rugs around buckets in stables to help insulate them.
My horses live out 24/7, and I always make sure I know what’s going on in their feet. This means giving the soles a proper scrub with a brush and water to clear the mud and have a good look for anything that might be amiss.
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In the last couple of years, I’ve routinely used a hoof disinfectant (like this one on Amazon) to flush out any cracks and the frog grooves, and had a hoof clay (like this one) on standby. I’ve had two really good winters with minimal hoof problems as a result – my farrier even said she noticed a difference.
A daily foot check is something that you absolutely cannot miss, so keep a headtorch or light on hand if you’re not seeing your horse during daylight hours.
Prevent mud getting into your horse’s skin by using barrier creams
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
5. No fuss with feathers
Barrier creams and powders help maintain the skin by creating a non-stick surface for wet and mud. This keeps your horse cleaner and limits the skin’s exposure to mud.
6. Buy well, buy once
I can cope with cold, but working with horses while cold and wet is a truly miserable experience. This is why I strongly recommend investing in the best waterproof outerwear that you can.
We’ve put all sorts of waterproof gear through its paces, from wellies to waterproof coats and waterproof trousers. Take a look at our reviews and see what’s really worth the investment.
7. A game-changing garment
I was a waterproof breeches sceptic – until I got a pair of my own. Now, I wouldn’t be without them. Look for a pair that’s thermal, and you’ll never get cold on a winter hack again – we’ve rounded up the best waterproof breeches to help you choose.
8. Cotton sheets are a godsend
This is one of my favourite winter horse care hacks from before my gelding retired. He lived in at night and was fully clipped, so always in a rug. I kept two cotton sheets in rotation to place under his stable rug so the rug in contact with his skin was always clean.
I loved changing the sheet after hot clothing – it was like putting on clean pyjamas! The sheets are so light that they can be washed and dried at home.
Personally, I wouldn’t recommend doing this for turnout unless you’re confident the sheet won’t slip. I rotated 100g liners in his turnout rugs instead.
9. Name your nets and rugs
Ever since I lost two expensive small-holed haynets in a yard move (I may never financially and emotionally recover) I attach cheap keyrings (like these ones) with my name written on them to avoid confusion.
I’d also suggest using these to label the fill weights of your rugs to make them easily identifiable for storage or if someone is covering your horse’s care.
10. Glide over the snow
Plastic sledges are great for moving things when there’s snow or ice. Just put the item on top and tow it along. Saves fighting with wheelbarrows!
And if your horse struggles with balled up snow in his shoes, try applying Absorbine Hooflex to the sole. This helps prevent snow build up, and makes it easier for you or your horse to remove anything that does get stuck.
11. Be water smart
If you know temperatures are going to dip significantly, fill your buckets and troughs, plus as water carriers (like these ones) as you can beforehand – your future self will thank you when the pipes freeze.
Make sure to insulate your taps with a tap jacket (like this one) and don’t leave hosepipes lying around on the ground to freeze solid.
12. Arm yourself against frozen padlocks
Keep a can of lock de-icer (like this one) at the yard to thaw out any padlocks.
13. Pre-make your week’s feeds and haynets
I’m sure you’ll have heard this winter horse care tip before, but if you’re always running out of time in the week, setting aside an hour or so on a Sunday to make the week’s nets and feeds up can help you whizz through yard jobs in the week. If you can, it’s useful to bulk buy feed so you’re covered in the event of supply or delivery issues.
What helpful tips on managing your horses during the winter months would you like to share with fellow H&H readers? Send them to hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your advice to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine
A horse owner and rider with more than 20 years experience, Bethany has been writing for equestrian publications since 2017. Over the course of her career, she has reported from major British Riding Clubs and British Dressage championships, covered Badminton Horse Trials and interviewed equestrian sport’s best athletes. Her work can also be found in Country Life, The Field and Breathe magazine.
