Aren’t horses naturally suppose to be able to handle the cold and bad conditions? Don’t wild horses do it?

Mar 26, 2013 | FAQs, Winter Horse Care

In the wild, horses roam to better climates. They’ll go to canyons, tree lines, wooded areas and find natural shelter in winter, summer heat or storms. But, we put our horses up in paddocks where they have no choices. Unless you have some Icelandic Pony they need help in the winter, they need shelter, a run-in-shed or something to help with the wind, freezing rain, ice and snow. Most horses are much more fragile than they were centuries ago because of the selective breeding. They need water and plenty of hay. I put my horses out of the day and in stalls at night. Unfortunately, I do not have run in sheds but it is on my “want list.” We have a couple rows of Pines and the barn side in another field so when the wind chill gets bad they will nestle in the pine trees or stand up against the barn. But, several of our lots have no shelter so they can’t stay out long periods.