Caring for Horses in Winter
Owning a horse is hard work, but when temperatures start to drop, you will need to think about the best way to keep them warm, safe, and secure in the bad weather. It’s true that horses are built to handle changes in temperature, but the AAEP (American Association of Equine Practitioners) has made it clear that it’s the cold winds that can cause problems for your equine friends. This is because the wind moves the horses’ hair and penetrates their natural insulation, causing them to become too cold to cope.
From making sure their water doesn’t freeze, finding the right blanketing solutions, and getting a sturdy horse barn in place, you have your work cut out. However, by ensuring their needs are well met, you can be certain that your horses will be able to handle the winter, allowing you to look forward to the spring season.
Top Tips to Help Get Your Horses Through Winter
All horse owners will be keen to keep their horses safe, comfy, and healthy during the winter months. If you are a horse owner, then our top tips may give you the inspiration you’ve been looking for:
• Creating the best shelter
The first thing you will need to consider is whether the shelter you have is going to supply the best protection for your horses. It will need to be water-proof, well insulated, and located in an area that will not flood.
• Don’t let the water freeze
Horses need a constant supply of water to keep them hydrated and healthy. Stop your water troughs from freezing by putting a plastic bottle that is filled with saltwater into the trough. It will float around and stop freezing from happening.
• Offer your horses more calories
Horses will need larger energy supplies to keep themselves warm in the winter, make sure that you up their total calories so that they can achieve this by offering calorie-dense, healthy food options.
• Exercise your horse regularly
Even when it is freezing cold, your horse will need to be exercised on a regular basis. Make sure that they are appropriately dressed and if the outdoor temps are too low, consider exercising them in an equine barn instead.
• Groom your horses
Grooming is as important in winter as in any other season, so make sure that you are looking after your horse grooming needs regularly. Not only will it help keep them looking great, but it will help maintain the bond you have with them.
• Blanket only when needed
There is a temptation to blanket your horses as soon as the weather starts to turn, but if you do this, they will be unlikely to feel the benefit as it gets even colder. Take the time to blanket them only when necessary, and you can be certain that they will be warmer overall this winter.
• Protect their footing
Horses are not able to cope well when the temperature goes below zero, and if you want to get them outside, you will need to protect their footing against freezing. There are a number of chemicals, including magnesium chloride, that, when used properly, can stop the ground from freezing, keeping your horses comfortable as you move them around outside.
Strong and Durable Metal Barns Are Perfect for the Winter
When it comes to selecting the best accommodation for your horse this winter, metal barns and horse barn kits are the solutions you’ve been looking for! Take a look at the main benefits you can enjoy when you invest in horse barn kits this year:
• Focus on wellbeing
Choosing a metal barn is not just great for your wallet, it also offers the greatest protection for your horses and gives you the best tools to support their health and wellbeing. Metal barns can be fully insulated, too, helping you to keep their home warm and inviting even when the weather outside is freezing.
• Adding More Horses
All metal barns are fully customizable and can be extended whenever you need them to be, with minimal fuss and hassle. This means that you can add to your horse family without having to install additional buildings or worrying about the welfare of your new animals over winter.
• Protecting Your Horses
Whilst the winter weather is one of the key reasons for adding a metal barn, choosing to do so will also keep them safe from harm too. Horses are valuable, and having a dedicated space that is secure and fire-resistant means that your investment will be well looked after at all times.
• Simple Installation
Metal horse barn kits come prefabricated and ready to install so that you and your team can get them built in hardly any time. This is great when the weather turns bad earlier than expected or when you have left it to the last minute to get an over-wintering solution.
• Low Maintenance Requirements
Unlike more traditional buildings, metal barns are easy to look after and come with very few maintenance requirements. They are rust-proof, pest-proof, and fire-proof, meaning that you can do an annual check for any issues and look forward to low-fuss and low-cost outcomes. Plus, when there is a maintenance need, getting them fixed is also seriously easy to do yourself!
How American Metal Buildings Can Supply the Best Metal Barn This Winter
Here at American Metal Buildings, we work hard to help our customers find the best metal horse barn options to suit their needs. Not only do we offer the best lead times, but we also offer transparency with our real-time pricing and free delivery and installation services.
If you want to get an American-made metal horse barn, then why not let us help you design the building that suits your needs. We can customize any building to fit your exact requirements and will not stop until you are totally satisfied with the design. Call our team today at 877-277-3060 and let us get to work for you – you won’t regret it!
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