Winter management for horses requires careful attention to nutrition, shelter, and monitoring to prevent welfare harm from cold stress and reduced grazing.
Winter welfare failures in horses typically arise from three sources: inadequate nutrition leading to body condition loss under thick winter coats, insufficient shelter from wind and rain (cold itself is more tolerable than wet-cold combinations), and inadequate water availability due to frozen troughs. The insulating effect of a thick winter coat means horses can appear healthy while losing significant body condition underneath - meaning regular body condition scoring by running hands under the coat is essential. Horses with heavy worm burdens or dental disease lose condition faster in winter, making routine health management particularly important before the cold season. Older horses and those with PPID are particularly vulnerable to winter welfare harm.