Managing horses through winter requires balancing natural cold adaptation with the needs of performance horses, with common practices of excessive blanketing and stabling sometimes compromising rather than enhancing welfare.
Horse welfare in winter is often compromised by well-intentioned but counterproductive management practices. Excessive blanketing prevents horses from developing adequate winter coats and can disrupt natural thermoregulation, causing sweating and skin problems. Prolonged stabling due to concerns about weather causes boredom, stereotypic behavior development, and musculoskeletal problems. Horses with appropriate shelter, companions, and ad-lib forage access are generally well-equipped to manage cold weather with minimal additional intervention.