Winter management of horses requires balancing natural cold tolerance with welfare protection in managed environments. Evidence-based approaches reduce suffering while respecting equine biology.
Winter horse welfare involves resisting anthropomorphic projection - horses tolerate cold better than humans and instinct to rug excessively can impair their natural thermoregulation. The welfare priority is shelter from wind and rain rather than warmth per se. Individual assessment is essential - clipped horses, elderly horses, and those in poor condition have genuinely different needs from healthy native breeds in full winter coat. Over-management and under-management both cause welfare problems.