Managing horses through winter requires careful attention to nutritional needs, shelter, social contact and health monitoring to maintain welfare during cold and wet weather.
Inadequate winter feed provision causes weight loss and reduced immune function. Insufficient shelter exposes horses to cold stress increasing caloric requirements. Social isolation during winter housing causes psychological welfare impacts. Welfare priorities include maintaining body condition score of 3/5, providing ad-lib forage, access to shelter, companionship, and regular health checks for dental, foot and parasite management.