Do Horses Get Cold?

It’s beginning to move into the much colder months now, and I’ve been thinking about what I need to get ready for the winter.

I’m always thinking about how I can make my horses more comfortable in the winter, and in the past I’ve always had a lot of worry about how they’re going to manage in the cold. As much as I might want to,

I don’t think my family would appreciate them coming into the house.

But then, a friend of mine said he wasn’t sure if horses got cold at all. I wasn’t sure, so I decided to look into it.

Do horses get cold?

Horses do get cold, though by no means in the same way we do. They’re big, rugged animals evolved to live on open plains where it can get very cold at night, so for the most part, it takes a lot to get them really cold. They will really only feel the cold when it is below 32 degrees farenheit.

So, your horse definitely has a much higher threshold for getting properly cold.

They can weather a lot more than we can.

You should still be well aware of how much the temperature might dip in your area just in case.

Let’s look at it in more detail.

What temperature is too cold for horses?

As long as there’s no strong wind or rain, horses can comfortably tolerate temperatures at or above 32°F.

Many breeds have different levels of tolerance, and some are hardy enough to endure even -40° temperatures without a shelter.

For the most part, though, whenever the temperature is below 32°F or 0°C, your horse is at risk of getting cold.

They should have a shelter anyway, and in most cases a sturdy shelter with hay for them to sleep in will be all they need to keep warm.

Horses are mostly comfortable at a temperature range from 18° to 59°F, which isn’t that far off our own range.

So, just think about where you live.

Think about how cold it gets, and whether it has the chance of getting too cold for your horse.

But how do I tell if my horse is too cold?

How do I know if my horse is cold?

There are a lot of obvious signs that horses share with us when they’re cold.

Shivering, for one thing, is one of the most common ways of recognizing it.

If your horse is visibly shivering, it is too cold and probably needs to be blanketed.

If your horse is tucking their tail, this too can show that they’re trying to warm up.

If you see this, check the temperature of the horse’s body to be sure.

This is the other important point.

The best way to tell if a horse is cold is to touch it and feel its body temperature.

Check the shoulders and rug, and even behind its ears.

All of this will give you a sense of whether or not it is too cold.

Keeping a close eye on it when it gets cold is always important.

Are horses okay outside in winter?

It really depends.

It depends on where you live and on what breed of horses you have.

Icelandic horses, for example, are very good at retaining body heat, as are Shetland ponies.

Desert horses, like Arabian horses, have coats adapted to live in very warm climates, and so would obviously not do well in a cold winter.

That said, in general, your horse doesn’t need to be stabled throughout the winter.

During the day, they will happily roam around their pasture as usual.

If it is really cold even during the day, you may want to think about blanketing your horse.

Other than that, as long as they have somewhere sheltered to go at night, your horse will be completely fine outside in winter.

Should I blanket my horse?

Except in the most extreme circumstances, a horse’s own coat is generally a better insulator than a blanket or artificial coat.

Again, as long as they are stalled at night and have shelter to go to, they will be fine without a blanket.

If your horse has a particularly thin coat due to its breed, then a blanket may be a good choice.

If the temperature gets below a certain level, though, horses with very thin coats probably shouldn’t be exposed to it to begin with.

If you live somewhere where the temperature routinely falls this low, you should think about hardier, more cold resistant breeds.

For the most part, if you live anywhere with even a mild climate, you’ll have little to worry about most of the year.

In the colder months you should keep a close eye on your horse’s health, and if the temperature gets really cold, think about blanketing them or improving the insulation in their stable.

Ultimately, though, horses can handle the cold pretty well, and most of us have nothing to worry about.