Horses outdoors in this wx

peking97

Anyone know if it's ok to keep horses outdoors at night in this cold weather?

SillyMangoX

I think it would be once they had adequate shelter and a rug, but other may know better than me!

andreac

Yes its perfectly fine. Once they have plenty of food and some shelter. They are very hardy animals and will grow a winter coat.

Is it your own horse you are enquiring about?

If it is then, you can always get a nice heavy outdoor rug for it and keep it extra cosy. Once they are being supplemented with Hay and some dry food as well they should be fine.

carav10

They can (with a rug and shelter preferably!), but the majority of people would bring them in at night in this cold weather and put a rug on. No harm to have a rug during the day as well in these current temps.

Depends what the horse is used to really. If it's always out at night year round, then it will have acclimatised to the conditions gradually. But if it's usually kept in at night at other times of the year, and then suddenly left out at night in these temperatures, then that's not really right, they'll survive! but it's not fair to the animal. That goes for dogs too...

peking97

andreac wrote: »

Is it your own horse you are enquiring about?

If it is then, you can always get a nice heavy outdoor rug for it and keep it extra cosy. Once they are being supplemented with Hay and some dry food as well they should be fine.

No not mine. I pass them by when I walk my dog. There are three, one is a young horse and he has an outdoor blanket on but not the others. Anyway from the replies on here it look like they'll be fine. Do horses need regular exercise do you know?

carav10

peking97 wrote: »

No not mine. I pass them by when I walk my dog. There are three, one is a young horse and he has an outdoor blanket on but not the others. Anyway from the replies on here it look like they'll be fine. Do horses need regular exercise do you know?

Sounds like they're fine. No blankets are fine in this weather provided they're not clipped, and anyone who is clipping their horse, will tend to know what they're doing... Regarding regular exercise, like every other animal, if they're used to exercise, and they don't get it, you'll know all about it if they need it. Generally, no, not all horses are exercised unless they work/are ridden. They're happy enough eating grass all day as long as they're comfortable.

marley123

Totally fine, once good thickwinter coat or else rugged up & access to haylage.