Keeping my horses warm

[LazyDRanch]

We recently had our barn built and have gotten our 4 horses used to being stalled when it's dinner time for a few hours. We then let them out the remainder of the night. We have a round bale out in the pasture for them in addition to the rye grass. We weren't sure if any of them had ever been stalled before so we were just taking it easy for them to become accustomed to it just in case. They would only be in their stalls during cold nights, nasty weather & during the peak hot hours of Summer (and let out later in the day).
While their eating I fill their hay racks with hay and get them all fresh water in their buckets. All has been peaceful. When we go back out before bed to let them out we noticed all their hay has been eaten. My question is: We are expecting some cold nights soon and we are going to put them in their stalls for the night to keep warm, however I am worried they will eat all their hay in no time and get cold.
What do you all do when you stall your horses?

 

[ducks4you]

First,
You didn't mention where you live, but I'm assuming you get SOME cold weather.
The staple food for a horse is hay. If it's good quality, I see no reason why you should not increase what you feed them, a flake at a time, if they are looking around for more. If your horses all have a good coat and have NOT been clipped they should be fine with a wind block and a place to go when the footing is ice and a shelter from the rain. The only thing that isn't tough about a horse is their digestive systems. The instinctively grow a coat, their teeth and feet grow constantly to make up for the wear and tear of grass (teeth) and the ground (hooves.)
View about amount of hay seems to differ on this site. If your horses' ribs are covered, they have a decent topline, their backsides and chest are filled in, they're probably getting enough to eat. Just like people, horse's can have individual metabolisms--some need more calories than others. I like that you feed in their stalls. This prevents competitive behavior, where the herd leaders steal food from less aggressive members of the herd.

Horses need to move around, so it helps to give them as much turnout as possible. Today, however, my two are sitting in their stalls because I have a sheet of ice surrounding my barn. Don't want any broken kneecaps--theirs OR mine.

 

[lupinfarm]

IMO, we cater way too much to our horses these days. What we think is cold, is nothing to them and in most climates you need not be concerned about the cold as long as they have something as a windblock (such as the wall of a barn!)

My 2 girls are out 24/7-365 with right now just a natural windblock or in Mylie's case a half finished run-in shelter lol. They both get free choice Grass/Alfalfa hay and get fed twice a day on Equalizer.

If your horses aren't shivering, leave them out. If you are a little concerned, put a waterproof shell on them. Unless the footing is far too dangerous (and in most cases people have a barnyard that is ice free to turn out in) there is no reason for a regular horse to be in a stall. IMO horses that are stalled are more likely to colic because they aren't able to walk around and work that feed through their system. I've never stalled my horses, and we've never had a horse colic. And only one horse founder very mildly because he was put on way too rich a grass by a barnowner who didn't know what they were doing.

All that said, its only my opinion.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Welcome! We don't stall our horses, and we do get cold winters and hot summers. We have converted the horses part of the barn into a run-in type, --so they can come in or go out when ever they want. We have all different types of hay here this year--round bales, big squares and small squares. When we are feeding the squares, we feed them four times a day. breakfast, lunch supper and evening snack. (I can, b/c I am home all day)We give them some grain in the evenings. They are fine all night without hay to munch on. Personally, I think leaving the decision up to your horses as to whether they need to go in is usually the best. Often times at night, I see them standing or laying in the paddock, even when their stall has lots of fresh clean bedding in it. They just need you to provide a place to get out of the wind and elements.

 

[lupinfarm]

I totally agree with miss_thenorth, even when we boarded places with run-in shelters my gelding never once used it! Even in the worst of weather LOL.

 

[LazyDRanch]

Thanks to you all for your advice
Our horses have all been pasture only since we got them last year, we have a carport covering the round hay and so they can have some cover. My DH also built a run in for them as well. That is all they had up until now. It broke my heart one cold evening while feeding them their grain I saw one shivering. Right then I decided I wanted a barn, a least I had the option to stall them for a few hours if need be. The only time they will be stalled is cold weather, nasty rain weather & during peak hours of heat during the Summer. Other than that they would be out in the pasture.
The only one that with no doubt has his winter coat is the Paint Pony, his coat is thick. The other three however still primarily have their short hair especially the Leopard Appy.
These horses definately are not lacking in the getting enough to eat catagory. They all 4 have plenty of meat on their bones
I have read about pastured horses are less likely to colic as LUPINFARM stated. So maybe if I let them out after their evening grain for a couple hours and stall them before we go to bed would be better? And then of course let them out first thing in the morning. But as I said I only want them stalled during extreme elements. )

 

[lupinfarm]

You may actually be able to get the two that have thin coats either a light weight or mid weight turnout blanket for colder weather. That way they could be out as normal on colder nights but they'd be warmer. I have mid-weight blankets for both my girls, but only the pony wears one because although Mylie has a thinner than desirable coat, she's not shivering or anything.

 

[freemotion]

I managed a show and breeding stable in Northern Maine for ten years. We had a couple of retiree's (Arabians, not big, bulky monsters with shaggy coats) who lived in a run-in year-round. In ten years, I remember bringing them into the indoor arena no more than once per winter when the windchill got down to -50-70. That is seventy degrees Farenheit BELOW ZERO. Neither wore a blanket.

If they can get out of the wind and rain, they will be just fine. The only reason those two came into the indoor was because the wind was so strong that it swirled into their run-in. I brought them in to make me feel better. The indoor was not heated, but it allowed them to be outdoors (the barn was heated for the clipped showhorses in work, there was an unheated section for horses in light work, like yearlings and two-year-olds) without any wind at all for the night.

Lots of hay allows fermentation to be constantly happening in the gut and creates body heat.

Blanketing horses in a run-in situation is not a good idea, IMO. A light blanket can hold the hair down flat, and it is the hair standing up that allows them to regulate heat somewhat. And if they get sweaty at all, for any reason, they steam and the steam rises, is trapped in the blanket, and leaves them with a wet back all night. Most people don't stick their hand into the blanket high enough to feel this.

So....Georgia in February? Relax. Your horses are happy, sounds like they live in horse heaven. You have all their needs, wants, and desires taken care of. Sleep well!

 

[ducks4you]

I put mine in their stalls at night during the winter. In the morning I see bedding on their sides, and I KNOW that they've laid down, and got a good rest without competing with each other. Then, I turn them out for the day. Past of colic prevention is reducing stress.

During warm weather, they're outside 24/7.