This month, we conclude our checklist of Horses for Clean Water’s top 10 things to do for your horse property to prepare for winter. Remember the old adage: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In other words, it is so much easier to do these tasks before the weather is bitter, materials are in high demand, and delivery trucks have difficulty making it down your slick driveway.
Last month we talked about footing, pastures, and managing manure. This month, tips 6-10 cover chore efficiency and preparations for winter storms.
6. Buy your winter supply of hay.
Eastern Washington hay growers have their crops in now and are busy trucking our fine, high-demand Washington hay across the country--and across the ocean! Buying your winter’s supply of hay now means a better price (and a cost-savings!) for you, plus you’ll have your hay supply when it gets scarce in mid-winter and others are hunting for a good hay source. When shopping for hay, look for green, leafy, fresh-smelling hay without mold, weeds, dust or discoloration.
Most recent nutritional recommendations are that a horse should receive 2% of its body weight in hay (or forage) per day. For the “average” 1000 lb. horse with moderate exercise that will be about 20 pounds of hay per day. This is about 600 lbs. of hay per month. Since hay is usually sold in bulk by the ton (2,000 lbs), one ton of hay will last about 3 1/3 months per average-sized horse. So, do the math to determine how many tons of hay you’ll need for the winter.
For hay storage, a clean, dry, convenient area is needed. Hay needs to be kept out of the sun and weather and away from dampness. Store it off the ground or cement (both of which may wick moisture) on wood flooring or pallets. A spacing of 4"-6” between stacks will help with ventilation and rodent habitat reduction. If you don’t have the room for storing that volume of hay, perhaps a horsey neighbor might. Two (or more) of you could go in on the purchase of the hay and reduce the cost for all.
7. Set up a water supply that won’t freeze or get icy cold.
A horse drinks 8-12 gallons of water per day. Horses prefer water temperatures of about 45-65 degrees and tend to drink less when water is cold. It is very important to realize that a horse cannot get enough moisture by eating snow. A decrease in water consumption can lead to colic, so make every effort to ensure your horses are drinking an adequate amount. On very cold days, plan to break ice and remove it (to slow down refreezing) in both the morning and evening. You can also consider getting a stock tank heater or heated stall buckets. Plan ahead and have this equipment on hand before the snow flies.
Another reminder: older horses or those with dental problems may not be able to drink very cold water and may require additional warming of their water. In these cases you can warm their stall buckets with some hot water from an electric teakettle. Consider insulating outside pipes and faucets with heat tape or insulation materials. Frost-free hydrants can also be installed--check your favorite hardware store for recommendations. While you’re at it, develop a back-up plan for watering your horses before the first winter storm knocks out the power to your private well. Water can be stored in rain barrels or garbage cans. Emergency officials generally recommend having a 3-day supply of water on hand, a minimum of 30 gallons per horse. Access to a creek or lake may work as your back-up watering source. Train your horses to drink from these areas so they are familiar with them beforehand.
A little pricier option but one that will pay off in chore-efficiency in no time at all is a MiraFount waterer. These environmentally sensitive automatic waterers don’t require energy to run. They are insulated and rely on geothermic heat to help keep water cooler during the summer and prevent freezing in the winter. The bowl portion is only 5 gallons, which means when cleaning you don’t waste hundreds of gallons of water as with stock tanks—nor create mud with all that water dumping into the paddocks. Another benefit to small bowl size: constant exchange of fresh water eliminates mosquito habitat. For more information on MiraFount automatic watering systems visit www.amusa.net or do an Internet search.
8. Review your lighting needs.
Do you have adequate outdoor lighting? Are your stalls bright enough to care for your horses during our dark fall and winter evenings? When you’re feeding at night, will you have enough light to see if the hay you’re feeding is green and not moldy? Would you be better able to do your manure pick-up chores in the paddocks if you had flood lighting? Have you been meaning to put in lighting along walkways or drives? Get an electrician in now and get that work done instead of waiting until temperatures are freezing and you’re trying to feed by flashlight. Adequate lighting is probably the most limiting factor for each of us in caring for our horses in the winter. A good light goes a long way toward getting chores done and making our horses' lives more pleasant.
9. Consider your emergency and winter storm preparedness.
Do you have a flashlight for the house and barn hanging in easy access locations? Are extra batteries on hand? How about fuel for generators, cook stoves, or lanterns? Battery-powered headlamps that free up your hands are excellent equipment to have on hand if the electricity goes out. These can be purchased at camping stores or through catalogues. A battery-powered radio (as well as a weather radio) is very useful during storms and power outages. All standard emergency preparedness starts with 911 information next to the phone. Include your name, address, and contact information, as well as veterinarian contact information, back-up vet contacts, and numbers to report power outages. Finally, have a cell phone charger on hand that runs off your car. When power outages occur we depend on cell phones, but one with a dead battery is no help at all.
10. Consider your own clothing needs.
Nothing is worse than taking care of your horse in the freezing cold when you are wet from head to toe and chilled to the bone. Do you need a good waterproof jacket? Mud boots? Insulated riding boots? Insulated waterproof gloves? A warm coat? You may want to invest in some of the high-tech cold or rainy weather gear featured at REI or other outdoor clothing stores. Think about layering--a down vest with a barn coat and a waterproof shell along with proper gloves, a hat or something to keep head and ears warm, and outdoor paddock boots will work very well.
It is a good feeling to be as prepared as possible, even though it’s likely that some winter adventure is just lurking around the corner. However, it is a good bet that getting these top 10 “to-dos” accomplished will make you better prepared for the coming Northwest winter and in a good position for next summer, too!
Good horsekeeping to you!
