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The healthiest environment for a horse, regardless of the season, is the out doors. If you let your horse grow a full coat and provide a run-in shed for shelter from wind and snow, he will manage quite happily outside during the winter. One of the main concerns for owners who do not stable their horses in the winter is ensuring that they have plenty of drinkable (un-frozen) water at all times. Horses cannot take in enough moisture by ingesting snow. Water can easily be kept from freezing by using a properly installed electric heater in your trough. If you are using buckets, try the insulated ones -- or put your rubber bucket inside a black rubber tire. The tire will add an extra layer of insulation and, when the sun is out, will help to keep the water from freezing. Run-in sheds can be constructed simply and cheaply. Size-wise, the general rule is to allow at least twelve square feet per horse, as crowding can lead to kicking and injuries. Borijum calks can be put on your horse's shoes for traction, and rubber rim pads will prevent snow from balling-up and creating dangerous 'stilts' in the soles of the hoof. It all sounds simple, lovely and rustic, but as we know it isn't always possible. The Canadian winter is often brutal. Ice storms can make footing too treacherous for horses and for the humans who must make their way to the paddocks to feed them. Paralyzingly low termperatures and mountainous snowfalls also make outdoor horse keeping difficult for the heartiest and impossible for many. And, people who show their horses during the winter or in the bvery early spring must keep their horses stabled to maintain show-quality coats. The bad news is that decreased turnout time can lead to all sorts of nasty things. A closed-up barn that is improperly managed will contribute to new or existing respiratory problems, with the potential to inhibit your horse's performance for years to come. Long hours indoors also lead to boredom and stable vices. This article focuses on the various elements that affect your stabled horse's physical and mental health during the winter time. VENTILATION Horses have a wide temperature tolerance, with their ideal temperature range being between 10-30 degrees Celcius. In a cold barn without drafts the only horses likely to experience cold stress are young foals. It is far healthier to put a blanket on your horse and to allow air flow than to shut the barn up tight. If you are going to be blanketing your horse for extended periods of time, make sure the blanket fits properly and check often for wear marks on your horse or loose straps that pose a danger to your horse. INSULATION Insulation allows you to maintain a tolerable temperature inside the stable, even though a constant air exchange is occurring. In the winter insulation conserves heat and reduces condensation and in the summer it prevents the heat of the sun from reaching your horse. In the spring and fall, insulation helps to minimize temperature fluctuations caused by warm days and cold nights. If your barn is well ventilated and well insulated, damaging moisture build-up will be kept to a minimum. The vents in a well insulated barn can be smaller than in a non-insulated barn. The important thing to understand is the way in which ventilation and insulation work together. If your barn is just well insulated, moist air will be trapped inside. If your barn is just well ventilated, you will get condensation on your walls and ceilings. Neither situation is healthy. You do not want your horses breathing stale, humid are (where bacteria flourishes), nor do you want water damaging the structure of your barn. Condensation occurs when warm stable air hits a cold inside wall. If the survace temperature of the inside wall is below the dew point (55F or 13C), air next to the surface becomes saturated and moisture condenses to water. When the surface temperature is below freezing, frost occurs. If you have water stains on the ceiling or walls of your barn, you have a problem that needs attention. If the inside wall is warmer than the outside wall (close to 55F or 13C, the dewpoint) then condensation cannot occur. However, the air will cool as it passes between the two walls and condense as it hits the outside wall. to solve this problem, a vapour barrier can be built into the inside wall the vents to the outside installed at the eaves, allowing moisture to escape. If the moisture remains trapped between the walls it will lead to rotting within the barn's structure. Keep in mind that wet insulation is far less effective than dry insulation, and that the more porous an insulating material is, the greater its insulating power. HEAT If the cold air entering the barn is already damp and saturated with moisture, it cannot absorb any further moisture from your stable air unless it is warmed. If the incoming air is warmed, moisture in the barn will be taken up by it and then carried out as your air exchanges. With every increase of approximately 16 degrees (F) in temperature, the water-holding capacity of the air is doubled. Ideally, the humidity in a stable should be kept under 70%. Remember, a barn without ventilation will still be damp. FORAGE Hay, however, is the single most comomon source of dust and mould spores in the barn. All hay will have some mould spores present. These spores come from fungi that are typically referred to as "field fungi" (they live on the hay while it is growing in the field) and are sometimes large. As such, they will probably h\not get down into the lower airways of your horse's respiratory system. However, these fungi could cause problems for horses with hypersensitivities and allergies, and can be a food source for dust mites, which are another potential allergen. The dust spores that are more dangerous are the small once since they are respirable. The hay that causes the most trouble is that which has been blaed damp (common during a wet summer). The high moisture content causes the bales to heat. The fungi that love this high moisture and heat are the ones that are associated with allergies. Their spores are very small the have a better chance of getting down deeper into the lungs. MANAGEMENT
METHODS If the idea of wet, frozen hands throughout the winter sends shivers down your spine, then an alternative such as alfaalfa cupes or haylage can be fed. You should consider these alternatives especially if the quality of your hay is questionable. Haylage is hay that is baled wet but sealed in air-tight plastic bags. The hay ferments and the pH of the hay becomes more acidic. Fungi do not like acidic things. As long as the bags are airtight there should be no mould growth. When the bags are opened, they should be fed within a few days, as haylage will moulder very quickly once exposed to air. Broken or damaged bags should not be used. Studies at the Equine Research Centre have shown that horses are faced with lower dust levels when fed alfalfa cubes, haylage, a complete pelleted feed or soaked hay, than when fed dry hay. BEDDINGS Deep litter management systems have the added disadvantage of allowing the buildup of noxious gases (such as ammonia), infectious bacteria and the larvae of gastrointestinal parasites. It is far healthier to have stalls thoroughly cleaned on a daily basis. If you have a horse with respiratory problems, ir of you are concerned with dust, the stall can be lightly watered down. Even more effective is spraying with a fine mist of mineral oil. Mineral oil is harmless, will not evaporate like water, and leaves a residue that will help keep the dust down for longer periods. AMMONIA The source of ammonia is the horse's urine and feces, so it is almost always present. Anything that absorbs water can also absorb ammonia -- manure pits, wooden walls, bedding with high moisture content, and humid air can all hold ammonia. ammonia levels in barns increase with increased temperatures and humidities. Knowing how harmful ammonia can be to the horse's respiratory health, the importance of good stable management, especially during the winter, becomes obvious. Ammonia levels can be kept low by 1) good ventilation and high rate of air exchange, 2) frequent mucking out, 3) the use of dry bedding, 4) proper drainage in stable floors and stalls, and 5) the use of commercial ammonia control products. Studies at the Equine Research Centre have shown that both ventilation and bedding choice can greatly affect the levels of ammonia to which a horse is exposed. WATER FEET
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