Winter Horse Care and Grooming Tips

Precipitation is the biggest challenge for most during the winter months. Whether your area is prone to rain, sleet, snow, or ice, there are grooming practices you can use to prevent rain rot and other skin ailments. Horses that are turned out in active precipitation are at a higher risk for skin fungus and other inflammatory infections. These are most common on the neck, back, face, and legs.

Blanketing can help to avoid some exposure, but the blanket must be waterproof. If you do not have a waterproof blanket, going without a blanket and allowing the skin to breathe is the safer option. Even if you do blanket, make sure your horse is dry on the spots where the blanket doesn't cover or where water can sneak in. Toweling off your horse when they come in and covering them in a cooler to wick water away can help keep skin clear. Removing any mud keeps bacteria out of pores and hair follicles. Applying products like Coat Defense to unprotected areas can help stop fungus and bacteria from growing.

Cold temperatures can make bathing a horse impossible, so we have to use other methods to remove mud and dirt from our horses' coats. Coat sprays can help loosen up ground-in crud and refresh your horse's skin. It is usually best to attempt to curry their coat before applying the spray so you can get the product deeper into their coat, especially if they are unclipped. Coat sprays also help in dry areas or in situations where static electricity can be an issue. The static shock of a brush (particularly those with synthetic fibers) on dry hair can startle even the calmest horse and result in both horse and human injury. Applying a coat spray before brushing on dry, cold days can help eliminate the chances of a startling zap. Check out some of our favorite winter coat sprays below:

For the winter months, some horse owners choose to body clip their horses to help make the grooming process more manageable. Body clipping can help keep your horse comfortable during (and after) exercise. Thick hair will cause them to sweat during riding sessions, which can make them cold post-ride. This can potentially cause respiratory issues and other illnesses. Clipping can also help avoid skin problems that arise from slower drying in the colder months. Body clipping does typically call for blanketing to keep your horse warm outside of riding. However, there are a variety of body clipping styles that don't require complete removal of hair if you're not competing over the winter. These clips can ensure your horse stays comfortable both during riding and the rest of the day! To learn more about body clipping, read our helpful How to Body Clip Guide.

The condition of your horse's hooves during the winter months can make or break your horse's performance in the summer months. The hoof grows an average of ¼" per month, so the growth during the winter will be the hoof your horse is running on in the spring and summer. Having a regular maintenance schedule will help your horse feel their best all year long. The damp and dirty winter ground creates the perfect conditions for thrush to grow and infect your horse's frog. Even horses that have stall access can be prone to hoof infections. To prevent this nasty bacteria from infecting your equine, clean the hoof daily.

For horses turned out in the snow or ice, the "snowball effect" can put shod horses at higher risk for injury. Snow can build up inside the foot, causing issues with balance and navigating across the ground. This buildup can also cause stress on delicate tendons and ligaments and increase the horse's risk of falling. Letting a horse go barefoot for the season is the most simple solution. However, this is not a viable option for many horses. Your farrier can add anti-snowball pads to your horse's shoes or you can apply Vaseline or thick Crisco to their soles (never use WD-40, motor oil, or similar products). Hoof boots that are designed to be worn over shoes are another alternative for protecting against snow buildup.

For more winter hoof health tips and tricks, read our Winter Hoof Health Guide.

A tail bag can help save you time and energy in the long run. During the winter months, the ground is damp, cold, and full of hard-to-remove mud. Using a tail bag on your horse protects the tail from dirt and debris, as well as tangles and knots. With the flies being gone for the season, you won't have to worry too much about the horse being able to fend off pests. A tail bag protecting your horse's tail can even promote healthy hair growth with more manageable hair.

The tail bag you select will play a key role in the grooming process. For example, a Lycra tail bag that ties into the tail is the most commonly used style. A bag with Velcro straps or an elastic top may be quicker to use; however, it can pull more hairs out. The tail bag itself should only be as long as needed. If a tail bag is longer than the tail, you risk the bag dragging and being pulled off.

The aftermath of wet weather is muddy pastures and muddy horses. Looking at your horse and deciding where to start can be overwhelming for some, especially if you have a puddle-loving beast. Removing the mud can be a pain, but it can be done in multiple ways. Of course, a warm bath is the simplest method, but some places are simply too cold to do so without causing harm. We suggest trying some different strategies and sticking with the one you like best. Shedding blades, hard metal curry combs, waterless shampoo, and hot toweling can all help remove that nasty mud. Here are our favorite tips and tricks for managing mud:

• Shedding Blades - These remove loose hair and dried surface dirt from the winter coat. It can pull hair if used on wet mud, but it's a great tool for dried and caked coats.
• Metal Curry Combs - These combs function similarly to the shedding blade, but their layered design can break up dried mud with greater comfort for your horse during the process.
• Rubber Curry Combs - Rubber curries can work great to remove dried-on crud. Larger teeth can help break up large spots, while smaller teeth will remove stubborn flakes that can be hard to get rid of.
• Waterless Shampoo - These shampoo sprays are perfect for spot cleaning or helping to break up stubborn areas before using a metal or rubber curry comb.
• Hot Toweling - Soaking a hot towel in warm water with a dash of oil or waterless shampoo can help remove mud that feels impossible from long, winter coats. This method is best after the above tools have failed. You will want to wring out the towel well and use it like you would a curry comb. Follow up quickly with a dry towel to remove as much water as possible from the coat, and have a cooler handy to throw on after you're done to avoid them catching a chill.

Ensuring that your horse has adequate shelter from the elements is another important part in helping your horse thrive through the winter. Even for horses who aren't stabled in the barn or who don't wear a blanket, it's strongly recommended to provide them with a sturdy, covered structure for some protection.

Special considerations may need to be taken into account for young or old horses. In certain conditions in which you may have one protocol for other equines, it's always a good idea to take a moment to determine whether that will be best for babies or the geriatric horse. For example, if your typical routine would be to blanket only at a certain lower temperature, consider whether a harder-keeping older horse might benefit from some extra coziness and warmth, even if the rest of their friends don't need it!

Many equestrians also use the winter season as a time to give their horses a break or a refresh. With shorter days and typically fewer competitions, the season can be a wonderful chance to give your horse some well-deserved time off. For those horses who thrive off of more consistent activity, winter can also be a great chance to do something different with them and switch up their usual exercise routine.