Warming Up A Cold Horse: Make Sure Your Horse Doesn't Suffer This Winter

With the weather being so changeable at the moment it can be difficult to know whether to turn your horse out or bring him in, or even whether to blanket him or not. All of this uncertainty means that there's more chance of a horse getting cold, but what's the best way to warm them up if they do get too cold?

Horses can withstand far colder temperatures than us but when their body temperature drops below 98℉(36.6℃) you need to call your veterinarian and help your horse to warm up. The quickest way to do this is to put a blanket on them and walk them around, but feeding hay will also help to warm them up.

Horses are far better at dealing with the cold than we are but that doesn't mean to say they don't (or won't) suffer from the cold at all but with a little bit of careful planning, you can stop that from happening or at least help your horse to warm up again if he does get too cold.

If your horse is too cold you shouldn't wait and hope that he warms up naturally, you need to act straight away. If your horse's temperature is below 98°F (36.6°C) or higher than 103°F (39.4°C) you should call your veterinarian immediately. You might think that it doesn't matter if your horse's temperature is above normal but if they're sweating and the weather is cold or wet then a high temperature can still mean your horse will be too cold.

Once you've called your veterinarian you should start to warm your horse up, whether your horse is wet or not will determine how you do this.

• Bring your horse into a warm, dry stall that doesn't have any drafts. This will stop him from getting any wetter or colder and will also help to warm him up a little.
• Remove as much moisture as possible with whatever towels you have. It doesn't matter if they're large bath towels or small dishcloths as long as they remove the moisture for your horse. You'll also need to change the towels when they get too wet to remove any more moisture.
• Give your horse plenty of hay to eat while you're drying him. This will help to keep him occupied and standing still while you dry him but more importantly it'll help to warm him up from the inside.
• Once you've dried your horse off completely you should follow the steps below for warming up a horse that's cold.

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• Blankets and leg wraps will help to keep any warmth close to your horse's body but it's important that you don't use too heavier blankets straightaway otherwise you run the risk of warming him up too quickly and causing him to sweat. Instead use a lightweight blanket, adding more if needed.
• If you're able to walk your horse around then gently walk him in large circles. This will get his muscles warmed up and therefore warm his whole body up. Don't exercise him too vigorously though otherwise, he'll start to sweat.
• If you're not able to walk your horse around make sure he has plenty of hay to eat and that his water is warm rather than cold. If you can, keep your horse in a warm, draft-free shelter until he's warmed up.