Surviving January: Tips for Deep Freeze Horse Care from Michigan State's Vet School Experts

A well-dressed horse could be underweight, although this redhead in Ohio looks quite healthy. Thanks to Ohio photographer Don Iannone for this great image.

If anyone should know about cold weather horse care, it would be vets in the northern Midwest states. You know, the ones that they talk about on the weather channel: when the weather gets above zero, it's cause for celebration!

So when news is generated from a notable veterinary school like the one at Michigan State University, it has some credibility around here. Add the fact that the news came from the desk of a horse care expert like Dr. Judy Marteniuk and her colleague Dr. Elizabeth Carr, and you know this information will stand the test of time.

I am so glad to hear experts like them address the false security that buckling a blanket over a horse gives. I think blankets are great, but I think taking them off to look at the horse is an important thing to do. I am still struck by the images of those poor Amersham horses who died in England last year. They starved to death, but some of them had blankets on. That just didn't add up for me.

Receiving horse care information from Michigan State is the good news. The bad news is that the 2008-2009 winter in Michigan has been unusually cold, with temperatures well below freezing for many days in a row. This extremely cold weather can be particularly dangerous to animals that live outdoors and the MSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital is reporting an increase in the number of animals presenting with starvation and exposure-related problems.

Here are some common-sense tips from the vets at Michigan State. You may already know all these things, but your neighbors might not. You might also want to print this info out and post it at your feed store or post office.

NOTE: This information is written for the care of horses that are turned out all or most of the day. Adjust feed, especially grain intake, for horses that live in stalls or have a heated area.

1. During the winter it is imperative that you monitor your horse’s body weight by putting your hand on them frequently! Furry coats make visual assessment of body condition impossible; the ONLY way you can assess your animals condition is by touch.

2. As temperatures continue to remain unusually cold, it is important to remember that your animals require MORE calories to maintain body temperature and body weight. Once an animal’s body condition has deteriorated, it may no longer be strong enough to eat enough food to survive.

3. Remember older animals with poor dentition and young animals may require more feed, and be fed separately from other horses to ensure adequate intake.

4. Separate younger horses from older or debilitated horses as the dominant horse will frequently eat most of the food provided, resulting in some horses being healthy and others facing malnutrition.

5. Blankets and shelters will help decrease energy demands. However, remember a blanket hides the body condition so it is important to place your hands under the blanket and remove it at least every week or so to assess body condition.

6. Old horses with poor dentition (teeth) may require complete pelleted feeds that are easily broken down, as they may be unable to adequately chew fiber (hay). For the average horse that should weigh about 1000-pounds, at least one-third of a fifty-pound bag needs to be fed daily just to maintain the body weight on these handicapped old-timers, and more will be needed if severe energy demands are present. However, do not overfeed grain to active, normal horses or horses that live indoors.

6. Water intake is also very important during the winter. Many horses will suffer from impaction colics due to inadequate water intake. Older horses may require the water to not only be frost free, but warmed because they have sensitive teeth.

7. Remember, during extremely cold weather, to provide extra (free choice) hay, as this will generate more energy and comfort than just increasing the grain (concentrate) portion of the diet. Just the physical aspect of moving and eating will make the horse more comfortable. The hay fermenting in the large intestinal tract will generate heat and, finally, the horse will utilize the calories absorbed from the feed.

Keep in mind: An average, inactive horse needs to eat 1.5 to 2 percent of its body weight in food per day to just maintain weight without any other energy demands. In the winter, the amount needed will increase as the demand to keep warm will increase the amount of energy the horse expends. This means that the average 1,000-pound horse in good condition needs at least 20 pounds of hay during normal weather and may need as much as 35 to 40 pounds of hay and grain products during cold weather.

However: If your horse is considered underweight, the amount of feed needs to be calculated based on his ideal weight, NOT his current weight. While hay diets are ideal, certain animals will require grain, complete feeds or fat supplements to maintain body weight.

Purina Recalls Horse Feed Products in Most Eastern USA States

Welcome to our nightmare: the possibility of contamination in horse feed. That's the bad news. The good news is that so far there are no reports of any adverse effects on horses.

People have been asking about an alleged recall of Purina products for horses, and I am posting their notice, in its entirety, for all to read (please see note at end). This has been going on for some time but emails circulating through the horse community have picked up steam in the past week, so people have questions:


Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC has implemented a voluntary product retrieval of certain feeds manufactured between November 3, 2007 and February 8, 2008 at our Statesville, N.C., feed plant; between January 1, 2008 and February 8, 2008 at our Harrisburg, Penn., feed plant; and between January 1, 2008 and March 10, 2008 at our Guilderland, N.Y. plant.

This voluntary retrieval was initiated due to the possible presence of aflatoxin contamination above acceptable levels.

To date, we have received no confirmed aflatoxin-related animal health complaints involving any of the retrieved products. Nevertheless, we have taken such precautionary action as our utmost priority continues to be our customers and the well-being of their animals.

All dealers who purchased any of the retrieved products directly from Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC have been notified. These dealers are located in the following states: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.

Our investigation and product testing identified one ingredient of concern, which originated from a single supplier. We have discontinued purchasing from this supplier. Other feed companies that purchased from this supplier are facing a similar situation.

For more information about specific products included in the retrieval, contact the Statesville, N.C., Feed Plant at 704-924-5100 or the Harrisburg, Penn., Feed Plant at 717-737-4581.

I think the most important piece of information in this, besides the fact that no animal health reports have been issued, is that other manufacturers bought the ingredient thought to be contaminated. That means that owners should be alert no matter what brand of feed they have purchased since the winter.

Check with your local feed dealer about any possible problem with feed you may have purchased, but it sounds like there was a quick action that prompted the possibly contaminated feed being removed from the retail supply side before it could be sold. Let's hope!

To learn more about aflatoxins, which are byproducts of mold contamination, check this page from Cornell University's Animal Science Department.