8 tips to help ease the transition to winter with horses

The clocks going back signals a real period of change for horse owners – there’s no pretending any more, winter is here. There will undoubtedly be some differences  you make to your riding and management at this time of year – some may be enforced by your yard, while others are well thought out and honed over years of horse ownership.

However, there may be some things that make life easier that you haven’t though of or tried yet – and there are some handy products available to help us out. Here are some ideas to help you make the transition a little smoother, whatever your set-up.

Tips for the winter transition with horses

1. Plan ahead and consider changes to your routine

Your routine will depend on work schedules and family commitments, yard restrictions and what works for your horse, so everyone’s will be different. You may have some flexibility that allows you to redistribute some riding and yard chores to different times of the day.

For me personally, while I do have access to an outdoor arena with lighting, I much prefer to hack. Luckily, I have room for flex in my daily routine that allows me to ride in the morning before work in winter, instead of after. In the mornings, I ride, put hay out and leave, and then sort haynets and do other jobs in the evening as I’ve got light from the barn – or I’d use a head torch. On any day that I don’t ride, I make sure I do a daylight barrow of poo picking instead.

2. Save time wherever you can

As my horse is on DIY livery, the only way I can fit in morning rides is by saving time and planning ahead for the week (which also helps to avoid too much riding in the rain). Of course, my horse doesn’t miss out on any daily essentials, such as having his feet picked out – don’t cut corners because this will cost you later – but if I can do things like make up extra haynets at the weekend I will.

Similarly, I try to be as efficient as possible wherever I can. For example, I put feeds on to soak as soon as I arrive at the yard, and by the time I’ve fetched everything in my barrow, the feed ready to go. For some people this efficiency comes naturally – and I’m not trying to teach you to suck eggs – but I see some liveries at my yard for hours, whereas I am in and out.

3. Invest in lighting

Your yard doesn’t have to resemble Blackpool illuminations – this could start with a head torch or portable light – but a little bit of light from a reliable source will make a lot of difference to the ease and safety of doing jobs in the dark. There are also options that will provide enough light for you to ride without installing something mains-powered. We’ve rounded up a selection of yard, stable and arena solar lighting to help you find something suitable.

A clip-on light (like this one) is something that I’m considering investing in this year – I’ll be able to clip it to the fence, gate, wheelbarrow or hay box while sorting my horse’s rugs in the field. I’ve been on yards without mains electricity and they’d have been handy there, too.

If you’re committed to a head torch, definitely get one that’s USB rechargeable so if you leave it in the car you can charge it on the way to the yard. Wide-angle head torches (like this one) offer good vision, but when close up to my horse I like the option of the red light (like you get on this head torch) as he’s much less squinty if I accidentally shine it towards his face.

4. Keep feed times consistent

While it can be a benefit to change up riding routines, it’s important to keep feed times as consistent as possible. I always put my horse’s hay out first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening – and he definitely expects that – so I try not to deviate too far away from this whether it’s weekday or weekend.

5. Manage the forage transition gradually

If you change the type of forage you feed – or go from predominantly grass to hay, for example – do this as gradually as you can. A rapid change from low dry matter content (grass) to high (hay) can give the good bacteria in the gut insufficient time to adapt, meaning they struggle to help digest the new type of forage.

This increases the risk of colic. Introducing small amounts of the new forage early, simply by putting a small amount of hay out in the field for example, and feeding a gut balancer at times of change can help.

6. Enrich the stable environment

Doing everything you can to make your stable an enriching environment will have a positive impact on your horse, especially if your horse’s turnout is reduced over winter. Using one of the best slow feeders or stable toys can help to reduce boredom and stress, and some extend your horse’s eating time, too, which helps to reduce the risk of gastric ulcers.

7. Ensure your fields are safe in lower light

What you need to do here really depends on your set-up, however there are some tips relevant to everyone. Consider using temporary electric fencing to section off an area by the gate. This keeps horses back, stops the area getting too muddy and allows you to get in with a wheelbarrow safely.

Turnout rugs with reflective elements are particularly handy in the winter as you’ll be able to quickly locate horses when you’d otherwise be unable to see them.

8. Don’t forget the hi-vis

Hi-vis and reflective kit isn’t just for riding. My yard is part of a working farm with access to a golf course and rented units running through the middle. While it’s mostly well lit, there’s a lot of traffic and hi-vis with LEDs wouldn’t go amiss. Woof Wear has released a new LED sash this year, which is ideal for leading your horse in low light.

H&H products editor Franchesca Slack puts a hi-vis with LEDs (like this one) on her young son, so that she can keep an eye on him and others can see him easily.

• What helpful tips on managing your horses after the clocks change would you like to share with fellow H&H readers? Send them to hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your advice to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine

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