A general guide to wintering out
WITH winter upon us, the short days, colder temperatures and wet weather are here. While for many owners, stabling their horses over the winter months is their preferred – and sometimes only – option, increasing numbers of owners are choosing to turn their horses out in the field full-time.
“Horses cope surprisingly well in the cooler temperatures and the vast majority are comfortable living out with the correct rugs and with sufficient land,” says Shirley Seed MRCVS, senior equine vet at Clyde Veterinary Group.
Having suitable land available for your horses to live on over the winter is essential. Talk to an expert and put some thought and planning into the management of your land, so you can use it to the best of its ability.
“People think land is just the thing under a horse’s feet, but it’s much more important than that, and you can’t winter lots of horses on a small amount of land without ruining it,” explains Miles Greenwood of Equine Pasture Maintenance. “You should look after your land like you would your
