How To Keep Your Horses Protected From the Rain This Fall
Being a responsible horse owner means knowing when it’s dangerous to leave your horse in the rain. Here’s why rain is a problem and how to protect your horse.
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Horses are some of the most amazing animals on the planet. Whether you’re a devoted rider or someone who simply loves caring for living creatures, it’s important to ensure your hooved friends are comfortable whenever the seasons change. Here’s how to keep your horses protected from the rain this fall.
Horse Preferences
If your horse tolerates or enjoys a little shower, there’s nothing wrong with leaving them outside, as long as you take proper precautions (read more on this below). However, if rainstorms startle your horses, they may be more comfortable inside.
Extreme Weather
You should always bring your horses in when the forecast shows high winds, hail, or thunderstorms. Storms can be very frightening for horses, driving them to seek shelter if you don’t provide it. This could lead to them trying to get out of their paddock if they don’t feel safe.
High winds are a danger because they can blow debris like branches and small outdoor objects into your horses’ paddock. This makes for a very dangerous situation for your horses as they might not be able to dodge flying objects.
Hail is dangerous for more obvious reasons. If you wouldn’t enjoy standing outside during a hailstorm, your horses won’t like it either.
Rain-Related Health Problems
Unfortunately, there are also a number of health problems horses can develop if they spend too much time in the rain. This makes it very important to keep them dry during seasons that see an increase in precipitation.
Scald/Rain Rot
This unsightly condition isn’t life-threatening for your horses, but it is serious. When a horse’s coat gets wet, it can activate dormant bacteria living on your horse’s skin. This bacteria leads to an infection that causes inflammation and lesions on the skin of your horse, sometimes even leading to chunks of their hair falling out.
Hoof Issues
If you leave your horses unprotected in the rain, they may develop serious infections in their hooves because of the moisture. Thrush, White Line Disease, and abscesses are just a few of the problems that too much moisture can cause on your horse’s hooves.
Sheltering Your Horses
All horse owners should construct shelters for their horses to protect them from the weather, be it hot, cold, or wet outside. Installing a metal building is an easy way to construct a horse shelter that can be adapted to different conditions.
If you choose to let your horses stand in the rain, be sure to provide them with blankets so they don’t get cold. You can also take precautions like trimming their tails so they don’t drag in the mud and covering their legs in protective wrappings or waterproof oils.
Responsible Horse Ownership
We hope these tips help you keep your horses protected from the rain this fall and prevent any dangerous infections or injuries that extreme weather can cause. At the end of the day, only you know what’s best for your equine friends.
