Should I Close My Horse Barn Doors During Winter?

By Alayne Blickle and Nancy Loving, DVM
Q: When temperatures drop here in the Northeast, I usually close my barn doors and windows at night to help the horses stay warm and keep water buckets from freezing, but I’m not sure if this is healthy for their respiratory systems. Do you have some guidelines about when a barn should be closed or when we should leave it open?
A: (Blickle) Ventilation is probably one of the most important things when designing a horse barn. Horses’ respiratory systems are designed by nature for living in dry, open climates with fresh, clean air. When we close the barn up, a main concern is dampness, mold, and dust. This could come from hay storage, bedding, or possibly arena footing. Horses should have as much open air as possible. My horses even have paddocks that they always have access to from their stalls. I have a big door on the front of my barn, which I only close for my convenience to keep everything inside from blowing around and to keep rain or snow from blowing in. But the doors to the paddocks are open all the time.
(Dr. Loving) When we lock horses up in a warm barn and then take them out into the cold air, that extreme temperature change is tough on them. Good ventilation is essential. If your horse is used to living outside, the only reason to bring him in is icy conditions, which can be dangerous due to the risk of falling. If you’ve ever watched horses in bad weather and they have a shelter available to them, how many have you seen avail themselves of the shelter? For the most part, the times I’ve seen horses use run-in shelters is during hailstorms and to shield themselves from severe winds.
Just as the barn environment might affect your respiratory tract, the dust and the water droplets in the air that contain microorganisms, manure particulates, and endotoxins can negatively affect your horse’s respiratory system. So whenever possible, stable your horses outside and leave them outside when safe to do so. I also like the method where they can stay in or go out as they please.
Editor’s note: This is a transcribed excerpt from our Ask TheHorse Live Q&A, “Winter Horse and Barn Care.” Listen to the full recording here.
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