Here in the Bluegrass we’ve yet to see snow this autumn; since both Dorado and I are fans of warmer weather, you surely won’t hear us complaining about that! But the temperatures are indeed dropping, friends and relatives in the northern part of the country have already dealt with snowfall, and my parents and I are in the process of preparing our older horses for winter.

Over the years, we’ve learned a lot about our horses and how to best get them through the winter. Even though several are at similar ages, they’re all individuals, so they each get individualized winter care. The one thing that’s consistent between all the horses is that they eat more during the winter; their hay intake increases most, followed by a small increase in concentrates and grains.

Nearly everyone who knows him will tell you that 16-year-old Dorado has always been–by all definitions of the word–a wimp when it comes to cold and/or wet weather. He’d much prefer to be bundled in his stall with a few flakes of hay than brave the cold and wind in his paddock. Unfortunately, because he grows such a nice, thick winter coat, it’s nearly impossible to cool him out properly after work without clipping him. This leaves me with an essentially naked horse who needs several blankets throughout the winter to stay comfortable.

Fuzzy old horses in snow

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