b'When the mercury rises or dropsdramatically, will your horse be prepared?CaptionISTOCK.COM PHOTOSand COLD Similarly, albeit not so drastically, horses might have aWhen the Going Gets Coldtough time adjusting to the elements when moving fromTemperature fluctuations in early fall or late springa cold climate to a hot one (or vice versa) or when body- when the horse hasnt grown his winter hair coat yet or has clipped during a serious cold snap.already shed outcan be harder on horses than prolonged When horses have a chance to adjust gradually tosummer heat or winter cold.seasons changing, they typically tolerate heat and coldTo protect horses from severe weather changes in winter, well, says Bob Coleman, PhD, PAS, associate professorwe just need to provide a good windbreak or open-faced and equine extension specialist at the University of Ken- shed they can go into if they choose, says Bruce Connally, tucky, in Lexington. Its the combination of temperatureDVM, owner of Wyoming Equine, in Berthoud, Colorado. extremes and swings that can be stressful. Heres how toThese precautions can moderate temperature swings, as help your horse handle these conditions and battle cold orlong as the horse is healthy and has adequate nutrition. heat stress. The best blanket we can put on them is a little fat, for TheHorse.com|The HorseNovember 201831'