The 4 biggest challenges during the cold winter months
Winter is a wonderful but challenging time for both horses and their owners. The cold, lack of fresh grass and less exercise can have a big impact on your horse's health. In this blog, we discuss the main winter challenges and how to overcome them.
CHALLENGE 1: How do I keep my horse moving smoothly?
When temperatures drop, your horse may not move as smoothly. This is because joints become stiffer due to the cold. Especially older horses or horses that are working intensively may need extra support because of this. How do you keep your horse supple? There are several measures you can take:
Take adequate time for warming up & cooling down
First, it is important to allow adequate time for warming up and cooling down. Colder temperatures slow down blood flow in your horse's muscles and joints, so they need more time to warm up. This can lead to stiffness, especially if the horse is not given enough time to cool down and recover after exercise.
Make sure your horse gets plenty of exercise
In addition, many horses move less in the winter because they are stabled more often or have less access to pasture. This limited movement can lead to stiffness in joints and a loss of elasticity. To keep your horse supple, it is important to continue to provide adequate exercise, even during the winter months.
Offer support with joint supplements
Joint supplements such as Arti-Sport or Top-Joint provide support for sport horses performing at high levels of physical performance. For horses that are more prone to stiffness, such as older horses or those with chronic discomfort, products such as Arti-Gold or Pro-Motion ideal. These supplements help maintain healthy mobility and optimal joint elasticity.
CHALLENGE 2: How do I maintain a strong immunity during the winter months?
In winter, a well-functioning immune system is essential to keep your horse healthy. Several factors can contribute to decreased resistance:
- Cold and wet weather conditions
- Less access to fresh air
- Lower content of natural nutrients
How can you best support resistance? Everything starts with good management. Make sure your horse always has access to clean and dry bedding, plenty of fresh air and high-quality roughage. In addition, supplements such as Immunotop help strengthen the immune system. Immunotop contains ingredients that help maintain healthy defenses, which is essential in challenging weather conditions. For horses prone to respiratory problems, Respitop can be a valuable supplement. This supplement supports healthy airways and helps your horse breathe more comfortably.
CHALLENGE 3: How can I maintain a balanced vitamin balance?
One of the biggest changes for horses in winter is reduced access to fresh grass. Fresh grass is an important source of natural vitamins, such as vitamine E, which is crucial for muscle health and immune function. Because horses can only get this vitamin from their diet, deficiencies often occur during the winter months. Therefore, it is important to administer a vitamine E supplement during these months. A deficiency of vitamine E can have serious consequences, read more about this in our blog.
Supplementation of specific vitamins
To avoid specific deficiencies, you can opt for supplements such as Vitamine E or Vit. E Liquid. These products are specifically designed to provide horses with sufficient vitamine E, even during periods when fresh grass is lacking.
General supplementation
For broader support of vitamins and minerals Vital+ is an excellent choice. This supplement is great for older horses or horses that would benefit from a complete supplementation to their diet.
CHALLENGE 4: How do I maintain healthy tendons & supple muscles?
Winter can have a big impact on your horse's tendons and muscles. The cold means muscles need more time to warm up, while tendons can become more susceptible to injury due to reduced elasticity. This is especially important in sport horses or horses that regularly put in intense exercise. A good warm-up and cool-down are therefore essential during winter.
Preventative support
To provide additional support for your horse's muscles and tendons, you can use supplements such as Tendon-Care and Muscle Relax. Tendon-Care helps maintain healthy tendons and ligaments, which is especially important in horses that are intensively trained. Muscle Relax promotes relaxation in the muscles and helps recovery after exercise, keeping your horse supple and comfortable even during cold periods.
Overcome the challenges of winter
By providing proper care and support, you can ensure that your horse keeps moving smoothly, maintains a strong immunity and gets enough essential nutrients.
