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Help Your Horse Make the Transition from Cold to Warm Weather

From Katherine Blocksdorf,
Your Guide to Horses.
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Spring Horse Care Tips

  • Begin your riding or driving schedule slowly if your horse (and perhaps you) have been idle over the winter months

  • Horses who haven't shed out their long winter coats will heat up faster when working and take longer to cool down and dry out on warm spring days.

  • Consider clipping a long winter coat if you are planning to get back into a regular riding routine. A clipped horse or pony may still need to be blanketed if the temperature dips.

  • Spring time is vaccination time. Consult your veterinarian for the recommended vaccinations in your area.

  • Hasten shedding with regular grooming. A shedding blade helps pull out long hairs.

  • Be cautious about introducing your horse to lush green pasture if it has been eating hay all winter. A horse that is allowed to nibble grass as it emerges will be introduced slowly and naturally. But putting a horse or pony out on pasture suddenly can lead to things like colic and founder. Make the transition to pasture very slowly especially with ponies, draft breeds and draft crosses. As little as thirty minutes on fresh grass can cause a pony to founder.

  • Horses accustomed to being blanketed during the cold weather may still need blankets during temperature dips or rainy weather. Don't forget to remove the blanket when the weather warms up again!

  • Keep an eye out for signs of thrush or rain scald that can flare up during wet spring weather.
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