20/10/2026
Your horse isn't cold, you are
As the temperatures fluctuate, itโs tempting to reach for the rugs without thinking. And then another rug. And perhaps a neck cover tooโฆ because if weโre cold standing at the gate, surely they must be?
But horses donโt experience cold in quite the same way we do.
One of the simplest ways to think about it is this: ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ค ๐ก๐๐๐ฉ ๐ข๐ง ๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฒ.
Bear with usโฆ
A muck heap generates heat as organic matter is broken down. Your horseโs digestive system does something remarkably similar. The microbial fermentation of fibre in the hindgut produces heat as a natural by-product, effectively creating a little ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐.
That means plenty of forage doesnโt just fill their stomach โ it helps warm them from the inside out. This is one of the reasons access to adequate forage is so important during cold weather.
Add to that a horseโs natural winter coat, which traps a layer of insulating air close to the skin, and a healthy horse is actually remarkably well equipped for cooler temperatures.
Of course, ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ. Older horses, poor doers, clipped horses, horses with certain medical conditions, and those without adequate shelter may need considerably more help keeping warm. Rugging should always be appropriate to the individual horse.
But for many healthy horses, we worry just as much about over-rugging as under-rugging.
A horse buried beneath rugs canโt simply take a layer off when it becomes too warm. Overheating can cause sweating, discomfort and distress; persistent warmth and moisture beneath rugs can also contribute to skin problems. Significant dehydration associated with excessive sweating may also increase the risk of gastrointestinal problems.
So this autumn and winter, try not to judge your horseโs temperature by how cold you feel.
Put a hand underneath their rug and feel their chest, shoulder or behind the elbow. Look at the horse in front of you. Are they warm and dry? Sweating? Shivering? Losing weight? Comfortable and behaving normally?
And remember: ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐ก๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ.
Your horse isnโt cold just because you are.
Rug the horse, not the human. ๐ดโ๏ธ
