Around this time of year, we start to hear from members of the public who have spotted horses not wearing rugs. It’s also common for us to receive lots of calls over winter about horses without shelter or looking as if they haven’t been groomed in a while. However, these are not necessarily reasons to be concerned!

We’ll start with a bit of science. Horses, ponies, and donkeys have been found in some of the most extreme climates in the world, from Northern Siberia to African deserts. While different breeds are suited to different climates, a horse’s ability to adapt to its climate and environment is extraordinary.

Every animal has something called a Thermal Neutral Zone (TNZ), which refers to its ability to regulate its internal temperature without assistance. A human’s TNZ is generally between 18 and 30 degrees centigrade, but a horse’s TNZ is between 5 and 25 degrees. For humans, when the temperature drops into single digits it’s very chilly, but for horses and ponies anything over five degrees can still be balmy!

Like people, horses are individuals with individual needs. It's really important that we assess each horse in their environment and see how they’re coping with it. At Redwings, we only rug our horses that really need it – usually the horses that are very young, very old, or tend to lose a lot of weight over winter get an extra layer. The rest of our horses use their natural resources to stay warm – whether that’s the forage and feeds they’re given over winter, or through their own physiological resources like generating heat through digestion, or their thick, fluffy coats!

Did you know horses benefit from something called piloerection? Their body hair can lift and even rotate to trap warm air against the skin like a duvet. So, if you see ice or snow settling on the back of a horse (like in the image below), this is usually a sign that the hair is doing a good job of keeping that heat trapped against their body. 

Over the winter months you might see horses without rugs, that look very scruffy. They often look like they haven’t been groomed in a while, with thick hair that might have some mud on it. This isn’t necessarily a sign of poor welfare; the thick coat helps to keep them warm, and the mud can add another layer of protection! Brushing too often can remove the natural oils out of the horse’s hair; these oils are important to help horses stay waterproof.

It’s vital that owners check their horses regularly, to make sure that they are healthy and coping well in cold or wet weather. If a horse wears a rug, the owner should check under it regularly to make sure the horse isn’t too hot or too cold. It's also important to check that the rug isn't rubbing and that the horse is maintaining a good body weight underneath. There’s also no need to keep a rug on all winter – on warmer, sunny days, we like to take rugs off to let our ponies have a bit of time in the sun!

Signs that a horse isn’t coping in cold or wet weather can include:

Remember, every horse is an individual and whether you rug or don't rug your horse depends on their individual needs. Here's some examples of horses living at the Sanctuary and their needs throughout the winter.

  If you have any concerns about a horse, you can give us a call on 01508 481008 or email welfare@redwings.co.uk to chat with our Welfare Team.