Winter in North Idaho can seem to last forever. Not only is it tough to get out and ride but for many horses it's a tough time to stay healthy. Here are some of the most common conditions that we deal with during the winter months and tips for how you can help your horse avoid these common winter time issues.
Dehydration
It is so important for horses to drink enough water. An average size horse under just maintenance conditions (no work or sweating) should consume 8-10 gallons of water a day. You may find that your horse's water consumption goes up in the winter months and this is due mostly to the increase in dry matter feed. If your horse is on a primarily fresh grass diet in the summer and on dry hay in the winter, he will need to consume more water to facilitate hind gut fermentation and passage of all that dry matter. Impaction colics during cold weather are very common. Any change in the weather that either results in increased dry matter consumption of decreased water consumption can bring on a rash of impaction colics. 
There are several ways that you can ensure your horse is drinking enough water to keep all systems a go. Provide ample fresh clean water at room temperature. Horses are less likely to drink their required 8-10 gallons of water a day if there are chunks of ice floating in the water. Water consumption will decrease when the water is at freezing temperatures. Be sure that your horse has access to a heated water tank. You also want to be sure that water is not too warm. Some of the smaller heated water buckets can result in water that is almost tepid and many horses won't drink water at that temperature either. Just like the little bear, your horse wants his water "just right". If you do use an electrical tank heater, but sure to check it yourself at least once a month to be sure there is no charge in the water. If you don't see to be filling that tank as often as usual, it's a good time to check to be sure your horses aren't getting shocked when they go to water. If you have a 50 gallon tank and 2 horses, you should be filling that tank every 2 -3 days.Adding salt to the diet is another great way to drive that thirst and increase water consumption. Horses do not tend to use a salt block as much during the winter. You can add salt to their diet by adding a small amount of grain or pelleted feed topped with a TBSP of loose salt daily. It doesn't need to be much concentrated feed, just enough to get some salt down them. Even just a cup of grain would be enough.
Have your horses teeth checked. Especially older horses that are missing teeth or have loose or diseased teeth will not want to drink as much water in the winter. Be sure your horse isn't experiencing discomfort in his mouth that is keeping him from drinking enough.
Sore Feet
When we have periods of frozen uneven ground it is common to get calls about horses that are sore footed. Many horses with thin soles do not do well on that treacherous ground. While I don't generally recommend shoes in the winter months, some of these horses may benefit from well fitted paddock boots. It's important when using boots in the paddock to check the boots twice daily for any rubs or build up of mud or moisture. Another option is to provide a soft footed resting area. Sawdust or shavings in the area where horses spend the majority of their time can allow them to at least have a break from the hard footing and can go a long ways towards improving their comfort until the thaw. Cleaning the feet daily will help you to determine if your horse's bruised hoofs are becoming abscessed and requiring further treatment.
Rain Rot
Rain rot isn't as common in our area as it is in the more coastal regions but we do see a few cases every year. Rain rot is caused by the bacteria dermatophilis congolensis and generally occurs along the top line. Typically we see this in the spring during the really wet months before the horses have begun to shed. If the horses spend several days soaked to the skin it provides the perfect environment for the bacteria to thrive. It causes a clumping and flaking of the skin with loss of the crusty chunks of hair. This can also happen under a blanket if moisture gets trapped beneath that blanket.
The very best cure for all but the most complicated cases of rain rot is good grooming. The bacteria is sensitive to light and dry air. While there are many many shampoos and medical treatments on the market your best bet is to get your horse dried out and curry as much of the affected area as possible. Occasionally we will have to treat a horse with one of the topical treatments but what invariably happens is that somebody follows some on line advice, applies a topical ointment and just increases the warm wet environment by sealing all that moisture in there. By keeping a close eye on your horses and being sure they are groomed regularly you can prevent most cases of rain rot in our area.
Swollen Sheaths and Ankles
I get a lot of calls in January and February for swollen sheaths and ankles. When our footing gets to be the worst and the horses do not have enough room to move around they spend a lot of time standing in one spot. Typically it is aged horses that are most prone to this phenomenon but you can see swollen ankles on young horses that are spending too much time in the same spot. Generally this is not a serious condition and it will improve as soon as the horse can get some exercise. If your horse is acting normal in every way and there is no evidence of lameness, I generally recommend a walk if possible. 10-15 minutes of hand walking in an area with decent footing can go a long way to improving circulation and diminishing the swelling. If, however, there is associated lameness or your horse is not acting normal he should be seen by a veterinarian to rule out other more dangerous causes.
Obesity/Emaciation
Just because it is winter and your horse is on vacation is no excuse for your horse to become in poor condition. We see both extremes on the scale, from the horse that winters poorly to the horse that "winters well". While some fluctuation in weight is to be expected and indeed there are folks that study wild horses that seem to think it healthy, extreme fluctuations in your horse's weight is no more healthy for them than it is for you.
For the easy keeper that packs on the pounds in the winter it is important to not give into the guilt feedings. If your horse can maintain his weight on 16 pounds of dry hay alone then feeding extra hay will only serve to cost you more money and sacrifice your horse's health. Be sure you are body condition scoring your horses at least once a week to see if your feeding program is adequately meeting their needs. There are many options for the easy keeper that gets bored quickly in the winter months besides just allowing them to eat themselves into oblivion. Slow feeders or breaking their meals up into multiple small meals/day can help to alleviate the boredom and help you avoid overfeeding just to keep them occupied. While we all love to see that nice, bright green high quality hay stacked in our barn, sometimes a lower protein variety is more appropriate for your horse in the winter time. 
The other side of this coin is the horse that winters hard. It is not okay for your horse to drop to a body condition score of less than 4 during the winter months. If the weather and feeding conditions are such that your horse is loosing weight, that needs to be addressed before their condition worsens to the point of a bad colic or hypothermia. Horses need that good layer of flesh to adequately maintain body heat. Without it, they will require a blanket or more substantial shelter to keep from getting chilled. Horses that have a hard time consuming enough calories to maintain their weight on hay alone must be fed some type of concentrate feed, and generally that is going to be Equine Senior or another pelleted whole feed. Just like the horse that's an easy keeper, the hard keeper should be body condition scored weekly so you can be proactive about making necessary changes to their diet.
Trudging through the snow, fighting frozen hoses, dragging sleds full of hay or manure all are the stuff that make horse owning in the northern states something that is not for the faint of heart. Just think how much tougher us northern horse people are than those soft southern types! No fear, it'll be over soon. Then we can move onto bug season!
