This message is from: partoy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hello list, Jean, you do almost exactly the same things as we do with our Fjords here in Finland. We have an open barn so they can go in and out as they please also in winter. Mostly they are outside and even prefer sleeping in the snow. And it sure gets COLD here occasionally, even colder than in most parts of our neighbor country Norway. Right now it's -20 Centigrade (don't know what it is in Fahrenheit) which is the coldest this winter so far.
Our horses have always been very healthy. A herd life with a lot of exercise makes them happy and balanced. And it makes sure there are no respiratory problems nor vices or stress but an effective circulation, a smaller risk for strains and other injuries when working, good hooves, good condition... We think being out a lot is extremely important for Fjords who tend to be so playful and active. Like we know horses sleep only four hours per 24 hours - standing in a box all through the long nights can probably be very frustrating. (According to what we've heard, almost ANY horse seems to be better off in an open barn - there are even some Arabs around here who get a thick coat during the winter and love to be out. Of course then there's the sweat question if the horse is trained a lot - you may need special blankets to get him dry after the training.) Besides, the more a horse is able to move on various surfaces, the more he will use his capacity: the movement of one of our horses started developing notably after she got a different pasture that consists of not only a plain field but also hills and woods. One thing which we think is very important to all horses is climbing, and for Fjords it may be even more natural than to many others. There is one Fjord mare here in Finland who is 18 years old, has had 8 foals - and looks like a 9-year old. We think her secret is that she climbs steep hills regularly. Our oldest mare's swayback, too, straightened out when we added extra climbing sessions to our trail rides. I believe this is the reason for why so many horses get problems with their backs and feet - working mainly on plain arenas which means one-sided exercise. As for water, we give just chilly water to our horses in order to avoid colicing. According to our vet and incidents that we have heard about, warm water discourages the intestinal tract. Probably the reason is that (wild) horses don't normally get warm water and thus they are not used to handle it. But, on the other hand, a horse's system probably can adjust to warm water especially if he gets plenty of exercise and fibre which keep his system going despite this discouraging factor. CHANGING the temperature of the water unexpectedly perhaps causes more problems. Have heard many people give warm water to their horses in winter to make them drink more. Probably these horses have a warm barn and possibly often wear blankets when out, and that's why they get easily cold (especially if the weather suddenly gets exceptionally chilly). They may not want to drink much cold water because it would take a lot of energy to warm that water up in their system, and that energy is already needed for keeping the body temperature up. Would imagine these horses may actually like to have something warm to drink to balance their body temperature. If you want to try an open barn, prepare for much less work and smaller bedding expenses. Plus less grooming - too thorough grooming would take the natural grease off the horse's coat and he needs that grease to protect him in rain and all kinds of weathers. Have a good Sunday all! Sini. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
