Bar-Bar-A

Tips for Preventing Cold Weather Weight Loss in Your Horses

As the chilly winter weather continues, it’s important to follow a seasonal healthcare regimen for your horses and livestock. Consider the following tips and purchase a Bar-Bar-A horse waterer to keep your horses in proper health.

• Increase Feeding Rations
  If you’re concerned that your horses may be losing weight during the winter months, try increasing their food rations. Winter weight loss is common among horses, primarily because they must burn extra calories to stay warm but are often on fixed diets. More food will compensate for any potential weight loss. More importantly, assess your horse’s diet to ensure you are including proper nutrients and vitamins.
   
• Check Their Teeth
  Healthy teeth are essential to maintaining your horse’s healthy weight. If your horse has damaged teeth or a toothache, it could prevent your horse from properly eating. Pain while chewing and swallowing could inhibit your horses from eating their full amount of food. Be sure to give your horses proper dental examinations before the winter months begin.
   
• Practice Proper Hoof Maintenance
  Proper hoof care can also help you prevent your horses from losing weight during the cold-weather months. Horses that are kept outdoors should have their shoes removed while they aren’t being ridden. Be sure to trim your horse’s hooves to prevent overgrowth and cracks or breaks. But don’t trim too much of your horse’s hooves—they provide a protective barrier from the frozen ground.
   
• Provide Adequate Shelter
  Depending on where you live, most horses can be maintained outdoors with a partial covering to their stalls for rain and wind. During the cold-weather months, it’s essential that your horses and livestock have a warm, protected shelter. Giving them extra warmth will help their bodies use less energy, thereby helping them maintain a healthy weight.

Most importantly, your horse needs to be properly hydrated during the wet winter months. Bar-Bar-A provides an automatic horse waterer that ensures your animals constantly have water for hydration. Our automatic, non-electric water trough is designed to prevent water from freezing and does not artificially heat the water, providing a constant, fresh drinking source. Call us at (888) 833-9821 to place your order today.

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