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Maryanne,
I'm no vet, but I have kept horses for the past 20
years under all kinds of weather conditions, and I know that any kind of weather
outside is healthier for the horse than being inside in the best of
conditions. Inside you have dust problems, ammonia problems (even if you
can barely smell the urine, it is damaging to the lungs), and problems caused by
lack of sufficient movement in the horse. IMO, the sooner the better out
to the paddock, regardless of the weather. Unless, of course, you are
going from a heated barn to sub-freezing temperatures with a body-clipped horse,
in which case a little acclimation is in order. I had a friend who kept
her horses under what she thought was the best of conditions:
Deeply-bedded clean stalls at night, with pasture turnout during the day, best
of feeds and suppliments, regular exercise, etc. She often wondered why
she had so many cases of colic, respiratory ailments, and founder. I've
had only very rare incidents of colic, and only under highly stressful
situations, no founder, and no respiratory problems. I've always kept mine
outside 24/7. But after all, horses aren't cave-dwellers; they're plains
animals! Hope this helps.
Debbie
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