Horses in winter (Northern Vermont)

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From: Barb Peck 
Email: bpeck@us.ibm.com

HI:
Our temps. can vary widely from Nov/Dec to March. In late fall/early winter we can have temperature flucuations of 50 (yes 50) degrees in 24 hrs.  This back and forth of warm/cold warm/cold is actually the hardest on horses. (alot colic during this time, esp. stalled horses). It's not un-common to have daytime temps anywhere from 60 to 10 in November.
   Mine are out all winter (with access to their stalls if they want to come in) and I lock the barn at night, only if we're having a heavy snow fall WITH winds above 25-30 MPH. I do not blanket and am careful not to leave the lights on in the barn (as the shorter days triggers coat growth, as does colder temps).  They have free choice hay (grain  about 2 lbs/horse) and they have warmed water avaviable at all times. The temps. here can be minus 15 to -30 for long stretches at a time. Usually the colder it is the less humidity.  But it can be cold AND humid, and that's the worst bone-chilling weather there is. Riding is severely curtailed if we get a quick warm-up (which happens in Jan) turns everything to ice... then it gets cold again .. and that ice is under the snow for the rest of winter...... Sigh.
  My hubby & I go to the Carribean for 2 weeks in Feb. (we have a wonderful house sitter, who stays in the house & takes care of everything while we're gone) to get away from the dreary winter.
  I ride right up to hunting season (Nov 14th) and that curtails my riding in November more than the weather. I'd say ICE under the snow keeps me from riding Dec/Jan-March.
  Rumor has it we're in for a brutal winter this year, cause El Nino gave us a VERY VERY mild winter last year. 
Barb