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 Toastest with the Mostest
Posts: 5712
  
Location: That part of Texas | I think most everybody covered what I would have thought of and I can only add something I learned from an article on FB yesterday. It had to do with blanketing in cold weather but with temps that you guys are looking at, I don't know if there's much you can do.
One of the basic parts of the article was that a horse warms up all over and not just in spots. The colder the horse is on it's head, legs, etc. that are not covered, the more the body works to try to equalize the heat and get the body to one temperature. When they have to really work at trying to generate that type of heat, it causes them to be too warm under the blanket and that can upset their digestive systems and cause a whole host of problems trying to regulate body temperature.
So, with it being that cold, they might be generating more heat under those blankets than you realize. It's just something you might monitor because I don't know what you can really do that different when it gets that cold. If they've been used to blankets, pulling them off is probably going to be worse. It's just a thought though as something to monitor. | |
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Cat Collector
Posts: 1430
 
| Red Raider - 2014-01-08 1:32 PM
I think most everybody covered what I would have thought of and I can only add something I learned from an article on FB yesterday. It had to do with blanketing in cold weather but with temps that you guys are looking at, I don't know if there's much you can do.
One of the basic parts of the article was that a horse warms up all over and not just in spots. The colder the horse is on it's head, legs, etc. that are not covered, the more the body works to try to equalize the heat and get the body to one temperature. When they have to really work at trying to generate that type of heat, it causes them to be too warm under the blanket and that can upset their digestive systems and cause a whole host of problems trying to regulate body temperature.
So, with it being that cold, they might be generating more heat under those blankets than you realize. It's just something you might monitor because I don't know what you can really do that different when it gets that cold. If they've been used to blankets, pulling them off is probably going to be worse. It's just a thought though as something to monitor.
Huh that makes a lot of sense, I have a temp gun (because of work) i am gonna try it out! | |
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Veteran
Posts: 160
| I'm a tech and where I work we always see more colics Nov-March than any other time. Why i cannot say but it happens every year. You can do everything right, free choice hay, clean water available all time, good worming schedule and colics will still happen. We've seen drastic weather changes here and colics are happening with the changes. There are just things that happen that are beyond your control. For example their gut slow or stop moving altogether. You can prevent that. It just happens sometimes. Continue good management practices - that is the best you can do for prevention but always be on the lookout. Colic will still happen. | |
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Veteran
Posts: 256
| Karlaw - 2014-01-08 9:34 AM
I lost a horse to colic in december and now my 3yr old showed signs last night & christmas eve there was another mare who coliced as well
Keep in mind the temperatures here are bi-polar.
They have winter blankets
Shelters
The water is cool but not cold
They have all been fed different hay from different vendors that is maybe 20% alfalfa- which is really low compared to what i normally feed.
The weather goes from -30 with a wind chill to -16 then drops to -5 then cold again all within a week.
So last night I gave her an IV shot of Banamine, let her walk loose around the arena, she layed down before the banamine was given after she didnt try to lay down at all. She was put in a stall with her buddy overnight, drank a bucket of water (hard to tell who drank it with two horses but her buddy is a weanling) she pooped a million times.
They are wormed every three months.
The water on the property has been tested, the hay has been checked....
What the heck am I missing???
Oats! I have 5 horses in a wind break corral right now no sheds no blankets they can get out of the wind with the wind break corral, temp dropped to -52 celcius with wind chill the other night and for the last week we have rarely been above -40 factoring the wind chill in. They get 10 gallons of whole oats with liquid equilix About 1.5 cups poured on the oats, free choice hay alfalfa/brome mix, automatic water bowl and 5 gallons of oats at night if it is really cold out. It seems to keep them moving around good Also 2 of the horses came from texas this past november and have adapted well to the cold. Grain will usually keep them loose and they seem to drink better with a feed of oats Good luck! | |
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  Making the post season
Posts: 7288
Location: your guess is as good as mine | I can empathize - I've lost 2 to colic in the winter...one in December and one in January. I feed soaked beet pulp to my 2 younger ones and soak my older mare's senior - I use warm water and also add sea salt (1tsp) each feeding. While I have electricity at the pasture I rent I don't have running water, so I have no way of getting water from my house to the pasture when it's this cold. All I can do is make sure the pond & creek have ice-free areas for them to drink and keep a close eye on them. | |
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Cat Collector
Posts: 1430
| Thanks everyone, I gave her another dose of baniamine and will do one more tonight. I am going to try beet pulp again but last time she wouldnt eat it just played with it. | |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1066
| Karlaw - 2014-01-09 8:44 AM Thanks everyone, I gave her another dose of baniamine and will do one more tonight. I am going to try beet pulp again but last time she wouldnt eat it just played with it.
When we're trying to get new horses onto beet pulp sometimes we will give it every day, twice a day for a week before they start eating it, but once they're onto it they're good to go. First off, try not to make it too runny for horses that are new to it. Second, sprinkle oats (or some other appealing feed) on top of it. Third, leave them with the beet pulp for an hour or so before feeding hay so it gives them time to play with it and decide it tastes good.
Good luck! | |
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Cat Collector
Posts: 1430
| Tys-ol-lady - 2014-01-09 9:02 AM
Karlaw - 2014-01-09 8:44 AM Thanks everyone, I gave her another dose of baniamine and will do one more tonight. I am going to try beet pulp again but last time she wouldnt eat it just played with it.
When we're trying to get new horses onto beet pulp sometimes we will give it every day, twice a day for a week before they start eating it, but once they're onto it they're good to go. First off, try not to make it too runny for horses that are new to it. Second, sprinkle oats (or some other appealing feed) on top of it. Third, leave them with the beet pulp for an hour or so before feeding hay so it gives them time to play with it and decide it tastes good.
Good luck!
I was thinking of watering down some sweet feed and adding propel to it, i know she will eat that?? | |
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Member
Posts: 8
Location: Kansas City, MO | We have a great product for colic... It comes in a paste and a daily feed. The paste is great to have on hand for a full colic episode or just preventative. The pellets are more for preventative. The paste is called Immediate Response. Its all natural and an amazing product. www.orthoequine.com
or call 816-353-8660 | |
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