People combat cold weather by putting on additional clothing, but horses fight the elements by using more energy to maintain
body temperature. While most people can address their own needs, horses are dependent upon their owners to provide proper
nutrition and protection from the weather, said Dave Freeman, PhD, PAS, Dipl. ACAN, Oklahoma State University Cooperative
Extension equine specialist.
Energy for Body Warmth
"The temperature below which a particular horse starts to expend additional energy for maintaining body warmth (called the
critical temperature) will vary," he said. He attributes this to several factors including the amount of fat each horse has,
the thickness of their winter coats, how well the horse acclimatizes to the cold weather.
For example, a horse with short hair, exposed to wet, cold weather, might need significantly more energy when the temperature
gets below 50° F (10° C). A horse acclimatized to cold weather, with a thick hair coat and fat cover, may not expend
appreciably more energy until the temperature drops below 30° F (-1° C).
As a general rule, a 1% increase in the energy required to stay sufficiently warm is needed to replace the energy lost for
each degree the temperature falls below the horse's critical temperature. Simply put, a horse owner would have to supply
roughly two pounds more feed for each 10 degrees Fahrenheit below the critical temperature per day when horses are consuming
typical hay and grain rations, a situation that is not practical.
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