Winter Weather Does Not Cause Colic in Horses
I have an unpopular opinion that I want to riff on for a second.
Winter weather does not cause colic in horses.
Well, at the very least, it is not that simple.
Let’s look at some facts:
Horses have evolved over millions of years in the wild without shelter, blankets or reliable food sources. And they have basically evolved in all weather conditions, unlike certain species of monkeys, insects, etc. that may only survive in warm weather.
The weather has never been something that horses or humans have control over. Mother Nature does her own thing.
Equine research does not prove correlation between colic and winter weather conditions.
Now, let’s think about it this way for a minute:
If you lived in a house without a roof and it snowed, you might get sick, right? But you did not get sick because it snowed, you got sick because your house did not have a roof.
What I mean is that horse owners commonly blame winter weather for their horses’ problems, when really the issue is that our horses require a level of protection (i.e. a “roof”).
This protective layer comes from their gut microbiome, which is why, if their gut is unstable or in a state of dysbiosis, it is common to see digestive issues when there is a cold snap or weather change.
The same goes for your own health, by the way. If you are continually tired or sick, I guarantee it’s not because “allergies are bad this year.” The root issue is that something is going on to cause your immune system to not be working efficiently.
Now, I am not a veterinarian, and I do believe that weather changes could ‘tip the scale’ if a horse is already unhealthy or affected by other stressors or changes.
*Please talk to your vet if your horse has a serious medical condition and/or is prone to upset.*
As humans, our memories are frankly not that good, and it is common for us to forget when we change something else in a horse’s life.
For example, if we get a new load of hay, which will absolutely affect a horse’s gut microbes, AND the weather changes dramatically AND we worked our horses hard with a new training program AND our horse has an insufficient layer of gut protection then we are almost bound to see problems.
But I think we need to do a better job as horse owners of getting to the root of an issue, rather than blaming forces we have no control over, like the weather.
I do understand that horses may not be drinking enough water when it is cold out, but supporting the gut can still assist with that problem.
We are living in a time when domesticated horses have more resources than ever before. They have shelter, many of them have blankets, they have reliable food that comes 2-3 times per day. To be honest, horses have it much “easier” than they ever have.
The problem is that we have messed with their normal rhythms and interfered with their own ability to regulate their bodies.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t care for our horses; To the contrary.
What I am advocating for is that we focus on “putting the roof on” and helping to protect our horses at the cellular level, rather than just with a blanket.
I am suggesting that we treat any change (feed, social stress, new environments, trailering, etc.) with more consideration than just attributing health problems to winter weather.
Let’s start asking better questions. When we ask better questions, our minds start to find better answers.
Our horses don’t need us to micromanage the weather (which is impossible anyways).
What they need is for us to support their gut health with high-quality nutrition from hay, feed, and supplements so that when the inevitable weather/social/feed changes happen, they have the protection and resilience they need to handle life.
And yes, I will still be blanketing my mare in extreme weather.
Xoxo,
Em
