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Kazzy
Platinum Member
 England
3335 Posts |
 Posted - 09 Jan 2010 : 12:56:47 PM
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Has anybody known of this before!!
Kazzy is out and wont stay in at night, tried last night and he caused a kerpuffle and screamed the place down, obviously wants to go back out with his pals.
He is fed twice a day and they have got plenty of hay, actually they have got that much hay they are not eating it all up.
Just gone to my feed merchant for more feed because I am running low and she said to me I should be very careful with him because laods of horses are coming down with frostbite
He has a Rhino rug on thats 370 g in weight with a rug liner that weighs 100g, he also has a neck rug on.
Just a bit concerned about this!!
There legs arent getting snow to them because we only had about 4 - 6" of the white stuff and most off it is trampled down anyway.
Janet
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Sunny Cheshire |
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alethea
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
1526 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jan 2010 : 1:01:54 PM
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I have never heard of frostbite in horses but would also be very interested to hear any information or experience that anyone has of this
Alethea
Aristotle Arabians |
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Kazzy
Platinum Member
England
3335 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jan 2010 : 1:14:18 PM
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Thats what I said aswell. If they are rugged up well and not exposed to the direct cold surely they cant get it!! I dont know, would be interested to hear though.
He's toasty warm every morning and fed a high fibre diet with plenty of hay and just his legs and face exposed at night.
Janet |
Sunny Cheshire |
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vjc
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4952 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jan 2010 : 1:56:19 PM
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Me neither!!! would be interested to know the facts on it though! |
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Smiler
Gold Member
England
1217 Posts |
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LYNDILOU
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
13976 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jan 2010 : 2:44:18 PM
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I believe its virtually impossible for horses to get frost bite , which is why they took horses on early north pole expeditions , there is something in the structure of their legs ( pretty much like those of a moose or caribou,) that stops this happening, ( thats what i read anyway |
   
www.dreamfield-arabians.com |
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barbara.gregory
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4531 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jan 2010 : 3:33:05 PM
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The reason they don't get frostbite as we do is that in humans when we are cold the blood vessels in the extremities constrict to preserve core body heat hence less heat to the hands and feet so frostbite. When horses feet get cold they pump more blood to the feet to keep them warm.
Many years ago someone told me of a poor little Arab gelding who was only two and very thin. he was just left out without any food in a bare field and one night when there was freezing rain he froze to death. I was horrified that no one had done anything to help him (including the person who told me and passed his field twice a day going to and from work). I could never like her after that! Horses don't get frostbite as far as I know but without rugs and food to keep them warm they can freeze and what a dreadful way to gie.
Barbara |
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jillandlomond
Platinum Member
Scotland
3586 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jan 2010 : 3:59:02 PM
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| They can get cracked heels due to standing in wet freezing conditions. I read on another forum about 2 horses that had developed mud fever like symptoms due to this freezing cold weather. Neither of the horses are prone to mud fever and the owner had to call the vet out to treat it. |
    
Borders, Scotland |
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lisa rachel
Gold Member
Wales
831 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jan 2010 : 5:14:32 PM
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This one made me smile,feed merchants can be a marvellous source of amusing 'information'.
The problems we see in horses in weather like this are usually; colic due to impactions secondary to being shut in more than usual compounded by mild dehydration due to frozen water buckets or decreased intake of unpleasantly cold water, and also sadly fractures often occuring when horses are first turned out after being confined to barracks and having a hooley on slippery ground.
Far better to stick to routine. A well fed, well rugged horse, very preferably with a field shelter is in absolutely no danger of frostbite in this country !
Horses have a shunt system whereby they can reduce the blood flow to their feet with no ill effects then periodically re open the shunts to allow blood flow to return, this happens cyclicly, I cannot remember the exact temperature but extremely low hoof temperatures have been recorded in horses in cold enviroments with no ill effects.
(I have to say though that we have, tragically had 5 horse deaths, on three premises, (four of them youngsters with little immunity to parasites) related to UNDERFEEDING/INAPPROPRIATE WORMING in the last month... not our clients but we have been called in by the police/RSPCA... very very distressing (and yes we are taking action !).)
Harry and I travelled through Eastern Europe on our horses (Arabs of course) in 2004-2005 winter, we living in subzero temperatures for a couple of months, the horses stayed fat as butter and very cheerful. It was the most snow in Bulgaria for 50 years (so we were told) I remember one night we and the three horses slept in an open sided barn in the Stara Zagora mountains, the temperature recorded in the valley below was -40C. The horses had a massive pile of hay each, a fleece and light NZ they were toasty behind their ears and under their rugs and raring to go the next morning, I was crying from hot aches trying to get my slowly thawing feet into my frozen solid boots... I feel sick remembering the pain!!
Wind and rain are far, far worse for horses than dry cold and snow so I would say feed them well,rug them well and let them enjoy a play in the powder!
Cheers
Lisa |
lisa |
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lisa b
Gold Member
795 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jan 2010 : 6:38:11 PM
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| here here lisa... im with you.. i have done exactly that.. extra rugs vasiline on the shod horses heels and stockholm tared their frogs and out they go at normal 7am... ad lib hay(which they hardly bother with!!) and then they come to the gate ready to come in at 4 pm... sane horses are so much easier to deal with!!! i do feel for those unfortunate people who cant get their horses out due to ice outside the stables at the mo... that must be awful!!! good luck all..x |
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barbara.gregory
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4531 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jan 2010 : 9:54:27 PM
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My poor souls have to go out at 5.30 am (I get up at 4.15 to do them) and they don't come in until about 8.30 - 9.00 pm but I think it is better for them to be out if at all possible, please let me win the lottery and be at home to give us all nicer hours!!! Even the boys don't muck about when it is icy. I use hot water to take the chill off their feeds so they have a warm feed morning and evening and hay all night and a few piles to go out to. They seem quite happy and do well. My older stallion occasionally plants his feet in the stable door and says "I don't want to go out today" and I usually let him stay in if the weather isn't good but he has to go out the next day. He is happy with that; like me, he is a hothouse plant. Roll on summer.
barbara |
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Topic |
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Frost bite in horses!!
