Conference noted::equitation

    I would highly recommend snow shoes for your mare. They're made
    out of borium and have about 4 cleats on each shoe. Snow doesn't
    collect on them like it does on ordinary shoes. Plus you can have
    pads put on the front hoofs which also helps to prevent snow from
    sticking .
    The shoes cost anywhere from $30 up. However, they will last for
    a few winters depending upon how worn down the cleats are. A
    blacksmith can also recoat the shoes with borium.
    They're definitely worth it. I can even jump (small jumps) my horse 
    out in the snow because he has such good footing with snow shoes. 
                                         Cindy

    I HAVE BEEN SHOEING HORSES FOR ABOUT 6 YEAR.  I PUT MANY WINTER
    SHOES ON HORSES.  THERE ARE SOME TYPES OF WINTER PADS (SNOW BALL
    OR POPPER PADS) THAT ARE NOT TOO GOOD.  MOST FARRIERS NOW ARE AWARE
    OF THE DIFFERENCE IN THESE PADS AND SOME FARRIERS I KNOW DO NOT
    USE SNOW BALL PADS AT ALL ANY MORE.  THE RED HOT BRAND OF SNOW BALL
    PADS SHOULD NOT BE USED.  THE POPPER PART OF THE PADS IS TO BIG
    AND IT COLLAPSES AND DOES NOT POP THE SNOW OUT.  ALSO THIS PAD IS
    HARD AND THE TOP OF THE POPPER SOMETIMES BRUISES THE SOLE OF THE
    FOOT ABOVE THE FROG.  IT BRUISES THE SOLE EVEN IF THE PADS IS PACKED
    WITH SILICONE.  YOUR BEST BET IS TO USE ONE OF THE OTHER BRANDS
    WHICH ARE OK OR JUST USE A REGULAR FLAT PAD.

    You didn't say whether your horse is shod now or whether is already
    has flat pads.  Our horses are generally bare foot in the winter
    and do fairly well in the snow.  Usually if the snow balls up on
    their feet, it comes off after standing for a few minutes from the
    heat generated in their feet.  We've also had pretty good success
    with popper pads although as described in .2 some are better than
    others.
    
    As far as the other problems with winter go, I haven't noticed any
    but I've always lived here so I probably take some things for granted.
    For example, I'm used to breaking ice out of buckets several times
    a day so its second nature by now.
    
    One thing we do is to keep the horses in the barn when the wind
    chill is below -10.  I have two horses that live outside (they have
    a shed to go into but rarely use it).  These two are healthier than
    the ones in the barn.  The big point here is that if you keep your
    horses in a barn, you should be very concerned with the temperature
    that you put them out in since be keeping them sheltered you have
    upset the balance of nature.  Think about how you feel when you
    keep you coat on inside for a couple of hours, and then go outside.
    Nature builds coats and body fat to compensate for the weather but
    only if they are always subjected to it.
    
    Regards,
    
    Bob
    

    Just a quick clarification about the borium - A blacksmith will
    take a regular set of horse shoes, and melt on small spots of borium
    which act as cleats.  They usually put 2 spots of borium at
    the toe of the shoe, and one on the heel of each side of the
    shoe.  Your blacksmith can make the cleat various lengths,
    depending upon the amount of traction you want, but the more
    the horse's hoof is off the ground, the worse it is on his legs
    and hooves.  
    
    There are various types of pads that you can have put on, from leather
    to plastic, and the horses hoof can be packed with silicone, oakum,
    or whatever your blacksmith uses.  I think that the Dec. issue of
    Equus had a good article on the types of winter shoes, pads and
    packing.
    
    If you keep your horse barefoot, you can try smearing vaseline or
    a thick type of hoof dressing on the bottom of the hoof.  This usually
    helps keep the snow/ice from sticking.                    
    
    Other things to keep in mind when winterizing your horse is turnout
    and blanketing.  A horse with a natural winter coat can withstand
    colder temperatures than you may think.  It's the wind that actually
    makes them cold because normally the thick coat traps and warms
    air within the coat - this insulates the horse.  The wind ruffles
    the coat and the air escapes, thus removing heat from the horse's
    coat.  A shed/shelter of some type allows the horse to get out of
    the wind, but they don't always use it.  Rain and snow wet the coat
    and flatten it, also decreasing the amount of heat the horse can
    store.        
    
    If your horse has a short coat or has been blanketed, on extremely
    cold days you may need to add a second blanket or even a sheet under
    his usual blanket.  Some tack shops sell wool or acrylic blanket
    liners which come in handy for days like that.
    
    

    I agree with other noters, that borium can be advantageous, if you
    are already shoeing. In the past, I have kept my nag barefoot all
    year round without too much hassle. I keep a good gob of vaseline,
    or *greasy* hoof dressing on the soles of each hoof.
    
    Only once while I was riding in the snow did we slip and fall. My
    ankle (which I broke) was trapped under Cheyenne and he was scrambling
    to get up without success. I ended up helping him to his feet and
    if he had had borium on the back hooves, he would have been a bloody
    mess just because of the position he was in. But I do think it has
    its merits.
    
    The only complaint I would have is if the horse was a pawer or pacer
    in his/her stall and the floors were wooden, they would probably
    need replacing sooner.
    
    As far as blanketing, if your horse develops that thick, which end
    is which?, type of coat you may not need to blanket him/her. But
    it is good to have a blanket, sheet and a water repellant type of
    coat just in case. Mother Nature usually provides well but some
    beasties just don't have what they need.  Remember to change their
    blankets if they get wet and the temp. is dropping (you wouldn't
    like to stand around in a cold, wet, clammy coat, and catch a cold,
    would you?) And usually once you start blanketing you will usually
    have to continue for the rest of the season since they too get use
    to wearing a coat during the winter and don't want to go out "naked"
    in the cold.
    
    I had an experience this fall.  We went out for about 4 hours during
    which it started to P*O*U*R and since I was camping, there was no
    place to shelter Cheyenne.  It was warm anyways, and he was fine.
    However, when we were leaving that afternoon, the truck died with Cheyenne
    loaded. I had put on his dry clothes but by the time we were ready to
    roll again, he was shivering so hard he shook the trailer. I whipped
    off his now wet clothes and put on a heavier "rain" coat with a lining.
    By the time we got home (2 1/2 hours later) he was toasty warm; "Snug
    as a *nag* in a rug" and thankfully without a cold.
    
    Best advise, be prepared.
    
    Good luck!
    
    Roslyn :~}                                    

    	If your horse is barefoot,another product that will cut down
    on snowballing is PAM or other sprays of that sort. This might
    even help on a shod horse,though I never tried it there. 
    	Simply dry the underside of the foot with an old towel,spray
    on and hold the foot up until it dries. IT's worked pretty well
    for me,but since I've never used Vaseline or grease,I can't make
    a comparison. I've been told though that using greasy stuff on
    hoofs for extended periods of time may make the hoofs become
    too soft,again I don't know from first hand experience,but PAM
    is not greasy,so hasn't caused any such problem.
    	Another thing,,regarding breaking ice off of water tanks,
    I use a sod cutting shovel. It's short with a square,serrated edge,
    and you can get thruogh even thick ice relatively easily by starting
    the cut with the corner of the shovel. 
    	Always remove most of the ice from the tank as opposed to just
    breaking it,since the pieces tend to freeze back together rather
    quickly.
    	Winter ain't fun,but you can survive it.
    
    		Good luck,
    			George
    

    
    This is pretty simple but if you don't know....
    
    Get yourself a rubber, that's rubber not plastic bucket for
    water. The plastic buckets will freeze and crack. You'll find
    the rubber bucket easier to deal with. you can drop them and
    knock the ice out without worring about breakages.
    
    In the summer they get messy, so my barn has winter buckets (rubber)
    and summer buckets (plastic).
    
    Nancy
    

    Also see note 465.2 - it talks about windchill
    

	I put out buckets of water, too, and I start with good
	warm water; it freezes almost as fast as cold water, but
	those horses LOVE it! (I call it "tea time" - just one
	more little treat for the guys.)

	One of the reasons the snow balls up on shod horses is that
	the shoe doesn't allow the naturally flexible hoof to spread
	and let the snow back out. So it really packs in there. Mine
	are barefoot now, and there's not a problem. I stay away from
	real icy ground, but the rounded hoof and soft, tough frog
	are made for good traction. With the winter air so dry, this
	is another good reason to keep those hoofs lubricated and
	flexible.

	If you have any horses together in a paddock with the borium
	on their shoes, make sure they're REAL nice to each other -
	that borium can slice up a horse as easy as pie.

	Like the others said, wind and rain make them really cold. So
	that's when you should blanket. And they should be blanketed
	in their stalls - they can't move much in there to keep up
	their body heat, and they can't cuddle up to each other. But
	when it's dry and calm (and your horses are used to being
	out) there are 2 good reasons not to blanket:

	(1) Air gets trapped in the fur close to the body and is kept
	    warm by the body heat, thereby providing an insulating
	    layer; a blanket flattens down the fur and there goes that
	    nice warm air layer. A thin blanket could make him even
	    colder than none! (I think I read this in Dec. EQUUS)

	(2) Sun - have you noticed horses standing sideways to the sun
	    a lot on these cold days? They LOVE it! Not only does it
	    warm them (I don't know if it's because of something special
	    in their fur, or because they're a darkish color or what), but
	    horses are able to synthesize vitamin C out of sunlight through
	    their skin. And we all know what vitamin C does to keep away
	    colds. And a blanket, especially a light colored or reflective
	    one, stops that.

	Also, when you turn out a horse after a night in a stall, they
	can be pretty wild for a few minutes - that cold crisp air with
	a new snowfall sure makes them feel good! But if you can kind of
	keep an eye out for icy spots or rough areas that they can get
	hurt in while they're acting like they're not domesticated - just
	a little prevention can't hurt, like chopping up the ice areas,
	or filling in ruts.

	After a snowfall is a good time to check the fence lines, too, to
	make sure no branches took any down.

	This is really great weather in some ways for horse owners - I
	went out to the stalls this a.m. and one of my horses was still
	lying down. It was steamy warm in there and smelled great. He
	let me come in and pat him, just like a big dog. After a bit it
	occurred to me I should be worried because he usually jumps right
	up if he knows I'm coming with breakfast. So I made him get up;
	he was fine, but he gave me a really disgusted look - I think he
	wanted to sleep late this morning!

	Enjoy the snow!
	-julie

    Since you are near Seattle, you won't have to worry as much about
    winter problems as we do here in the Northeast.  From what I hear
    from people I know out there, you probably won't have snow cover
    on the ground all winter like we do.  And it will probably be much
    warmer there than here, too.  I don't think many of the horse people
    we know out there blanket their horses, and most of the horses are
    out all day.
    
    If you do decide to use borium on your horse's shoes, it will get
    worn down faster on dirt and you may need touch-ups more often for
    it to help when you do have snow.  We have borium and snow popper
    pads (don't know which kind, but have had good luck with them) on
    all four feet on our horses.  We do have one mare that travels a
    little close behind and she has really cut up her legs with borium,
    so now we don't have any put on her inside hind heels.  She mostly
    does this when she comes galloping across the field and does a sliding
    stop at the gate.  Although she has also nicked herself on the coronary
    band a few times just because she does travel closely sometimes.
    It's something to consider if you do decide to use borium.
                                                 
    If you get really infrequent snow storms, you may want to check
    on how much borium and pads will cost compared with having to break
    snow packs out of your horse's feet and/or turning her out only
    when you're around to check up on her after a snow storm.
    
    						Jan

    RE: .1 to .10
    
    Thanks for all the info.
    
    I do have shoes on her without pads so that's probably why the
    snow and ice built up like it did.  Since it doesn't snow or drop
    below freezing all that often, I'll probably forego the borium,
    but I'll ask my shoer about it. I've only glanced at the Equus article
    on shoes, I need to finish reading it.  Cleats on non-ice surfaces
    don't allow much lateral movment which I think could cause leg and
    feet problems.
    
    I use a 30 gallon metal trash can for holding water in the corral
    which had been building 2" of ice every day.  In the stalls I use
    a 10 gallon metal trash can for water because my mare will play
    with the rubber pales and spill the water.  Got a frost free water
    facuet just in time! 
    
    I'll place a blanket on her if the temperature is going to go below
    freezing or if it's going to be raining with wind.  I've got a New
    Zealand blanket that works great.  I don't body clip either.
         
    When I turned my mare out after that first snow fall, I guess she
    though I had put down white sand in the corral.  The first thing
    she did was run out to the middle and started rolling in it, then
    she ran around corral for awhile snorting the whole time (she had
    never been in show before).
    
    Thanks,
    
    Larry.
                   

    	Suggestion,in the stalls,if you want to use the rubber pails,get
    a milk crate (Heavy plastic or metal) and bolt it to the wall of
    the stall withlag bolts and fender washers. Put the buckets in this,
    and she can't knock it over. This hass worked for us for over ten
    years.
    
    	George
    

    
    	Gee, I bet the milk crate idea would be great for large salt
    	blocks too!
    	Susan

    Speaking of large salt blocks, what do you do with one in the winter,
    in the pasture?  Do you use a container?  I've put mine directly
    on the ground ever since the horses knocked it off the block base
    I had used.

    We leave a large salt block in the pasture and the critters lick
    what ever they need.  This works fairly well but could cause one
    to go thru MANY blocks.  My question is: What about those granular
    salts that you would mix with their food?  I'd welcome any advice
    since we are new to this horsey stuff.  They don't seem to chew
    the block (as if they were bored) but what if they need more salt
    in their diet and just won't lick the block?  Just in case it matters
    one is a registered Morgan and one a QH mare (of dubious origin).
    I've also started feeding Source, which I understand is comprised
    mainly of mineral salt.  Does that take the place of the salt block?
    
    Thanks in Advance Noters!
    
    Cheryl
     

    	Cheryl,free feeding salt via saltblocks is probably best. Adding
    salt to the feed could result in feeding too much. There are other
    ways of free feeding salt and/or minerals on the market,such as
    a corner feeder with multiple bins for various mineral supplements.
    There are also brackets that can be mounted on the wall of the stall
    which hold salt blocks about the size of a red brick.
    	I don't think you have to worry about your horses not getting
    enough salt if they have free access to it. 
    
    	George
    
    P.S. There are several kinds of salt blocks on the market containing
    things like iron or trace minerals. Check with your vet or county
    agent to find out what type is recommended for your area.

    
    		RE: .15
    	Cheryl,
    
    	Source has Trace Minerals in it - but I really don't think there
    	is much salt (if any?).
    
    	I have one horse that likes his salt loose - so I just keep
    	a plastic one full and hang it in his stall (the salt "eats" the
    	rubber buckets).
    
    	I also agree that TOO much is not good too - the horse can decide
    	how much it needs.  I very rarely force feed salt.
    
    	Susan

re: .15

You may go through salt licks quickly if they're exposed to the
rain. Mine seem to dissolve in no time during the rainy season.
I've seen arrangements where the salt lick is kept on a post
under a little roof. I imagine that this would extend the life of the
lick.

/ed

    
    
    
    	I have question that was raised last night when the doctor came 
    	for a vet visit.. 
    
    	He was concerned that the horses didn't have any cover during the
    	day when they were out in the pasture.  The horses are on 18 achers
    	of land with a lot of trees.. 
    
    	The horses are only put out side when the weather is good (no rain
    	or snow).  and they are only out from 10:00 to 4:00-5:00 every
    	day.  
    
    	Would you be concerned.. ?
    
    	I felt if we put up a lean too for 12 horses that there would
    probably, be more injuries..
    
    	Donna

    
    I consider "lots of trees", or very wooded areas sufficient
    cover.  Even though I have an outdoor shed, the horses prefer
    to hang out under the trees, unless it is a torrential downpour.
    Mine are outside from 6:30 am til 10-11:00pm, and are only left
    in if the weather is going to be dangerously severe, such as
    a blizzard or a hurricane!  However, in MA, no lean-to or shed
    can be considered "abuse"....

    A shed would ensure that the horses have a choice if the weather turns.
    For 12 horses you would need quite a large shed, the stable where mine
    is has a 24 by 16 foot shed in every pasture. They do not put more than
    five horses to a field. In PA a shelter is required, besides being good
    sense in the area of saving on vet bills! It is nice not to have to
    worry.
    Sandy
    

If you do decide to bother building a shed, make sure you build it with
some thought to horse sensitivities, :) 
as I know someone who built a shelter and then her horses wouldn't use it!
Make sure it's got solid flooring or a bed, and that there are no tree branches
rubbing the roof or walls, as most horses won't stand in a shelter with
strange spooky sounds coming from above!  

Ellen