Hi Dr. Getty....
I got my first horse in June at age 47. (me, not the horse!) I am new to all of this and have been reading everything I can get my hands on. Your site is very helpful. My horse is a Morgan/Paso (we think), who came to us with some resiratory issues. She breathes very hard when we start to canter. Her eyes tear a lot, and I figured she had clogged tear ducts. The vet tried to unclog them, but had no luck, he said they were very blocked.

She has always been stalled at night, has had about 10 hours of turnout daily in a dirt paddock with 6 or 7 other horses. (She is VERY herd-bound.)
I currently have her on Dr. Thomas's Heaves Solution and Upper Respiratory Solution. I am also considering moving her to a different barn, where I can provide her with 24/7 turnout in grass paddock with run in shelter. There will be 2 other horses in there with her. I live in the Northeast where winters are harsh. My current barn manager is concerned about how she will do outside being that she has never lived outside in winter. From all that I have read, my instinct tells me this will be great for her, and might help her respiratory issues.

Once I have her at the new barn, I will also be interested in changing her diet. She currently eats half pellets, half sweet feed. When she first arrived at the barn, she was a picky eater, and this was all she'd eat. Once she is settled in at the new place, I'd like to get her on a more nutritional track, and one that speaks to 24/7 turnout.

I'd like to hear your comments on the winter thing for a horse who is new to it.
I know you are in Co...can't get more snowy than that. But NE winters are chock full of freezing rain. Waterproof medium rug? Waterproof sheet? What to do?

Many thanks...

AJ

Where are you from? NY

How did you locate this forum? good friend

Hi Angela,

I see that you emailed me this question, so for the benefit of my readers, I'll post my response here, as well:

Hello Angela,

I'm glad you found a new environment for her -- it sounds a lot more humane. Being outside 24/7 is the best thing for horses, as long as they have some place to get out of the wind and rain. Snow is usually ok, because it sits on top of the winter coat. But, if it is heavy snow or rain, and her skin gets wet, then she can get chilled. So, a stall or three-sided shed where she can go during those times is best.

She also needs hay 24/7 -- she should never run out. This is not only important for her digestive system but in the winter it is especially critical to keep her body heat production high.

Riding her in the winter may be dangerous due to the poor footing of a slippery environment. But, if you can ride her, put a cool down blanket on her that will absorb the perspiration so she doesn't stay wet. And, then remove it and curry her when she's dry to fluff up her undercoat. But, generally speaking, she will do fine without a blanket if she remains dry. On those nights when it is going to snow heavily, you may want to consider putting a medium weight blanket on her.

So, these are some tips. From a nutritional perspective, the hay 24/7 plus a good vitamin/mineral supplement to fill in the gaps would be helpful for her immune function. If you need some help with choosing one or if you find that you'd like to customize a feeding plan for her, let me know and I'll be glad to assist you.

Morgans are genetically predisposed to insulin resistance and therefore, should not be fed a diet high in cereal grains (e.g., oats, corn, barley) or sugar (e.g., feeds sweetened with molasses). Otherwise, their risk of developing laminitis is very high. So, please keep this in mind when planning her diet.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

I just wanted you to know that your horse should be fine. I grew up thinking that my horse needed to be stalled during the winter. Then I ended up boarding out my second horse and she was stuck in a stall a lot. We had runny eye issues with her from being inside so much. I found someone to take her for training and they literally threw her outside with just a shed for cover and she ran and ran for the first week and settled in just fine and that was in November. We live in the northeast. Now I have my own home that has a shed row with out doors and they come and go as they please in and out. She still has a runny eye some days in the spring and I atribute it to allergies, but it is much better then before.

I just wanted to share my experience and hope it was ok. They adapt and being able to come and go as they please is so much healthier for them.

Where are you from? NH

How did you locate this forum? COTH

Thank you both for your replies. I feel like I have done my homework, found some great information on (see: "The Natural Way of Living), as well as a great blog:


In addition to hearing from you, Dr. Getty, I have concurring responses from other people and the 'Natural Know" including (Dr. Thomas - fortheloveofthehorse.com) and Lisa Ross Williams, among others---all of whom I I trust and respect. I will be slowly weaning her into a more healthy diet as soon as we make the move. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. I am looking forward to letting my horse 'be a horse'.

Where are you from? NY

How did you locate this forum? good friend

Hi Angela,

I am very pleased that you've gotten the info you need to help you with your mare. Thank you, JS for the reassurance, and I totally agree with you.

Yes, the more we can do, as horse owners, to meet our horses' instinctive needs, the better off they will be. Horses love the cold weather and remain far healthier when allowed to be outdoors at will, with shade from severe weather.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Hi Dr. Getty...
I moved my mare yesterday. So far, so good. I also am starting her on a much healthier diet of Triple Crown Low Starch sprinkled with Rice Bran. I'll be adding NutraFlax to that. I will be watching her respiratory issues closely.

As I was about to purchase the NutraFlax, I began reading about Glanzen, Glanzen Lite, and Glanzen GL? All contain different amounts of flaxseed PLUS vitamins and essential trace minerals. I was also about to start giving my horse Redpack Sea Salt to be sure that she is drinking enough water. As I mentioned, I already have her on Dr. Thomas' herbs, and not sure I should mix herbs with supplements. (It seems counterintuitive ) There are too many things to choose from. What is the best way to keep her healthy without breaking the bank and going crazy buying so many differnt vitamins, supplements and herbs?
Angela

Where are you from? NY

How did you locate this forum? good friend

Hi AJ,

If you are feeding the Triple Crown Low Starch according to directions, you really do not need to add another vitamin/mineral supplement. And, Nutra Flax would be sufficient. However, if you are feeding less than recommended, I would consider adding Glanzen Complete to her diet. If she needs additional joint support then Reitsport would be a good choice.

Be careful on feeding rice bran -- make sure that it is a product that has added calcium. Because rice bran has an inverted calcium to phosphorus ratio (less calcium than phosphorus) you do not want to feed this unless she is getting large amount of calcium say from a high alfalfa diet. But, commercial products that are stabilized and have added calcium, such as ADM Alliance's Natural Glo rice bran, is fine.

If you ever find that you need assistance in customizing her diet and having me crunch some numbers to check on her intake, let me know.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO