Winter has a way of making even the most devoted horse owners question their life choices, with frozen fingers, endless layers, wheelbarrows that feel twice as heavy, and horses that somehow manage to be permanently caked in mud! But good winter horse care isn’t just about survival; it’s about keeping your horse healthy, comfortable and content through the coldest months with the right routines, sensible management and good equipment. With some essential items including reliable horse rugs, practical towels and quality clippers, winter life can be made a little simpler and a lot more manageable.
So grab a hot drink and let’s run through the vital considerations every horse owner should keep in mind and some top tips for a stress free winter routine.
Contents
Take Extra Care in Cold Conditions
- Be extra careful when handling horses in sub-zero temperatures. Icy winds, frozen ground, frozen gateways and flapping rugs can make even the calmest horse feel unsettled and they can become more unpredictable than usual.
- In the colder months, some horses can feel a little sharper! Move calmly, give them time, and always be aware that winter weather can affect behaviour as much as it affects footing.
Shelter Is Essential
Horses generally cope well with the cold temperatures of our Great British climate, however it's the rain and wind that really steal body heat.
- If your horse lives out, access to a field shelter or other natural protection is essential as part of good winter horse care. A dry, sheltered area allows them to escape the worst of the weather and conserve energy.
- A waterproof turnout rug will help to stop your horse getting wet, quickly leading to a chill in cold weather. Our premium 1200 denier turnout rugs are highly waterproof and breathable to keep your horse comfortable outdoors with the bonus of also keeping the majority of their body free from mud.
Horse Rugs: Getting Winter Rugging Right
When it comes to effective winter horse care, choosing the right rugs is one of the most important investments you can make in your horse’s comfort and wellbeing. Quality horse rugs for winter don’t just keep horses warm, they protect against wind and rain, support healthy weight maintenance, and make everyday management quicker, cleaner and far more practical, especially for clipped or working horses.
The new Masterclip collection of winter horse rugs has been designed in direct response to what horse owners actually need: dependable warmth, durable materials, and reliable protection in unpredictable British weather. Whether your horse lives out, comes in overnight, or needs layered rugging throughout the season, Masterclip horse rugs deliver the comfort, performance and value you can trust as part of your winter horse care routine.
Choosing the Right Turnout Rug
If your horse is turned out through winter, a high-quality turnout rug is essential. Masterclip turnout rugs provide robust, breathable waterproof protection and are available in practical weight options, making them ideal horse rugs for winter conditions.
Quality Turnout Rugs should offer:
- Waterproof, breathable fabrics to keep horses dry without overheating
- Strong, hard-wearing outer material with 1200 Denier to stand up to rolling and wet ground
- Shoulder gussets and anatomical shaping for freedom of movement
- Secure, adjustable fastenings for a safe, comfortable fit
- Multiple fill options and additional neck covers to suit clipped horses and changing temperatures
Choosing the Right Stable Rug
When stabled, your horse needs consistent warmth and comfort that wont rub. Masterclip stable rugs are designed to support clipped and non-clipped horses alike, helping maintain body temperature and coat condition.
A stable rug should provide:
- Even insulation to prevent cold spots
- Breathable materials for all-night comfort
- Durable, smooth outer fabrics that resist bedding and forage
- Ergonomic fit, Quality fastenings and adjustable straps to keep the rug sitting correctly
By choosing Masterclip horse rugs for winter, you’re investing in rugs developed alongside our trusted clipping range, built for everyday use, designed for real conditions, and created to make winter horse care easier, safer and more comfortable for both horse and owner.
Monitor Weight and Forage
- Horses can lose condition during the winter months as they burn more calories staying warm. Keep a close eye on weight with body scoring and be prepared to increase the amount of hay or haylage you provide.
- On the flip side, if you have a really good doer, you can use the cold weather to your advantage to help shed some of their excess weight. Combined with careful forage management and regular exercise, a partial clip can help overweight horses by converting some of their fat reserves into energy to keep warm. Just be mindful not to them get too cold to induce stress or illness and balance their healthy weight loss with additional rugs when needed.
Vital Water Checks
- Ensure your horse stays well hydrated by checking their water twice daily and removing any ice that may form in buckets or troughs.
Top tip: Placing a floating tennis ball in the water can help slow down the freezing process, plus keep a sieve and rubber gloves on hand to easily remove ice and keep hands dry and warm!
Clipping and Coat Care
For horses in regular work, clipping plays a vital role in winter horse care.
- Clipping their winter coat reduces how much horses sweat, helping them cool down more efficiently and allowing them to dry far more quickly after exercise, making daily management safer and more practical throughout winter.
- Clipping also makes everyday care significantly easier. Shorter coats are far less likely to hold mud, supporting better hygiene and easier grooming for more efficient winter routines, keeping working horses clean and ready for the job.
- Shorter hair also makes horses less prone to seasonal problems such as rain scald or lice that love to thrive in thick winter coats.
- Keeping legs clipped or neatly trimmed allows air to reach the skin, particularly important for horses where wet, muddy hair can hide early signs of mud fever, mites or CPL. Keeping on top of clipped feathers makes washing and drying more effective, and helps you spot issues before they become serious.
- Choose a clip suitable for your horses level of work, management and condition. You can find the different types of clip suitable for your horses's needs here.
- Our range of reliable heavy duty horse clippers make light work of clipping any type of coat and leave a superb professional finish.
- For added gloss, routinely hot cloth your horse's coat to give it a healthy shine.
- Care for your horse's clipped coat by keeping them warm with our post clip stable rug. Specially designed with velvety soft faux fur lining to keep a clipped coat gleaming, avoiding rubs and can be used as a layer underneath other rugs.
Cooling Down in Winter
- Horses can easily become chilled after exercise in cold weather. Never leave them standing steaming in the yard. After riding, always walk your horse off properly so they can cool down gradually. If necessary, use a cooling blanket or sweat rug to stop their body temperature dropping too quickly.
- Good-quality fast-drying towels and mittens are invaluable for drying off, wiping down legs and removing mud before rugs go back on.
Winter Hoof Care: Check Your Horses Feet
- Pay attention to hooves and make foot checks part of your daily routine as part of good winter horse care.
- Wet ground, deep mud and snow increase the risk of lost shoes, infections and sore feet. Give the soles a quick scrub to clear mud and allow you to spot stones, cracks or early signs of thrush.
- Using a hoof disinfectant through winter, with a protective hoof cream or preparation on hand, helps reduce seasonal hoof problems.
- If your horse suffers from snow balling in their shoes, applying a hoof dressing to the sole can help prevent build-up and make any packed snow easier to remove.
- Keep a torch nearby for dark evenings and mornings so daily checks don’t get missed.
- Barrier creams and powders can help limit how much wet mud sticks to the skin and lower legs.
- If your horse has feathers, remove your gloves to feel and check the skin underneath the hair daily.
Field Safety and Boundary Checks
- In winter, when grazing is poor, horses are more likely to forage along hedgerows and ditches. In wet, muddy conditions this can be dangerous. Once a week, thoroughly check fencing, gateways and hedging, particularly near roads or ditches.
- Ensure your horse has a plentiful supply of additional forage in the form of hay etc. in their paddock to discourage them from browsing for alternative food sources.
Visibility and Riding Safety
- During long, dark winter months, it’s a good idea to wear reflective clothing. Rugs with high-visibility strips will help to keep both you and your horse easily seen when riding or turning out and bringing in from the paddock in the dark.
- Never go riding when it is foggy or icy. It is simply not worth the risk. Your horse will not hold it against you for choosing an extra haynet instead!
Planning Ahead for Winter Challenges
It's always a great idea to have a contingency plan in place in case of emergency as part of your winter horse care. Snow, floods, illness or unexpected delays can all make it impossible to reach your horse when you need to.
- Make arrangements in advance with an experienced, trusted person who can step in to care for your horse in an emergency, whether that’s feeding, checking water, changing rugs or simply doing a welfare check.
- It’s a great idea to network with other local horse owners; sharing winter duties with a like-minded friend can be invaluable if one of you is cut off by bad weather or unwell.
- Making up several haynets and feeds in advance can save time and be a great help should someone else need to step in to care for your horse if you can't make it to the yard.
- If winter is really tough, consider moving your horse to full livery to take off the pressure.
Winter Horse Care Round Up
Good winter horse care is about preparation, consistency and having the right equipment to hand.
Set a good daily routine providing necessary shelter, keeping water accessible, providing enough forage and having reliable rugs to hand, you'll give your horse the best chance of staying healthy and comfortable all winter long.
Clipping can help to keep your horse comfortable whilst facilitating your regular grooming routine, to help you quickly spot any issues before they become more problematic.
A solid back-up plan means peace of mind for you and consistent care for your horse, whatever winter decides to throw at you.
When you’re stood in the yard, layered like an onion, wondering how one animal can attract so much mud, just remember: spring is coming. Eventually!
If you need some practice advice for finding the rights grooming tools, rugs or accessories for your horse, contact our friendly and knowledgeable team for bespoke recommendations tailored to your individual needs.
