Resources for winter horse help

Winter in Michigan can be a tough time for horses. While a healthy horse with plenty of food and water, and access to shelter, is a hardy animal that can weather our ice and snow with ease, any lack of required food source – whether it is simply not available, the horse is struggling to process properly, or it is an older horse that needs specific, extra calories – can cause catastrophic weight loss in a frighteningly short period.

So before the truly cold weather starts to hit, we want to encourage everyone – please – if you need help, don’t be afraid to reach out! If you had trouble finding enough hay or affording enough hay, if you have concerns about being able to keep up with your horse’s care in the winter months, if you can’t figure out why your horse isn’t gaining weight or is slowly dropping weight – reach out! There are resources and horse lovers who will help, ask before your horse is in trouble!

If you are having trouble locating enough hay:

- Make lots of phone calls to local farmers, and if they don’t have any, ask every one if they know who does.

- Call local boarding stables and ask if they know hay suppliers with hay available

- Start looking for a trailer you could borrow or rent – you might not find delivery, but could find hay if you are willing to drive and pick it up.

- Scan craigslist frequently

- Join facebook groups like “Michigan Hay – Sale and Search” and “Michigan Hay for Sale Only Group,” and also ask your local equine resale or rehoming groups.

- Call the Michigan horse Welfare Coalition (https://michiganhorsewelfare.org/) and ask if they know where to find available hay.

If you are struggling to afford hay short term:

- Reach out to the Michigan Horse Welfare Coalition. They have a hay assistance program for horse owners struggling with a temporary setback. https://michiganhorsewelfare.org/hay-bank/

- Consider whether your horse would be a good candidate for a partial lease, finding someone who might be willing to help support care in a lease situation

- Sit down and construct a complete picture of where your finances are going. Perhaps there is something that could be cut or trimmed down for a few months while getting through a rougher period.

If your horse is not gaining necessary weight or seems to be losing it despite having plenty of hay available:

- Call your vet!

- Check the biggies first: teeth, worms, ulcers, sand. Ask your vet about each of those possibilities.

- Get a well-fitting blanket with waterproof exterior and at least 200 grams fill. While a healthy horse with a good winter coat does not need a blanket, if a horse is too thin, stopping them from burning calories for heat can help immensely. Blankets are easy to order online or find at your local farm and feed stores. If you are local to the Traverse City area, Horse North Rescue has a large supply of used blankets available at reasonable prices.

- If the vet doesn’t find any obvious medical obstructions to healthy weight gain, consider that the diet your horse is eating may not be enough for his current needs. Do a little reading to understand calculating needs by body weight percentage as well as the differences and quantifiers on various nutrients. A balanced diet with sufficient calories from various sources is key. Always start with free choice, quality horse hay first, then layer additional as needed. There are many different ways to offer additional calories, look for what is best for you and your horse.

- Find an equine nutritionist, call local barn managers, or speak to a rescue and ask all of them about the components of an equine diet and how they have successfully put weight on horses. Ask them if they have resources they can guide you to in order to have a better basic understanding of equine nutrition.

If you make the difficult choice that you cannot keep your horse and need to find him or her a new home, coming to that realization while your horse is still healthy and happy can aid immensely in finding a safe situation, and give you the opportunity to do so before surrendering the animal.

- If you have horse friends that you trust, ask them if they know of anyone who could provide a loving home. Speak to your own vet and farrier, investigate all of your trusted horse networks.

- Feel free to contact rescues for assistance and resources for direct rehoming! If your horse is in good shape and easily rideable, they may be able to help you find a safe home directly without needing to intake your horse. They will likely know quality stables, veterinarians, and farriers in the area who could network among their clients, and they can give you ideas regarding how to best check references, what to look for at the farm where your horse might go, red flags versus signs of a great home, etc. Again, if your horse is in great shape and safe to ride, if it is possible to rehome your horse yourself, it might take more effort, but it will take a huge strain off the rescues and leave a spot open for an at risk animal.

If you truly think your horse needs to go through a rescue, whether for health rehabilitation, evaluation, etc., and you believe your horse is at risk for falling into a bad situation otherwise, be prepared to check with multiple rescues and be understanding of their programs and abilities. Many Michigan rescues are small and have limited space. Some have sanctuary programs, some do not. If a rescue is able to take your horse, give them all of the info on your horse that you possibly can to best prepare them and your horse to find a good home.

The United Horse Coalition has a database of their affiliated rescues and resources by state that can be searched here: https://unitedhorsecoalition.org/equine-resource-database/