“It was You who set all the boundaries of the earth; You made both summer and winter.” (Psalm 74:17)
With Christmas behind us and the month of Lent just around the corner, we find ourselves in the throes of an unusually harsh winter. Even in Texas we’ve seen freezing temperatures and blankets of snow on the ground. By all accounts, the winter can be a bitter time for us and our equine companions. Short days and biting winds can make it hard just to roll out of bed, much less do the good works that we’ve been called to do.
With this in mind, let’s focus for a moment on the needs of our horses who don’t have the luxury of climate control and down jackets. Horses are hearty creatures, adept at enduring harsh conditions, but as their caretakers we should be mindful of their comfort and do our best to ease their winter woes.
Our friends at www.thehorse.com have compiled an invaluable list of resources to help keep your horse happy and healthy this winter. From veterinary healthcare recommendations to anecdotal tips and tricks from fellow horse lovers, you’ll find a host of useful information on winter equine care on one easy to access page.
Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is the the tendency towards a sedentary lifestyle that winter imposes on many of us. Horses as well as humans are active, lively creatures, and the winter shouldn’t stop us from taking care of our bodies and getting adequate exercise. Don’t let your horses stay cooped up in a stall all winter. Make sure they have room to run around and get the blood flowing to their chilly extremities. This is especially important when caring for geriatric horses.
Before we know it, spring will be in full bloom and all the more beautiful for the dark frigid winter days we endured to get there. In the mean time, let’s do our best to stay active and catch the few blessed hours of sunlight each day that we can. People, like horses, do best when not confined to a stall.