If you find a horse shivering, immediately help him warm up with a blanket or shelter. He is literally shivering pounds away, and he is just as uncomfortable as you would be if you were cold enough to shiver. A horse who is losing weight over the winter is utilizing more calories than he is taking in.
If a horse is cold and wet or lacks shelter, dry them off, blanket them, and/or move them to a place of greater warmth or shelter. The shivering should gradually subside. Perform the Whole Horse Exam (WHE), paying particular attention to the presence of fever, or poor appetite.
If your older horse starts shivering, they need to be blanketed immediately- but don't worry about having an extra heavy blanket. Researchers have found evidence that medium-weight blankets seem to work just as well at raising the temperature of horses' fur.
The classic disease called Shivers is a gradually progressive, chronic neuromuscular disease in horses that is characterized by gait abnormalities when backing up. Other typical signs include trembling of the tail while held erect, trembling of the thigh muscles and a flexed and trembling hind limb.
If you find a horse shivering, immediately help him warm up with a blanket or shelter. He is literally shivering pounds away, and he is just as uncomfortable as you would be if you were cold enough to shiver. A horse who is losing weight over the winter is utilizing more calories than he is taking in.
How are chills treated? Layering clothes or getting to a warm place can make cold chills go away. You can also drink hot chocolate, coffee or tea to raise your internal body temperature. If an illness, infection or another health problem causes chills, treating the condition should get rid of the symptom.
Horses can get dehydrated more easily in the cold weather, particularly if the water is too cold to drink, so it is important to keep an eye on their water intake. Horses also tend to burn more calories in the winter trying to keep warm, so they will potentially need extra hay to maintain their weight and condition.
In the absence of wind and moisture, horses tolerate temperatures at or slightly below 0° F. If horses have access to a shelter, they can tolerate temperatures as low as -40° F. But horses are most comfortable at temperatures between 18° and 59° F, depending on their hair coat.
As unscientific as it can get, try checking your horse's ears - if they are cold, the horse generally is cold. Now, this measurement can be very tricky depending on how warm or cold your own hands are. The most common measure is to see if your horse is shivering.
The addition of vitamin E is often suggested for horses with a neuromuscular condition like shivers. Using a natural-source vitamin E supplement (listed on labels as d-alpha-tocopherol) versus a synthetic form (dl-alpha-tocopherol) will provide superior absorption into the bloodstream.
Treatment and prognosis
There is currently no known effective treatment, although additional dietary vitamin E and selenium is often added following diagnosis. In the early stages of disease, horses with shivers are commonly used as riding and driving animals. However, the disease is often slowly progressive.
Horses will start feeling cold below certain critical temperatures. For a clipped horse, or one with a summer coat, the average critical temperature is 40°F. For horses with a thick winter coat, the critical temperature can be as low as 18°F.
Half sheets, quarter sheets, and rump rugs are meant to be used while the horse is being ridden. They keep the horse's large muscles warm and covered during cold weather. If your horse wears a winter turnout rug, a rump rug is a good idea to prevent chills as you warm up to ride.
It said that the research showed that in winter, horses prefer to drink warm water rather than ice cold water, and as a result veterinarians recommend giving horses warm water during the winter to be sure that they drink enough.
Air leakage issues – most homes lose warm air to the outside and let cold air in through gaps and cracks in walls and under and around doors and windows. The amount of air leakage in a home can vary dramatically and may make your home feel drafty and cold.
Stabling horses often suits our needs as people (e.g., convenience), not the horses. Horses are social, herd animals and we know that they are not meant to live alone. Isolation and confinement suppress their natural instincts for friends, forage and freedom [1].
Horses are known to be social creatures – herd animals by nature that thrive on a group dynamic. While there are varying degrees of friendship needs, from a large field with several herd members to a trio or even just a pair, horses that are on their own, by contrast, can get lonely.
Proper warm up is essential to keeping your horse fit and muscle tone elastic. Warming up and cooling down will help to minimize muscle stiffness and loss of range of motion.
When you put your hand under a rug on a horse standing still it should NEVER feel toasty warm. This is a misconception. It should feel more on the coolish side. The temperature you are used to feeling under the blanket is too hot for a healthy horse.
Most of the time, it can be self-limiting and will resolve within 2 weeks. It's important to get plenty of rest and increase your fluid intake.”