Like it or not  ---  Winter is back!! It seemed just yesterday we were donning fly masks and waiting till the cool of the evening to ride.    But, alas . . .  those days are gone and soon we will be busting ice out of water buckets, plugging in the heat tape and replacing fly masks with winter blankets.    It's time for all of us to brush up on some old winter horsecare tips and maybe even learn something new to help keep our horses as safe and comfortable as possible this winter.   Below is a collection of winter equine riding and care articles covering a wide range of cold weather issues. ******************************************************************************************* 10 Tips for Winter Horse Care  - We love "top 10 tips", don't we??    From blanketing to hoof care -  this article by Moira Clune starts us out with some of the most important winter horsekeeping basics.   Should you blanket your horse?    To blanket or not to blanket . . that is the question.   Many horse owners say that blanketing can cause a horse to overheat and that God gave them the natural ability to best guard against the cold.   .. . . others say that domestication has caused horses to need a little help from humans during winter.    Either way this article, "When to Blanket Your Horse" from Horse and Rider magazine takes a look at winter blanketing.

Fitting a Horse Blanket -  So, you've decided to make the investment and buy your equine friend a winter blanket   But, what size?  There are SO many sizes!   And you sure don't want to have to bother with returns.    This article thoroughly covers how to measure your horse or pony for a winter blanket.  Safe Winter Riding Tips by Katherine Blocksdorf - There is a little more maintenance involved when it comes to winter riding  -- both for safety and for the comfort of you and your mount.  You want to be extra careful not to overheat him. Horse Snow Shoes -   I ran across this interesting article on Myhorse.com about a new product designed to prevent snowballs forming in hooves on horses that are shod during winter. Winterize Your Feeding Program - Did you know that feeding hay keeps your horse warmer than feeding corn?    Do you know the most important way to prevent colic in winter?   Take a look at this excellent article by Dr. Martin Adams for Southern States on equine winter feeding. Submergible Bucket De-Icer - Are you still busting ice out of buckets and troughs?  You shouldn't be.   I've been using submergible heaters like this one for years.   They are safe and keep the water at a palitable temperature so horses drink more for getter digestion.

Transporting Hay Bales In the Snow  -   This is a cheap and easy solution to what can be a big prolem in winter for horse owners.    If you have to carry or wheel barrow hay bales out into the fields, through the snow and rough, mud frozen ground, you will love this idea.    Use a regular Child's Plastic Bobsled - you might already have one in the garage.   You might want to replace the rope with a longer one.    A bale of hay fits perfectly on most of them and you will be amazed at how effortlessly the sled with a 50lb bale on it will glide along the snow.  -- and the sled, itself, weighs almost nothing -- so it's no big deal to pick up and carry back to the barn.   Tables for Caloric Intake Required For Horses In Winter --  This is a very indepth article by The University of Maine Cooperative Extension.    It is complete with tables that take the guess work out of calculating the amount of additional feed horses require in bad weather.   It also discussed the importance of salt in the equine diet in winter.