Preference for shelter and additional heat in horses exposed to Nordic winter conditions.

The study investigates how different winter weather conditions influence the shelter-seeking behavior and desire for additional warmth in horses. It finds that weather significantly impacts the horses’ preferences, with horses preferring to stay outdoors in colder, dry weather, but opting for shelter during wet and windy days. Horses’ breed and physical conditions were also found to influence their shelter selection.

Research Methodology

• The observational study involved 22 mature horses. In the study setup, each horse was given an option to stay outdoors, go into a heated shelter compartment, or into a non-heated shelter compartment.
• The researchers observed and recorded the horses’ location and behavior every minute for an hour.
• Each horse was tested once per day and the local weather conditions were continuously recorded by a local weather station.

Research Observations and Findings

• The research revealed that weather conditions significantly influenced the horses’ time spent outdoors. The horses spent 52% of their observed time outdoors on days with mild temperatures, wind, and rain, while this increased to 88% on days with temperatures below freezing and dry weather conditions.
• Shivering, an indication of cold stress, was only observed during mild temperatures and rain or sleet.
• Different breeds of horses demonstrated different shelter preferences. Small Warmblood horses were observed outdoors less frequently (34% of all observations) compared to small Coldblood horses (80%).
• The researchers also found significant correlations between the weight of a horse’s hair coat sample and the frequency of times the horse was observed outdoors.

Conclusions

• This study found that horses preferred to stay in shelters more on days with rainfall, and were more likely to switch from a non-heated compartment to a heated one when the weather changed from dry and calm to wet and windy.
• It also established that the breed of a horse and its physical characteristics, such as body condition score and hair coat weight, were associated with the horse’s voluntary shelter selection.

This research provides valuable insights, particularly for horse owners, into the impacts of varying winter weather conditions on the comfort and behavioral adaptation of horses. By understanding these dynamics, horse owners can provide better targeted care to their horses during different weather conditions.