We’ve been somewhat spoiled recently in Alberta with a beautiful extended fall – but as it’s looking like winter is planning to arrive tomorrow, with a snowstorm and some -10 temperatures in the forecast, it seemed like a good time to update and share this article!
While you can dress and prepare for chores in these temperatures this is just the beginning of what you need to consider when you have an equine therapy practice in this area of the world.
So, what do you do?
… Close up shop and wait till spring?
… relocate to Italy?
Italy was my teenage daughter’s suggestion but not too feasible with an established practice and herd of ten horses, especially in this world which now includes Covid. Waiting till spring may be a more reasonable option if you lease your horses and facility and have another income source. But if that is not your situation, don’t panic! There are ways to keep everyone thriving through the deep chill and we have been doing just that at Healing Hooves for twenty years; my aim here is to identify some of the factors you need to consider and to share how we make things work within our practice.
Basic Horse Care in Cold Temperatures
There are many wonderful resources in this area which I would encourage you to research and access but some things to think about include:
- Have a good clean water supply which is not going to freeze and check it regularly. Horses do NOT do well eating snow.
- Feed extra hay. How much and what type is going to depend on your horses’ specific needs, but they all need extra food to stay warm. We use slow feeder nets at Healing Hooves so our horses have access to hay all the time without over eating. But when the temperature plummets we also feed extra loose hay daily. Our older horses are on richer free choice hay all winter with extra supplements and grain as each horse needs. If you are using nets check them regularly for holes.
- Have adequate shelter from the snow and wind. Our horses all live outside year-round, including several older and special needs horses; but they all have access to shelters and wind breaks.
- Consider your pecking order. You may provide extra food and lots of shelter, but can the older horse at the bottom of the pecking horse get his fair share? You may need to divide your herd up to care for these horses.
- Your horses’ feet may not grow as quickly in the winter, but they still need to be taken care of. Frozen ground and snowballs accumulating in feet can cause extra discomfort, especially for horses with special needs.
- Some horses, especially those who are worked regularly, older horses or those with medical conditions, may need to be blanketed. We find that our older horses maintain their weight much better if they are blanketed as they don’t use up so much energy simply staying warm. We then need to check blankets regularly for any rubbing or other discomfort and take them off on warmer days.
- Consider special needs. For example, we have a horse who has foundered who struggles in the winter with circulation to her feet; she wears wraps on her legs to help. We also have two with thyroid problems, so we monitor and manage their medication and food needs.
An Aging Herd with Special Needs
One reality of longevity in this field is that your herd will age, develop special needs and require extra care. If you accept donated horses your herd may get to this stage more quickly. At Healing Hooves we now have over half of our herd in their late teens and twenties, and two in their thirties. We have horses with cushings, laminitis, arthritis, and two with an ever diminishing number of teeth. Some are still working gently, others are retired; they will all stay here for the rest of their days.
These are the horses who will likely need extra and specialised feed, they may also need to be blanketed, receive medications, and extra support from farriers and veterinarians. The cold, and also any rapid changes in temperature, is especially hard on these horses but is also a consideration with younger horses. Colic for example can arise as a result of a sudden temperature shift.
Our philosophy is that our horses are our partners who have worked with us for many years; they deserve to be well taken care of into and during all stages of their retirement and it is our responsibility to provide this care.
This leads into the next consideration:
When Is It Time to Let Them Go?
This is a big and potential controversial topic which we only have space to touch gently here. My philosophy is to always try to do what is in the best interests of the animal, and sometimes that means looking at their quality of life, taking advice from veterinarians and perhaps making the decision which frees them from pain. In my experience there comes a time when you just ‘know’; there are also times when it feels like the animal is asking you to let them go.
That being said there is often much you can do to keep older horses, and those with special needs, comfortable and healthy; to maintain and extend that quality of life. Plus one of the wonderful things about equine therapy is that horses can often keep active in this work much longer, and for many horses this creates a sense of purpose and connection which can help keep them healthy, both physically and emotionally.
An extra consideration when your animals are part of a therapy practice is that you are not the only one who will experience the loss when an animal dies.
This is also a loss for your clients.
Again, this is a huge topic which we will cover in a later article. But some key things to think about are how and when to let clients know, allowing clients to say goodbye, and making space for and supporting client’s grieving while in the middle of your own.
We have lost several animals over the past two decades at Healing Hooves, some expected and some not. In each case it has been painful and challenging. Yet by finding a balance between making space for all of the uncomfortable feelings that invariably come with loss, and ‘holding on’ to our connection to those animals in other, often deeper and more powerful, ways, these experiences have often become opportunities for healing and growth. We regularly turn to one of our therapeutic stories, Holding On, at these times. While this book was written after we lost Cutie, a Shetland pony who was a part of our herd for many years, we have drawn on it to support our clients through many other times of loss and transition. If you’d like a pdf copy of this book please let me know in the comments section below and I send you a download link.
Other Animals
Chances are you have animals other than horses, and they too will feel the cold. While the details will be species and individual animal specific the basics are the same as above: food, water, shelter and and needed medical care. At Healing Hooves our ‘barn’ cats often end up in the heated office, especially as they age. We also need to remember their need for attention and company, especially if your practice is quieter during the winter.
A Warm Place to Work
Moving onto the more practical client considerations, where are you going to work?
In some ways we are not too different from the horses here; we need shelter. Yet the reality is we usually have a lower tolerance for the cold than our horses, so we also need warmth. Exactly what that looks like will depend on your clients, budget and practice, and it does not have to be a fancy heated barn and arena. After the harsh winter a couple of years ago I considered insulating and heating our arena, but a $50k estimate motivated me to explore other options!
At Healing Hooves we have a (still unheated!) arena and barn, and a heated office. This allows us to spend time with the horses out of the wind and snow with a place to retreat, usually with a few barn cats, to warm up. Your practice and facility may look different, but provided you have a sheltered place to safely interact with the horses, and a place of warmth to retreat to as needed, it is usually possible to work year-round.
What about when clients cancel?
Unfortunately providing shelter and warmth to work in are not the only considerations for your clients. They need to get to your place safely, which means considerations for road conditions and whether your clients, who may not have a four wheel drive truck, can get in and out of your yard! The latter you can usually manage with some sort of snow removal arrangement (we have a wonderful neighbour who helps us out there!) the former you will have less control over, but at least can usually predict from weather forecasts and road reports.
Regardless of all the above, clients will cancel, and will likely cancel more regularly and more last minute during the winter. How you manage that is up to you, but I recommend having a clear policy that you communicate clearly to clients, ideally before the first winter storm!
I hope you have found this article helpful! If so I encourage you to share it with others who may also like it and to check out the other articles on this site.
If you have any questions or comments please add them below and, in the meantime, stay warm!
I agree with all the horse care expectations and see this as the bare minimum. I also agree with the need for shelter during the cold winter months but also the days in the summer when it rains. What this article highlights for me is the associated financial cost of these minimums but also the daily energy and commitment to ensure this. This all required before you are in a position to practice.
Frank
Our horses are outside year round as well. They are also fed extra on the colder days, and have on some extreme cold nights been kept in the barn.
Good information to keep in mind.
Sounds like you have a good set up.
Great info! Although starting my own practice one day seems like a dream come true I love how the article addresses some of the more logistical areas we need to consider and always an emphasis on best animal care.
Great info for winter set up.
Great article with a lot of helpful information.
Hi Sue,
Always great to read and be reminded that you are a story of success in terms of continuing to work through the winter. Since we grew up riding outside (as all our horses are out year round) it has not crossed my mind to not be out in the winter. However, I have often thought about the feasibility of running this type of business in the winter – especially now we are closer to the mountains! Great information as per usual!
This was a helpful review. We just experienced the first winter at our acreage and being closer to the city, it was not as much of a sudden transition as expected. I really appreciate all the different considerations and will print this for future use.
Could you please send me a pdf of Holding On?
As I read this, I also thought I should come up with a list of things to remember or consider during a future pandemic! I hope we’ll never have to utilize this but it would be another way for me to prepare for the future.
The consideration of how to help a horse in their older years was also handled with tact and sensitivity. Regarding the description of how clients remember their animal therapists years later and the grief that comes with one of them passing on, I remember the stories shared at Exploration and have seen them in other readings for animal assisted therapy. Horses have so many purposes in life and I agree that their quality of life depends on so many factors including their emotional and physical health, and perhaps even using different measures than just whether they are able to engage in the discipline they were trained for originally.
I like the idea of learning from our current pandemic situation Shreyasi! Here is a link to Holding on: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6v8chreh8729osk/HoldingOn.pdf?dl=0
Thanks Sue, I appreciate this!
I really believe in the basic horse care for the cold, but anytime of the season. When we recently purchased our acreage many of horse care needs were considered and if there was a void or limitation, how do you change it? We spent years looking for a place to fulfill this criteria and finally found a place. great article.
In my BSW practicum we worked through the winter in a non-heated shelter and carried extra winter jackets for clients in case they needed extra warmth. At this location there wasn’t a lot of space to escape to a heated area and I recall growing quite cold by the third session! We limited sessions in the winter because it just wasn’t feasible for us to work for extended periods of time (unless we were able to escape to town for lunch to warm up). We also removed horse blankets during the session and re-blanketed the horses between sessions if there was a gap or horse change. Sometimes clients were permitted to help with the blanketing process and leading the horse back to their paddock. Is this something you have done or would recommend/advise against?
This blog post is particularly relevant to today, as it has been pouring rain! I am wondering if there is a lack of indoor workspace if you would recommend getting creative and doing observation work, perhaps within a horse shelter or barn with stalls if it is available? What about hauling to a rented arena for workshops?
Hi Jessica – all the options you ask about are possibilities that people have made work. Ultimately it comes down to whether it is safe and effective – for the horses, your clients and for you. I have certainly done sessions standing in a horse shelter in the rain, and sessions observing horses. If you need to work outside with horses in the winter you can also just keep their blankets on them – again provided this kept things safe for everyone.
Hi everyone,
I appreciate the discussion and have taken some nuggets of wisdom to reflect on as I work towards an acreage practice of my own in the coming years.
Regarding supporting members of the animal herd through the grief process, I am wondering what approaches have felt most supported?
I read Holding On during my Explorations training and found it to be deeply touching and a wonderful invitation to consider a grief ritual of remembrance for both humans and animals.
I have also heard of some people allowing space for an animal to acknowledge the presence of the deceased animal such as providing space for a dog to sniff their deceased housemate before the body is taken away. Having never been in this situation as of yet, I am curious what rituals around grief have been helpful for the rest of the group.
Warmly,
Kim
good questions Kim! I think, like people, different animals respond to grief differently. Overall I think they usually handle things better than we do, but still allowing them lots of time and space to grieve in whatever way seems to work for them is important. And recognising that they DO grieve – they may just show it differently than we do at times. The added piece to this is if we sell an animal, which often happens with horses. To that horse, and those left behind, there can be a significant grieving process to this too.
Hi Sue! I appreciate this review as I am realizing once again, there are so many important considerations with this type of practice. It is likely, my practice will not be year round (for the time being) until I can offer the comforts offered at your amazing facility. I am glad you raised the subject of grief and loss during the course work as it was something I hadn’t thought of until the foundations training. It is important we realize and honor the attachments our clients will feel and that many have lost so much during their lives already. I endeavor to work in a trauma informed way at all times.
This is a great article, and so pertinent as we are entering the winter months and weighing all options of working outside or finding another option. Thank you!
you are welcome Judy!
Great ideas in this article and thread! I don’t have a arena but I plan to utilize my hay shed and horse shelters. The sessions will be limited to warmer winter days, with lots of blankets and dressing for the weather. I am hoping to save money to build an insulated shed with electricity and heat. Until then, we will be bundling up! Do you use hay nets for large square bales Sue? I would like to look into this a bit more for my horses. I have large square bales and wonder what you are using.
Hi Kim – yes, we use the slow feeder nets. Most of them are designed for round bales but we fill them with small squares. They do make the nets specifically for large round bales though too. We have a range – from a half inch up to 2 inch. Right now the ponies are on the 1 inch net and the larger horses are on the 2 inch. I hope this helps!
Excellent points on overwintering our equine partners and the consideration needed for differing needs. Whether snow or, the wet rain of the BC lower mainland, knowing the value and need of a blanket to protect some of our partners from the elements is important. The impact on a client of the loss (or anticipatory loss) of an equine partner is not to be taken lightly. Recently a horse owner shared she had decided to euthanize her horse due to health reasons, this individual told the riding students who came to say their goodbyes with heavy, heavy hearts. The next day, much to the relief of many, this horse owner had a change of mind and the horse continues to live, however, the emotional impact on the clients, for some, their first experience of having to consider the death of a beloved animal, was significant.
Hi Aprille – yes, the sad reality is that if we practice this work long enough we will likely go through this several times, and it will impact many. One option is to retire a horse from working with clients before you are likely to lose them but some horses still want to do this work (albeit in a slower gentler way) and there are always the cases when you lose one unexpectedly. I find the key is to make lots of space for the emotions that come up and to work through the process with grace and space, as best as we all can.
I feel this is especially important in my province. Currently it is -38. I worry so much about my babies in this weather, we do the best we can, but it is still so very cold.
yes – it’s frigid here today too! Lots of food, blankets for the old guys and good shelters helps a lot!
Thank you for sharing Sue, all great info. Hard topic discussing when it’s time to let them go.
I would love a link to Holding On if that is still available! Most of the entire herd at CTRA are advanced in age and sadly there are obviously times when we have had to say goodbye. I have been very thankful for the way that the team supports each other and our clients at these times with openness and the time, space and options to grieve together.
I hear you Jennifer – we have several older horses in our herd here too.
There are links to download Holding on and a couple other of our stories at the end of this article: https://healinghooves.ca/how-when-and-to-whom-to-read-the-prodigal-pony-and-other-therapeutic-stories-from-healing-hooves/
So many things to consider when establishing an EFW practice, we are lucky to live in a temperate climate, but definitely need to think about what to do when it is pouring rain. I really appreciate your section on grief, right now I cannot imagine losing an animal and also having to support clients through the loss of the animal. I’m wondering if there are books that might be relevant on how to support clients when they lose a therapist? Considering that the animals are co-therapists, I wonder if there is any literature to help clients through the process? I am thinking about this a lot, as all of my animals are getting older, cat 13, dog, 8, and the horse I would love to work with is also older, 23. Do you recommend that when starting an EFW practice that we start with younger animals?
H Jacqueline – we use the story “Holding On’ in these situations – it was written when we lost one of our ponies several years ago and is a helpful story in many situations of loss or change. We also explore working with grief during foundation training – key aspects are making space for/ normalising whatever emotions come up, while drawing on our knowledge of attachment (which goes far beyond ‘being with’) to help the person experiencing the grief to feel ‘held on’ to by the one they are grieving. We can also explore it all one step removed where the feelings are too raw/ vulnerable.
When I’m horse shopping for an EFW program I usually look at the 8-14 age range – usually old enough to hopefully be ready for this but still a while off from retirement. But over time your herd is going to age and you will lose some. We have a 31 and 30 year old in our herd right now and almost all of the rest are in their teens or 20’s. No easy answer to this!
This is something I’ve been thinking about as we don’t have big barn or anything out here. How big of a space do you need to work with clients?
I wonder if in cold situations if clients could work with different types of animals. Can a client work with more than one animal at a time? Or do they usually stick with on animal they have bonded with?
HI Leah
How much space you need really depends on your scope and approach, and where you live. If you are doing lots of active work and/ or riding you will need more space and probably an indoor arena if you are in Alberta! If you are doing more low key work and/ or live in a more temperate climate perhaps a smaller barn would suffice along with some outdoor space. We have a barn and indoor arena which are unheated but we also have two indoor heated spaces – and yes, we regularly retreat to the warm spots with a cat in the winter! I find most clients will connect to more than one animal/ species but everyone is different. We do aim to encourage some individual/ personal relationships with animals (rather than them just liking everyone) but having two or three of these can be helpful for lots of reasons.
I appreciate your acknowledgement of the affect of losing a horse may have on those who have shared it’s time here on earth, beside you as the owner/caregiver.
I think this is very important, and should be greatly considered as to the affects the loss may have on the client’s therapeutic journey as well.
Being cognizant of this should be standard practice.
I agree Sara!
I learned the hard way this year that sometimes electric heaters can put a slight electrical current in the water that it not enough to shock the horse, but enough to keep them from drinking. It tool me noticing that my horses were eating snow and pawing at their water tank to realize that something was wrong with their water. Fortunately, I noticed before one of them ended up with colic due to not drinking. I now have all of my water tanks electrically grounded in order to avoid this. I try to share this information with everyone who needs to use these heaters during winter weather. There is a great You Tube video by BJ Rickard called, “Horse Water Tank Heaters, Proper Use of Them.” I encourage all horse owners who are not aware of tanks needing to be grounded to watch it. My vet stated that it can be a cause of winter colic.
thanks for sharing this important point Tammy!
I very recently purchased an old farmhouse, with some basic horse set up. I created a two stall barn, where the stalls are connected to the paddock and they have free choice to go in or out. For me, this year (and first-winter) has been a very interesting experience. Having them at home with much simpler facilities has opened my eyes to what I think I need and I actually need. Of course, I will always be making improvements to my set up, but I have become much more humbled. The horses (and goats) need a good shelter, great quality hay, low sugar grain, appropriate supplements, clean (and warm water in the winter) and lots of space to move and play. Everything else -the fancy barn, riding arenas, etc) is all nice but not necessary. I have boarded at beautiful facilities with poor care and very simple facilities with fantastic care. It is all about the daily practice.
However, my set up does pose challenges in the heart of winter, when it is very cold. I am starting to look at reasonable options for having a small indoor space and trying to find ways to make this financially possible. As someone starting out with my own property, this task seems like a very large obstacle.
I would like the pdf of Holding On, thanks
I found a link thanks, but still would like the pdf.
Hi Janet – you can access and download the pdf version of Holding On using this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6v8chreh8729osk/HoldingOn.pdf?dl=0 The file is huge so it’s not possible for me to e-mail it
This is an appropriate time for me to be reading your article on the loss of our therapy animals. I’ve been thinking about how I will break the news to our clientele on the loss of our greeting dog, and more recently one of our equines over this winter. I shared the loss of our dog with a volunteer and she suggested I create a memorial site for our riders to visit. I think this a great idea. We have a place ‘already started’ at the entrance to our facility. I will do the same for our donkey now. And Sue, with your permission I would love to send an email version of Holding On to two of our riders in particular. Let me know if this is ok. Thanks ☺️
yes, please do share the story with anyone who you think could benefit from it. So sorry about both of these losses Judy
Continued… my thought is to send the story to the supportive parents whom I know well.
sounds great Judy
Thank you Sue. This is very good information! The cold and how I would manage this with this type of practice is something I’ve wondered and has possibly even prevented me from seeing this goal as possible at times.
Keeping a practice going in the winter is something that I have been wondering about for a while. As someone who has been taking riding lessons through the winter, I understand how the cold can bring things to a halt and I would not want this risk for my therapy practice. I like the idea about having unheated barn, but an attached heated office. This allows you to still spend time with the horses but also have a safe warm space to continue your session
Giving this a second read through, there are a few things that stand out to me. The first is ” Some are still working gently, others are retired; they will all stay here for the rest of their days.” What I have observed very often in the horse industry is that the moment the horse is not bringing in income, the horse is rehomed, sent to pasture or worse. It is so crucial to realise the devotion our horses have given to us for their entire lives and to give them a soft place to land and be well pampered for the remainder of their years. EFW is in a unique situation, where we can often take in those horses that are still full of life but may be unable to be ridden. As you mentioned, this requires knowledge to provide specialised care (and cost), so if possible, it would make sense to have a herd of varying ages to make this more achievable.
Jen has already echoed my sentiments and this article has struck a chord in me as well. We have lost a few horses at CTRA in the last couple of years, and there has been so much grief throughout the entire program. I will be looking at ‘Holding On’ as well.
I hear you Patty – we have two in their 30’s and one in her 20’s with some significant special needs. So I know it’s coming.
We have the Holding On story built into the first attachment section of the course as it is actually grounded in the Neufeld attachment model.
It sounds like you give your animals the best care out there. Thanks for covering all of this. This article is so well rounded.
Having a good cancelation policy up front is a great idea especially when the weather is so unpredictable. Being in an unheated arena in winter is still cold so it is good to have a cancelation policy for the -20 to -30 days when no one wants to be outside. I also like that the office is still heated for the cats in the winter as it is important to think about all the animals at the facility.
I am going to be a more ‘mobile’ unit, so I will need to take into consideration the weather, and clothing that goes with that, the flooring, and boots that are needed, heated water bowl, space-indoor or outdoors, I have on order some diaper liners to work in tandem with the manure bag so that we may go indoors year round. I also have to ensure all vaccinations and deworming are done on schedule as I put my animal at risk every single time I leave my home.
A lot to consider!! But in the end makes us all safe 🙂
Sue, I would LOVE a link to the “Holding On” pdf. Thanks!!
Yes, lots of extra things to think about when you are mobile!
Holding On is actually one of the stories we explore in the training but here is the link so you can access it right away: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6v8chreh8729osk/HoldingOn.pdf?dl=0
Such a practical article Sue. Much appreciated! With winter complications, cold and roads and other things, I think that clear policies with the client would be most helpful. I appreciate you speaking about the cancellations that do occur. I often allow for one last minute cancelation at no penalty, and then charge half or full fee if it continues to happen, or work with them to find a new referral if cancellations are happening for another reason. I also hear in your article some encouragement to be flexible and willing to work with some not so ideal scenarios. I could also see a benefit in having a plan for gradual changes and upgrades as I grow and develop in AAT.
yes – that balance between boundaries and flexibility is important!
This is certainly a practical and thought provoking article. I have always planned on operating my future practice out of my boarding barn I am currently at, and renting the space from my barn owner. However practical considerations in the winter have me thinking. We have a large amount of land, as well as 5 different rings to work in during the summer months. But only one indoor arena. Even if I had a small heated office to work in without the horses, there is the consideration of how and where I would work with the horses. Due to the nature of the work I’d be doing, it would be impractical to work with clients and the horses while other boarders are riding their horses in the same space. Definitely something to consider!
yes – lots to think about here! There are usually ways to make it work though and when you get to that stage I can help you brainstorm some different options!
This article helped to answer some questions that I have been thinking about recently. I live in the north and we can get some pretty harsh winters up here. I was relieved to see that many of the suggestions fit with practices that are already in place.
I am interested in learning more with regards to the aspects of loss of an equine (or other animal) partner. Is it possible to get the download for the book regarding Cutie?
Here you are Jennifer: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/oi916eo5jbcdm1y/AACF-2L8hM1VGdmigwVhYaHVa?dl=0
Thanks for the great article. I live in northern Alberta so the issue of winter weather has definitely crossed my mind!