With the cold weather tonight, try to avoid the tempatation to give your horses grain (extra grain can cause colic and won't help them stay warmer). It is better to give some extra grass hay (1-2 flakes) to help them warm themselves from the inside. So long as they have shelter to stay dry in and water that isn't frozen, they should be fine without a blanket. Older horses (20+), very thin horses, and horses without shelter may benefit from a blanket tonight. For your dogs and cats: please make sure they have somewhere to get inside, even if it is a barn or a garage.
Checklist: Barn/shelter in good repair? Water heaters for horse tanks? Hay stored and protected to get through the winter? Blankets cleaned and repaired from last year? Generator and fuel on hand? Snow tires for vehicles? Fall vaccines, deworming, and dental check for horses? So much to do...... how do you prepare for winter weather?
