Cold weather can cause increased stiffness your horse’s muscles, joints and tendons.
Tasks that were easy in warmer weather become much more challenging when the body is cold.
In chilly weather, your horse’s nervous system initiates adaptive responses. Muscles contract as a means of generating heat, accompanied by vasoconstriction—the narrowing of blood vessels that restricts blood flow to the skin and superficial muscles, redirecting it to deeper tissues to minimize heat loss.
In cold conditions, blood can become thicker or more viscous, impeding its flow. Restricted circulation from the contracted muscles and vasoconstriction and the increased blood viscosity caused by the cold all hinder the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your horse’s superficial muscles, as well as the removal of waste products, affecting the ability of your horse’s muscles to function properly.
Low temperatures can also cause the synovial fluid inside your horse’s joints and tendon sheaths to thicken. Synovial fluid acts as a lubricant for joints, promoting smooth movement, functioning as a shock absorber to cushion the impact on joints during motion, and supplying essential nutrients to the joint structures. In tendons synovial fluid is produced by the synovium, a membrane within the tendon sheaths and serves to lubricate and reduce friction for smooth tendon movement within the sheath. In colder conditions the heightened viscosity of synovial fluid interferes with the fluid’s functionality, resulting in stiffer joints that experience more concussion and affecting the smooth movement of tendons within the sheath.
Collectively, the contracted muscles, reduced blood flow to surface muscles, and stiffness in joints and tendons create a body-wide tension in your horse in cold weather that interferes with how their muscles and joints function, and increases their risk of injury.
To help you through the cold days, here are some tips to help you keep your horse’s muscles, tendons, joints and tissues healthy and moving well in colder weather:
1.❄️ Plan to spend at least 30 minutes longer than you would in warm weather on extra prep-time and an extended warm-up.
2.❄️ Groom your horse a little more before you ride. A thorough full-body curry, followed by a brushing session with brush your horse enjoys, and a gentle toweling, will stimulate circulation and warm the surface muscles and skin.
3.❄️ Drape a warm cooler or blanket over your horse while you groom and tack him up to retain the warmth.
4.❄️ Your horse isn’t the only thing to be affected by the cold – your tack will feel harder, too. Sensitive types will appreciate some extra soft padding at the poll on their bridle in winter (and a warmed bit). I like to use halter travel fuzzies which slide on and off easily and are easy to clean.
5.❄️ Consider using a therapeutic sheet, like a Back-On-Track, before you work your horse. Your horse can wear one full time (there’s a full range of styles and weights available) or he can wear it for 45 minutes or so before you start your ride.
6.❄️ Some horses will benefit from wearing a warm (not hot) heated blanket or pad over their back to warm and supple back muscles and fascia before you saddle up.
7.❄️ Use a quarter sheet during your warm-up, cool down, and, if it’s cold enough or you’re going for a quiet trail ride, for the entire ride.
8.❄️ Hand-walk around the ring and through the center a few times before getting on. It’s a good way to begin your active warm-up and will help you assess the footing you’ll be working on.
9.❄️ If the ground is hard, frozen, or slippery you may want to choose to hand-walk and do some in-hand exercises in the barn instead of riding. There are a few links to some good in-barn exercises listed below.
10.❄️ Extend your warm-up time. Walk for a minimum of 15-20 minutes to warm muscles, joints and tendons and increase circulation in the surface muscles. As your horse warms up, begin incorporating bending and suppling exercises, transitions, and add some easy hills at the walk if you have access to them before shortening the reins and continuing your warm-up in trot.
11.❄️ Don’t forget to cool your horse down thoroughly as well. A nice active walk can help your horse cool down, dry-off, recover from exercise and reduce post-exercise stiffness. If he’s damp, drape a cooler over him to prevent him from getting too cold while he dries. Sweating is a natural cooling mechanism for your horse and is effective regardless of the outside temperature.
12.❄️ Make sure your horse stays warm enough in between rides to minimize muscle stiffness:
If he gets cold, especially if he’s clipped, blanket him – ensuring the blanket fits well, without restrictions or pressure points.
Ample, safe turnout helps reduce stiffness and allows your horse to exercise and raise their body temperature.
Provide plenty of hay, as digesting it generates more internal metabolic heat than other feeds, and will warm your horse from the inside out.
Check that his water is warm enough to be palatable to encourage healthy hydration and reduce the risk of colic due to impaction.
If needed, consider supplemental electrolytes to stimulate thirst and support healthy muscle function; consult your vet for the best way to incorporate them into your horse’s diet.
Provide shelter from wind, rain and snow. If friends are available they may bunch together and share body heat.
Regular massage therapy with myofascial release will help your horse stay supple in the cold and maintain muscle mass during less active periods.
The cold can cause stiffness your horse’s muscles, joints and tendons. Providing extra care to ensure he is properly warmed-up and supple will improve his training and performance and contribute to his overall soundness.
❄️ Cold Weather Equine Respiratory Health Warning – Cold air contains less moisture than warm air, which is why we get dew and frost as water ‘falls out’ of the air during cooling. The colder the air, the drier it becomes. Dry air has the potential to dry the airways, leading to airway injury, inflammatory responses, and an asthma-like syndrome during cold air exercise.
Studies have demonstrated airway damage, even at a slow cantering pace of 6.6m/s (400 meters/minute) while breathing air at 41°F or +5°C. Additional research from indicates an increase in exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) in Standardbred racehorses as the air temperature drops.
If your horse experiences increased coughing, shows elevated nasal discharge, or exhibits reduced exercise tolerance after moderate to hard work in cold weather, it may indicate a rise in airway inflammation.
The best advice is to avoid fast or hard exercise on very cold mornings or days, particularly if your horse has a history of respiratory problems.
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Additional Reading: How to do Carrot Stretches – Carrot Stretches After Riding
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