Seasonal Behaviors in Our Horses

By Ted Howard, Production Animal Consultation

Those of us from the Midwest have heard the joke, “If you don’t like the weathe r … wait a few minutes!” Spring has sprung. Rain, sleet, snow, wind, and sun, all within a 100-degree temperature range that changes momentarily, make working in the agriculture industry challenging.

How do the seasonal weather changes affect our equine partners? During the summer, the extreme heat and fighting flies causes our horses to burn energy. By fall, the cooler weather is refreshing and the flies are decreasing, but the lack of green grass allows our horses to maintain an appropriate amount of energy. Our equine partners normally work the best in the fall. By winter, maintaining body temperature in the cold weather as well as navigating the poor ground conditions burns extensive amounts of energy.

Spring weather normally brings out the biggest change in our horses. Cool mornings versus the frigid cold of winter mornings, along with the warmer afternoons versus the blazing heat of the summer, makes for friskier behavior in our horses. This can especially be seen in our younger horses as well as those that have been rested.

This increased energy in our horses can be reflected into the cattle we check. Energy in our horses can be seen in faster foot speed and higher headsets. These behaviors will not put our cattle at ease. Young or high-stressed cattle will move away from this type of behavior with a flight mentality. It will be more difficult to identify any illness or lameness in our cattle.

We need to be able to help our horses through this time of increased energy. Being very aware of the feed rations our horses are on in the spring is important. A grass/hay ration with less grain than what we feed in the winter is more appropriate in the spring. Also, being mentally prepared to help our horses through this increased energy is imperative. We should not be too hard on our horses for the first hour of our day while they are utilizing their extra energy. Being patient and not picking a fight with our horse will set up the rest of our day in a better frame of mind for us and our horse.

Enjoy the changes in seasons as well as the changes in your horse. Understanding your horse during these times will build a stronger relationship between you and your equine partner and build your confidence as a horseman or horsewoman. Always remember, if you don’t like the weather… wait a few minutes!