I recently got the question “How do the Mustangs do in the winter?”
We’ve had about a week of pretty severe cold (a normal part of high elevation Colorado winter), with daytime highs well below freezing for several consecutive days and the lows being… pretty low.
The horses do great. The training horses have 24/7 forage and a windbreak. The Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassadors and their friends are out in pasture with trees for shelter. Everyone is in good weight and has thick, fuzzy winter coats.
The pastured wildies will dig for grass in true Mustang fashion. That works so well that sometimes they’re not all that excited when the hay arrives.
Unless it’s alfalfa, which is what I’ve been feeding Rock and Lacy. She tends to get ulcers and he needed to gain weight. They’re all about the alfalfa.
Feeding alfalfa to horses in Germany was a big no no. That was cattle feed and could have killed a horse. Here, and even in Hungary, it’s common as part of their diet as needed. Different soils I guess?
Humans in that kind of weather don’t fare as well. Wearing 5 layers, heated socks, rechargeable hand warmers, thick winter boots, all but the eyes covered under fleece and wool and some tear and waterproof outer layers.
It takes much longer to do simple chores, like keeping unfrozen water in front of the animals, the house warm and pipes from freezing. Water hoses freeze fast and the spigot needs extra TLC.
The dogs? They take it all in stride, they just don’t want to stand still or their paws get cold.
The cats expect bedside feeding because they only go outside if absolutely necessary when it’s that cold and snowy.
Winter at its coldest is beautiful, and oh so cozy when the chores are done and a fire in the stove is doing its best to heat the house. You feel wildly alive while working outside and just as wildly tired at night. It’s a test and a workout, a time to focus on doing what’s necessary, then listen to our bodies and let them rest and recharge.
A benefit of those cold snaps is that 38 degrees for a daytime high (F, that’s 3 °C) now sounds like beach weather.
Because I not-so-secretly love classical music, here’s some Johannes Brahms to go with the wildies dancing in a real life snow globe 
