This is a good general info graphic on barn ventilation and winter care; but, horses are individuals and weather fluctuates, so it’s a balancing act. They always need access to shelter from the wind, rain/snow and sun. There is always a big debate about whether horses need blankets or not. When a horse’s coat gets wet or it’s windy, it flattens the loft of their hair such that it can’t trap heat anymore to keep them warm, but the same thing happens when you put a blanket on them. Every horse has his own tolerance level and will be fine without a blanket up to that point. It could be, if, for instance, they have extra weight on them and thick hair, they can take cold, windy and/or wet conditions better, but if they’re older, sick, have a condition such as arthritis such that they are less mobile or have recently shipped in from a warmer climate, they probably cannot. Blankets come in different weights (insulating abilities) to compensate for their flattening the loft out of the horse’s coat and which weight you use has to match the current weather conditions and the individual horse. Some horses are fine with a run-in shed, others need the shelter of an appropriately ventilated stall. If they’re out with other horses, you have to make sure the meeker ones are not being kept out of the run-in by the dominate ones, and make adjustments if they are.
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