You can be grateful for no flies! 🤠

Cold acclimation is standard but when it is unusual and sudden it can be a risk to many without preparation. But you seem to have the bases covered with rugs, blocked wind and heated water.

In my experience living in the northern climates, heated water is an amazing impaction colic prevention. We used liquid propane to run a gas element submerged in the outdoor water tank (I found it in the NASCO catalog back in the 1990’s). Never froze and the amount of water consumed was startling.

Blocking the drafts is so important due to the wind chill factor and the targeting of high velocity wind through a small hole.

The rugs can be tricky. They need constant attention to position / slipping, attack by the friendly play of neighbors, leaving them on too long when the temperature rises later in the day and soaking of rain or mud. But having them on is essential especially if the hair coat is short or clipped.

Two other things to think about are ice and frozen hoof prints in yesterday’s mud. Both can break legs. Keeping horses inside is difficult when the weather has returned to no wind and sunshine but caution is needed if ice and frozen mud holes remain.

That’s all I can think of. Anyone else have ideas?