01/25/2026
Brrr… Iowa is showing off this week! 🥶🐴
We’ve had a few kind folks check in on our horses (thank you — we love how much this community cares).
Here’s what “good care” looks like at Rhythms of Grace during frigid temps:
✅ Hay, hay, and more hay — Horses are built for winter, and their “furnace” is digestion. Plenty of good-quality hay helps them stay warm from the inside out.
✅ Blankets aren’t automatic — Not every horse needs one. A healthy winter coat plus access to windbreak/shelter and steady forage is often best. We blanket when it’s appropriate for the individual horse (age, weight, health, coat, and conditions).
✅ Water matters most — We monitor water daily, supplement with electrolytes and use heated/managed waterers so they can drink comfortably (dehydration is a bigger winter risk than people realize).
✅ Shelter + wind protection — Our horses always have access to areas that block wind and weather.
✅ Daily check-ins — We do hands-on checks for comfort, body condition, hydration, appetite, movement, and overall wellness.
✅ Veterinary partnership — Whether it’s routine care or a procedure, we follow vet guidance closely and give extra support during healing. This has been a week for Doc's hoof and Buck's surgery at the Stuart .
If you see a photo of horses outside without blankets, it doesn’t mean they’re cold — it often means they’re comfortable, healthy, and doing what horses do best: eat, move, and enjoy fresh air.
Thank you for caring about our animals and our mission. These exceptional horses make healing possible — and we honor them with excellent care every day. 💛
