Weathering the Storm: Preparing My Horse for a New England Winter

Posted on: February 25, 2026 by Gina Fitch

New England Winters, Not for the Weak!

Being from New England, you quickly learn to expect unpredictable weather, especially during the winter months. Recently, our area was warned that we could receive anywhere from 12 to 24 inches of snow over the course of two days (.... again). While storms like this aren’t unusual for us, preparing for one of this magnitude does require some extra foresight, especially when you have horses.

My biggest concern was making sure I had plenty of supplies on hand in case we lost power or were snowed in for several days. I wanted to be fully stocked and ready for whatever Mother Nature decided to throw our way.

Pre Storm Winter Must Haves

Here was my must-have list before the storm hit:

Hay and hay bags
Grain
Bedding
Salt and supplements
Winter blankets
Water

Making Plans (for my Horse to Ignore)

My barn setup allows my horse to go in and out whenever he pleases. I briefly considered locking my gelding inside during the storm, but I know how much he loves being outdoors and I didn't want to cause any undue stress or frustration in changing his routine too much. Instead of closing him in, I tried to encourage him to spend some time inside. I filled his SmartPak Slow Feed Hay Bag so he’d have plenty of hay available and only available indoors. I know him well enough to know by now that whenever I feed him loose hay in the barn, he grabs the flakes and drags them right back outside, which is how I know without a doubt that he truly prefers being outdoors. In the end, the hay was inside for him, but I decided to let him choose where he wanted to weather the storm, trusting that it would be the best decision for him.

The Aftermath and Moving On

As it turns out, the weather forecasters were spot on and we ended up with a total of 22 inches of snow! I went out several times during the storm to check on him, and each time I found him standing outside, completely covered in snow, happy as anything. He was wearing his new SmartEquine Ultimate Turnout Heavy Weight blanket, which kept him warm and dry, so I didn’t worry too much.

We weathered the storm the best we could and are still dealing with the aftermath of all that snow. Overall, though, I’m at peace with the decisions I made and most importantly, my horse was happy too.