“So sorry… I’m not going to make it to my 8 am lesson again this morning.
Up all night with colic calls and I’m on the way to another now.”

That was the text I received at 6:30 AM from a dedicated mixed-practice veterinarian — someone who was supposed to drive an hour to my place for her weekly lesson with her horse, who lives here in training.

If that doesn’t get your attention, I’m not sure what will.

I wanted to share this with you because it’s a pattern I see every winter — and one we can often prevent.

Unless your horse lives in a bubble, they’re going to experience rapid — and sometimes dramatic — weather changes. Here in southeastern North Carolina near Wilmington, swings of 20 degrees in a single day aren’t unusual, not to mention humidity, rain, and barometric pressure doing their own thing.

And honestly? I don’t hate it.

These shifts shake things up. They present training challenges that prepare horses for life outside the norm. They also give