we just built a small barn for our horses this fall. now it has snowed about a foot, and it is been -10 degrees for a couple of days. plus where l live it is extremely windy. so does anyone have any advice on how to make them use the barn? they only go in there occasionally. tonight when l came home they had a couple inches of snow on their backs. why do not they go in the barn? l hate to lock them up when I am at work, but l assumed they would go inside in bad weather. any advice for a clueless horse owner?

Thats normal

The snow on them just shows how well they r insulated, to them it really is not cold.

They will use the barn if they need it, but they r built for the outside & built for those temps.

Theres no need to lock them up. l live in WY, we just went through -20 with windchills to.. l dunno something equivalent to hell. & only the donkey used the shed, the rest thought it was grand.

Horses r extremely resilent, tough animals. They will use the barn if they get uncomfortable.

Ha l know how u feel..we live on the prairies in Canada & there was a wicked storm hail & everything & the horses refused to go in until l lead them in..we then decided we would make the barn the happy place & every day at the same time we would put them in & feed them some treats & some hay..every day at 2 pm..and now they just see me come out of the house & they go in their place..as for when it is snowing well it has been with the windchill about -46 here this week so we have been keeping everyone confined but the horse do get out a couple hours a day & then go right back in again..hanging hay nets is good too as it gives them something to look forward to & as u will soon find out u can get any animal to do anything as long as there is food involved..

No, they do not. The only time u will need to put them in is in sleet & freezing rain. Snow is fine; it piles up on their fur, as you've seen.

Horses r designed to live outdoors, & indeed, if u have a three-sided shed, u will find that occasionally one of the horses will go in there, but not usually two unless they r really good buddies. They fear being trapped & beaten up. A two-sided shed is better in that regard, because it is easier to escape from.

Remember, wild Shetland ponies live on the barren & windswept Shetland Islands.

Watch for shivering. If u do not see it, ur horses r comfy, even if u aren't. Plenty of hay for each of ur hayburners & they're fine.

l would NOT advise to lock them up in the barn. If u r not brushing ur horses, their little furry under hairs r keeping them warm. Like the other answer said, the snow is actually creating a warmth barrier for them. They will go in the shed if they want to. l tend to apply human attributes to my horses, & think Im being mean by leaving them to the elements. Actually the best advice l got is to just leave them be. They will do what their instincts tell them. Horses get great winter coats. Its awesome that u built that shelter for them! Ironically, they will definitely probably use the barn when it warms up , because the sun will cause the snow on them to melt off. Right now, the wind chill keeps the warmth frozen in, so oddly enough, they r probably pretty comfortable! l do understand ur worries though, trust me! Its hard to think of them out in the cold like that.

They almost never want to go in the barn. Mine stand outside when it is blowing , snowing & 30 degrees below zero F. Horses like being outside in all kinds of weather. l have a spacious shed with matted floors on both ends, heated water & free choice hay in there 24/7. We keep it clean & it is insulated & toasty in the worst weather. They do not care. They want to be out. We never blanket them. They r 21 & 22.one is an arab & one is a paint. They r never sick & never shiver or sniffle. They will go inside when they want to. Mine also stay out in sleet & freezing rain..they do not ever need to be locked inside.

well l think if there is more than one horse then there should be more than 1 shelter out side and if your horse is young then l would put him/her in the barn if the temp is colder than the day befor today !!!!!! and if you put your horse out in the pasture to do some barn chores then put a blanket qand also if you put some feed or any horse food in the feeders then the horses will want to go in !!!!!!!

I've never had a horse spend a lot of time in their barn. Most like to stand out in the snow. Weirdos!

Do not worry about it. They will go in it if they need or want to.

Sadly, this is normal.the old addage ''you can lead a horse to water but can not make him drink'' applies.LOL

Most horses actually prefer to stand out in the weather, just as they prefer to be dirty and covered in mud so that they are better insulated. If your horse has shelter available, he will use it when he it is necessary, the rest of the time he will stand out in the weather. The only thing you can do to ensure they stay in the barn is to lock them in.

All my horses have a place to go inside & l go out this morning, its windy, cold & l swear it felt like ice hitting my face when l went down to feed & they r all standing out in this mess like they dont care. l paid a lot of money for their comfort & they r all out in the rain LOL
What l do is feed them in the shelters, this way at least they can enjoy their food in a dry area. A friend of mine called me today, l gave her one of my babies, he horse had died & she said they had about 10 inches of snow & my little guy wouldnt go in the shelter. l told her to place the feed inside & he will go in, she did & he went in.