Why do horses stay out in freezing cold?

Answer 1

Simply put, animals shiver because they are cold. When an animals core body temperature drops, small muscle groups around the vital organs begin to contract and relax in quick movements, creating warmth.

Answer 2

Shivers or shivering are names that have been applied to a chronic nervous or neuromuscular syndrome in horses. The syndrome principally affects the draft horse breeds. Shivers has been also reported in Warmbloods and Warmblood crossbreds, and occasionally in lighter breeds of horses, including light harness horses, hunters, hunter-jumpers, hacks, Quarter Horses, and Thoroughbreds. In ponies, shivers is considered uncommon to rare. The condition develops slowly and can occur at any age with reports in horses as young as one to two years of age. Many horses that hold a hind limb flexed and tremble are said to have Shivers. However, many disorders can create irritation in the hind limbs of horses and cause this type of sign. The classic disease called Shivers is a neuromuscular disease in horses that is characterized by trembling of the tail while held erect, trembling of the thigh muscles and a flexed and trembling hind limb. (UNIVERSITY OF Minnesota Equine Center)

Answer 3

Horses like the cold for some reason. They are better equipped to handle cold than they are to handle hot weather. Also, horses hate being in a small confined area. They are claustrophobic. Small enclosed spaces stress them. Since horses don't know that they don't have any predators, when they are in a small confined area, they are constantly scared because they have no where to run to if a predator shows up. They're trapped. And horses are herd animals. They prefer being with the herd, and the don't feel safe away from the herd.

So horses prefer being outside, in the open, with their buddies, where they can run away from the invisible monsters should they need to.

Answer 4

A horse will shiver because it is cold or to shake flies off of their skin. They may also shiver if they are overly-excited or spooked.

Answer 5

Bees shiver to survive the cold winter. This group shivering not only keeps them alive during the cold winter months, but it's also known to create an enormous amount of heat.