Winter Blues


Beating the


Horses, like humans, can experience depression when the daylight hours


are shorter. You can help your horse get through winter.


by Carolyn Crew A


h, Winter...Days of long shadows, when the sun lies low in the sky, snow


blanketing the pastures, and frigid overnight temperatures. Limited sunshine and colder temperatures can make anyone feel like curling up in bed rather than facing the outside world -• including our horses.


4 | www.holistichorse.com


According to experts, horses, like humans, can get depressed.


Researchers have found there may be an equine form of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)—depression that occurs as the days grow shorter. A lack of natural sunlight during the winter months can cause a biochemical imbalance in the brain


and bring on SAD, a condition also known as the winter blues.


According to some studies, treating horses with light therapy could be effective in reducing these winter blues. Nerve centers in the brain that control moods are stimulated by


PHOTO ABOVE: In memory of 20-year-old Shane. Holistic Horse™ • February/March 2012 • Vol.19, Issue 77


Courtesy Bruce Dale, brucedale.com


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