With winter fast approaching, if you haven't already done so, it's time to start thinking about the winter care your horse is going to need.  Here are a few things to think about.

• Blanketing - Are you planning on blanketing your horse?  If so, check your previous year's blankets for rips or damage, or measure for a new blanket.  To measure, start the tape measurer in the center of your horse's chest, and measure down the length of their body, stopping just beside the tail.  Keep in mind that if you blanket heavily in the beginning of the winter, your horse will not grow as much of a winter coat, and you will need to continue blanketing for the remainder of the season.
• Clipping - Clipping a horse's winter coat short will of course require you to blanket more, but it will also make your horse able to cool himself more easily when you ride him hard in the winter.  If you don't clip, you will need to cool your horse out properly after you ride -- never, ever put a hot, sweaty horse away in cool weather!
• Feeding - Especially if you don't blanket, you will have to be certain that your horse doesn't lose weight during the winter.  Horses burn calories in order to stay warm, so they'll need a little extra hay when it's cold or snowy out.
• Water intake - Many horses don't drink as much in the winter, when the water is cold or iced over, which makes them more susceptible to colic.  To prevent this from happening, consider using water heaters to prevent the water from getting too cold or icing up.  Providing salt and mineral blocks, and putting a little bit of apple juice or another flavoring in the water are other tricks to help encourage a reluctant horse to drink.
• Shoes - Many people take their horse's shoes off for the winter.  The reason is because snow and ice tend to collect inside a horse's shoes, and can actually cause injury when it gets so bad as to change how the horse stands or moves.  If you need to leave the shoes on, you can prevent this from happening by cleaning out the ice regularly with an ice pick, or smearing Vaseline on the underside of your horse's hoof.  The Vaseline makes the snow and ice less likely to stick.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of how to care for your horse in the winter, but it's a good place to start!