Weather ups and downs not good for animals - CBS4 - WHBF Quad Cities, IL-IA News Weather Sports

Weather ups and downs not good for animals

By: Kate Pabich
kpabich@cbs4qc.com

From ice storms to record high temps, to single digits, the QC will see it all this week.
But, it's making some businesses work twice as hard.

At Schone's Friendship Farm, they've had to do a lot of extra work to make sure the animals are safe and warm. 

Veronica Powell keeps her horse, Velvet, at Schone's and says she was really worried.

"When you have an animal outside if they get real wet and then it freezes it becomes hard for them to keep their body temp up and I just don't want her to get sick, it can be really dangerous for her."

Roger Schone, owns the farm and says his workers have been clocking in more hours and checking on the weather constantly to make sure to get the more than 60  horses in, if need be.
 
"Wet to freezing. That's the worst part for them, for any animal because their body can't take it. They're icy and they're freezing. When it's snowing and its 20 degrees they can handle that."

But hypothermia isn't the only threat to horses when it comes to fluctuating weather. Roger says a slip on the ice could force the horse to be put down.

"When it rains and gets really icy out any horses that have shoes on we bring in all the time because that's metal to ice and that's no good."