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I'm sorry, I don't mean to pick but this is misleading and inaccurate. An "average" horse is 1000 lbs. You've only provided for 1.5 - 2.5% of body weight with your figures. 1.5-2% of body weight is the accepted absolute minimum and those that are well-maintained on it are only the very easy keepers. Harder keepers can easily require 4+% of their body weight in hay daily plus grain. You also can't give a definitive figure as to what portion of a bale any poundage of hay is as every bale of hay will weigh out differently. In the midwest 50-75 lb small squares are common, but on the west coast small squares are much more likely to weigh 100 lbs or more. Even within a region some farmers will pack them tighter than others. Different grasses and legumes are also differing densities so that effects weight as well.
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As above, this entirely depends on what type of hay you're buying, how tightly it's packed, etc.
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Depends on the legumes, depends on the horse. Alfalfa very much can have it's place in horse hay. safergrass.org is a great place to read up on the myths and facts surrounding horses and hay, especially fresh grasses and legume hays like alfalfa.
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Again, depends on the horse. They'll seek shelter when they need or want it, as long as it's available they'll be fine. Shelter doesn't have to be a barn, a wooded area is fine. A wind break is really, in the coldest conditions, all that's necessary. They aren't affected by the elements in the same way we are. When we're chilly, they're in their prime temperature range. Common sense is a good thing, just make sure your common sense is geared for the horse, not the human.
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Wet, rain and mud in and of themselves aren't really a problem. Hundreds, thousands of horses survive the PNW every year without thrush, marsh ponies lived happily in wet, sloppy marshes again... just fine. Poor hoof form, poor diet, poor environmental management; these things lead to thrush, rain rot, etc.
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To the contrary old horses often grow very thick coats and shed less readily in the spring putting them at risk of overheating. In the winter the greatest stressors for elderly horses are that they are sometimes unable to consume enough calories to keep warm -- keeping their teeth floated, their parasite management up to date and food available at all times is a good start on this in some cases blanketing may be warranted -- their thick coat, if it gets wet is harder to dry out properly and can lead to chilling, and the cold can complicate other health issues -- such as arthritis -- that are common in the older population.
