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Post by mypaintedspirit on Jan 19, 2009 23:19:51 GMT -5
Is it okay to keep a blanket on a horse during the winter? I keep a "Saxon 600 Standard Neck Heavy Weight" blanket on my 4 yr. old during the winter. He does have his winter coat and I do take it off when the temp. gets to 32 or above. He is kept in a pasture with a run-in for shelter. We all know that in Michigan, the weather has been really, and I mean, really cold. I have a "know it all" 14 yr. old step daughter that thinks she knows everything about horses, chew me out for keeping the blanket on him. Oh let me tell you, [glow=red,2,300]I was out-raged [/glow]  . I didn't blanket him last year, and I noticed that he had lost weight due to trying to keep warm, not from lack of feed. So I figured that I would keep him blanketed this year. I just told her that it was none of her business and that he is my horse not hers. I have been around horses and have shown for quite some time and I was not about to deal with her crap. What is your input on keeping a blanket on, for those of you that do? Thanks, Karen |
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Post by horseluver on Jan 20, 2009 8:31:19 GMT -5
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Post by snowyhorse on Jan 20, 2009 8:46:06 GMT -5
I leave my horse's blankets on all winter (gasp). Let me stress that the ones that I use are the water proof and breathable ones. I let them get their winter coat in and don't blanket until it gets really cold. When I put them on tend to leave them on.
From watching them, even if it's a little warmer out, like in the 20's they still will stand in the sun to get even warmer. They have the option of shade from a thick stand of pine trees. If they didn't have the shade, I'd probably have to remove the blankets.
It also helps with the hay bill. They have hay in front of them all of the time, so they eats a bit less of it if they aren't so cold. It helps keep the weight on them in the winter.
I do take them off if the weather is consistantly around 30.
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Post by horsecrazylady on Jan 20, 2009 9:41:59 GMT -5
If they need one use one. Best to not put a blanket on just to have a banket on. None of mine need a blanket and they mainly use a run in and are all fatter than they really need to be.
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Post by standardgal on Jan 20, 2009 9:53:24 GMT -5
It depends on the horse. Once my horses start to get cold then I put a blanket on and leave it on (unless I'm riding/grooming and the like). Neither of mine have had a problem and I've been doing this for 10 years on one horse and 5 years on the other. I let them grow as thick of a coat as possible before I blanket them. This year Firering doesn't even need a double blanket (he used to) as he is finally getting a thick enough coat to get used to the cold.
SG
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Post by pinkhorselady on Jan 20, 2009 10:18:11 GMT -5
I have 2 horses that I blanket more than our other 2. One of the 2 that I blanket is a harder keeper, so I will blanket her if it gets below 22-25. I take it off during the day to give her a break from it, if it gets warm enough. But it goes back on at night, if it's going to drop below 25. She will lose weight more easily than the others. The other one that I blanket frequently is 27 yrs. old. She keeps fairly well thru the winter, but I don't want her to use any more energy than she has to to stay warm. Again, I take it off during the daytime to give her a break from it. (Especially if the sun is out - they love to stand in the sun!) They have constant access to hay, so that's not an issue. The other 2 are easier keepers - one of them is 25, but she has the coat of a polar bear & will sweat with a blanket on, unless it's bitter! And the other one is just really fat & doesn't get cold easily. They both keep their weight up really well & rarely shiver (that's when the blankets go on!). As others have stated, I do not blanket them until they get their winter coat in really well, and not until it gets really cold. So - what I try to do with the 2 who don't need blanketing as much is only blanket when it's bitter & windy or cold & rainy. Some people never blanket & their horses are fine. Same with people who blanket all the time! I think it really depends on the horse & your preferences.  I'm sure you already know this, but if you do blanket all the time, it's important to remove it routinely to check for rub spots & make sure you know the horse's body condition. Good luck with that teenager! I have 3 in my house, & I can't wait until I am "smart" again! (Maybe in 10 years??!) |
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Dawn
Bronze Member
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Post by Dawn on Jan 20, 2009 11:08:44 GMT -5
I had to blanket one of ours during that cold snap. He started shivering got him moving around some and he was still shivering so that was that. On with the blankets. We larered a liner, midweight and a canvas over that for those way below zero nights and he seemed quite comfy, as it has "warmed up" have removed them and replaced with a saxon turnout. Most likely he will remain blanketed the rest of winter now unless we get some warm days where it would be ok to remove the blanket and let his coat refluff/adjust. I agree with the poster who says if you need to do it do it if not let nature handle it  |
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Post by amandaandtuff on Jan 20, 2009 11:18:02 GMT -5
None of ours needed to be blanketed this year, although I did stop riding the hard winter keepers earlier so they could build up the fat. I watched them very closely throughout the cold and warm snaps and we've been 100% okay in the pasture. No shivering and no colic.
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Lonestarchickypoo
Bronze Member
The mind is like a parachute, it works best when open!
Posts: 149
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Post by Lonestarchickypoo on Jan 20, 2009 14:51:59 GMT -5
I only blanketed my one colt... due to shaving him and getting him ready to show... my bay I let get a longer coat, he now has a sheet on.. I have them in standing stalls at night and bed with straw.. I finally put a sheet on the bay bc , the bay its a tart.. he tends to paw all the straw out of the stall, pee and get the flooring wet and I cant stand there and just pitch straw into him every five mintues so after chores I tend to go out an make sure everyyone has straw in the stalls so when they lay down they are layin on some nice dry straw.. well by mornin I go in there and the bay is layin down on the wet flooring with all this straw pushed ot anyways so he ended up starting to get that dried on poo balls on his back hind quarters from layin on the wet flooring.. so I just put a sheet on him.. not that he needed it.. and I do brush them everynight before I go into the house but he still got them... so that stopped, I also ended up getting some stall mats and put them in there and he isnt as messy.. I think the mats have helped keep him from pushign all that straw out.. I have also noticed it has helped with the Mule we keep inside also he did the same thing eveyr morning their stalls would be empty of straw and them either layin on the bare floor or just standing there like What did I do lol
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Post by stormie on Jan 20, 2009 20:32:32 GMT -5
14 is a tough age.....to deal with since they know everything. lol
Did you ask her why or her give you reasons why she feels that way? At 14 she isn't going to take the reason of "10 people on the internet said they do it". You best and more adult way to handle it is to find out her reasons why you can't do it and counter them with reasons why you can or reasons why her reasons aren't true....okay that was confusing! lol
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. I didn't blanket him last year, and I noticed that he had lost weight due to trying to keep warm, not from lack of feed. So I figured that I would keep him blanketed this year. I just told her that it was none of her business and that he is my horse not hers. I have been around horses and have shown for quite some time and I was not about to deal with her crap. What is your input on keeping a blanket on, for those of you that do?
I'm sure you already know this, but if you do blanket all the time, it's important to remove it routinely to check for rub spots & make sure you know the horse's body condition.
