# Question for Horse People



## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I don't know if this is relative... because how you outfit your horse depends on where he spends the majority of his time (inside or outside). Because of my guy's age, I do not want him spending too much time outside. He gets daily turnout, but not more than two or three hours. Sometimes he's out there longer on nice days, and just turned out in the indoor arena on bad days. 

In winter, most of the horses (even the fieldies) are brought into the indoor arena overnight and during the coldest days. 

And Michigan doesn't really get terribly cold. We moan about the weather, but it isn't that bad. 

Anyhoo!

No sheets until October - and then I have a light nylon sheet (the same one he wore at shows). 

When the temps drop below 40f, he gets his midweight turnout blanket. And he wears this inside and out. <- It's easier than asking the help to switch blankets when they turn him outside, and he has room to run. 

That's it. 

The blankets and sheets conserve warmth and then he also gets fat and hairy in winter. My barn lady feeds a little extra in winter too. 

When I first got my horse, I went out and got a heavyweight winter blanket and my barn lady laughed at me and told me to send it back and exchange for the midweight. o_I


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I've never kept a horse outside at all times, but here in Maine USA where it gets super snowy, Charleston (Morgan) has a heavy winter, a light winter, a rain sheet , a bug sheet/with hood, a cooler, and a "dress up" blanket.


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

It is VERY hard to figure out the wardrobe. 

First of all I am a FIRM believer in mother nature takes care of horses. So when I retired my old show horses, they wore nothing. I let them go all naturale. If it got SUPER cold, then maybe I would toss on a blanket but I am talking 20 below or colder. I make sure they have hay, water, shelter, and they are fine. Blanketing them I worry makes them to conditioned to being 'cared for' and if you don't properly, then they are not happy. Blankets get wet in the winter, and then they are wearing wet cold clothes. In the summer they get wet from rain and sweat, and I worry skin conditions flourish. I think letting them grow the necessary coat, and allow their coat to protect them, is the most natural least invasive process. 

Now I know a lot of people do put fly protector sheets on the in the summer, and the horses do just fine. 

If you have a stabled horse, who lives in and out, in work that is a completely different story. My horse is not clippable. So I had to keep him warm in the fall to keep the trigger of growing his coat. He does not grow a lot of coat so it is not hard to keep it off. However the winters he was 'off' work, I just let the hair grow. He's a TB so he does not grow a ton, but he was just fine. This past winter we did clip him (not fun) I had a cotton sheet on him, a Baker blanket, a heavy blanket topped by a nylon sheet to keep the blankets clean. I had another layer, a wool cooler, if it got super cold and he needed it. I probably had the most blanketed horse in our barn too. However his coat looked the best, no cat hairs no need to think about a second clip job. 

I would protect him from the summer flies, but JMHO I let their hair grow and only blanket when it gets EXTREMELY cold.


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## Duke's Momma (Mar 1, 2007)

We've never blanketed our horses ever. We do have fly hoods for them, though. We've know people that have blanketed their horses but they were for show and my understanding is that it keeps their coat slick and shiny. Buddy and Luke have nice shiney coats because the neighbors have really nice pastures and have the guys come over for dinner or breakfast so they don't have to mow.

Our boys get nice full winter coats and they have never been stabled. We have a small coral with shelter if they need it they go there or in the round pen we have a lean to.

They live here with us so we feed them everyday and check them out and such, but they are out 100% of the time. They know where to go to get out of the elements but funny - they love the snow and rolling in the mud, etc.

We also take their shoes off when it starts to get cold or do rubber inserts so the cold metal doesn't hurt their feet.


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## HovawartMom (Aug 10, 2006)

Never used a blanket,in my life when I had horses,in France.The horses had a shelter,in the field when they needed protection but that's all!.If it got really too cold(freezing temperature,we had them,in the stalls but that's it.
I think that the more you protect them,the more they need protection.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

See, I think that's the problem. For most of his life, Virgil was a show horse and was kept blanketed to protect his coat in the summer. In the winter, he was always clipped so needed to be rugged up to keep warm. Now he's retired and even though I spent 2 winters trying not to "coddle" him and only blanketing him when it was minus 20 C (-4 F), he was miserable and unhappy because he got used to being blanketed all the time. 

He's also not on a round bale anymore and has gotten pretty thin from the bugs chasing him this summer, so he's not going into the winter with any extra weight. Indoor board or staying in the arena at night isn't an option for him no matter what the weather so he's outside no matter what.

A mild winter day here is considered anything -10 degrees C (14F) or warmer. If it's sunny, he's usually not blanketed. If it's snowing, he gets a blanket and a rain sheet over top to prevent the blanket from getting wet. He doesn't get much of a winter coat and he's a bit spoiled now from so many years of being blanketed. He was just miserable without his blankets and now that's he's so much skinnier, I'm concerned about him not being "insulated" enough.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Here are pics.

This is a fat, happy, and shiny Virgil in the September of his first year of retirement. Going into winter, I didn't worry too much about blanketing him and he had a LOT of insulation.



This is Virgil a few months into his new home which only gives flakes of hay - no round bale.



I don't have any recent, naked pics of Virgil, but he's lost about 100-200 more lbs since the pic above and you can easily feel his ribs through a cotton sheet. He's not exactly plump for the winter...


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## Lennap (Jul 9, 2010)

I'm going to plead the fifith here - :wavey:


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## HovawartMom (Aug 10, 2006)

He will not grow a coat if he gets a blanket!.I would just,start,to take some layers off and tell him to toughen up!.A horse is not made of sugar and he will survive colder temperatures!.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

What's the average winter temperature where you are, golden&hovawart? I'm just curious...

Virgil had two winters where he was naked from September to April, unless it was colder than -20...he didn't grow much of a winter coat at all in either winter. I was hoping being cold would help get the extra fat off him but no luck.


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## HovawartMom (Aug 10, 2006)

In France,I would think,not as cold as where you are!.We are,an hr south of TOURS so it's considered mediterranean!.
http://0.tqn.com/d/gofrance/1/0/7/B/averagefarenheit.jpg


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Ah, I see! Lucky you!! That must be beautiful...

There was a stable a few minutes away from the one my guy is at now that had two older horses (17 and 18) pass away last winter from exposure. Apparently their shelter lifted up in the middle of the night and in the morning, the horses were found frozen. Poor souls. Hearing that has made me a little more paranoid, especially since my horse isn't on a round bale anymore.


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## Lennap (Jul 9, 2010)

UGH now you are going to get me started - I could never leave my guy out at night - would be too afraid of predators! My friend's horse was attacked the other night by a pack of coyotes!

She leaves all three out all night in the summer - and her alpha was protecting the "herd" and got mauled! I can only imagine it would be worse in the winter when there are fewer resources about.

G-d willing I will always be able to at least give my guy a clean stall with hay each and every night. Amen!


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## HovawartMom (Aug 10, 2006)

I love horses so can understand yr concern!.
Do what is best,for him and you!.
We had over the yrs:2 Anglo Arabs,2 Selle Francais & 2 French trotters.We,also,had a Barb,on which I learn to ride on!.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Ranger said:


> Virgil had two winters where he was naked from September to April, unless it was colder than -20...he didn't grow much of a winter coat at all in either winter. *I was hoping being cold would help get the extra fat off him but no luck.*


So he gained a nice layer of insulating fat or not? I always thought that you have problems when the horses don't gain as much weight. My horse's grandmother was like that and needed special care in winter. She was bone thin and they couldn't put any weight on her anymore. She was pushing 40 when she died though. 

Personally speaking, if the temperatures are below 25F, I would definitely put a heavy winter coat on your horse + liner. <- Only because a couple Christmases ago we bought a tree from a farm where the horses were kept outside. It was freezing out and there was that frozen drizzle, and as far as I could see the horses did not have any shelter and were ankle deep in mud. 

And they had blankets on. And were fieldies so were somewhat stout and furry. <- But I still felt horrible for them. They looked cold, wet, and miserable.  

*mentally hugs my spoiled old man just thinking about those guys*

In summer, I probably would leave the blankets off during the day and blanket him at night (if the temps drop below 35). If you have a gradual cooling period, it's best to allow as much moderate exposure as possible so they grow a coat and put on winter weight. So that's why we don't put a sheet on until late october and my barn keeps the blankets off until the temperatures drop below freezing at night.

*** If the coyotes or even wild dogs try breaking into the fields to get at the horses, they are going to get an unpleasant shocking surprise at the zap fence.  

Seriously though - the horses are safer out in the pasture where they can get away or fight for their lives. There was a horrible local story about a horse who had been mauled to death by a couple wild dogs who got into her stall. It's the one thing I worry about with my horse. The thought of something happening to him makes me sick.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Sorry Megora, I was a little unclear. From his retirement in 2006 until Summer 2009, he's been super fat (see first pic) and going into winters with lots of fat. He was _too_ heavy so I left blankets off, hoping he'd shiver away some of his excess fat. 

Last summer, he moved to a barn where they don't feed round bales and since he's gone to the square bales, has dropped about 200-400 lbs (which is great) and he's now going into his first winter since 2006 NOT being overweight. Which is why I'm more concerned for him this year. The winters previous, he was either naked most of the time, or had a single blanket on when it was super cold. I didn't worry too much because of the extra fat he had on him.

But now he's almost a little skinny (again, which is fine since the less weight he has on his sore leg the better). He's not a hard keeper and doesn't usually lose weight over the winter...so long as he's warm. Which is why I'm pulling out a bunch of blankets that haven't been used since he was actively ridden and shown.

*lennap - *it's weird that coyotes would go after healthy horses. We have them around here (one followed me and Ranger all the way to the barn one night) but they leave the full grown horses alone. I'd be worried about wolves, but we don't have them here either!


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Yeah coyotes around here don't go after anything their own size unless it is infirmed. I have seen them in our horse paddocks with our horses, just passing through. 

G&H has a point, they will toughen up... if you let them. Perhaps a lightweight waterproof garb through really cold weather. He will grow hair. He has shelter, water, hay that will keep him warm. I know we coddle these spoiled retired show guys, but they do adapt. 

The frozen horse sounds a little fishy to me... sorry. We had a snap where it was 40c below actual, stories of ears falling off outside animals but none got worse frost bite than that. Now I have heard of outside horses being struck by lightning.... 

Some horses are wimpier than others. Maybe Virgil is a momma's boy. Tell him to toughen up : Sayler was good as long as he had food. I think Pete would have been tougher to transfer to an outside horse. He liked his turn out time but....Are you sure he gets along ok with his pasture buddies? That was what we had issues with in Sayler. Serious issues. He dropped almost 200-300 pounds. I moved him and life was good, fattened right back up too.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Oh Virgil has definitely turned into a mama's boy. I'm his "person" and he starts nickering when he sees my truck driving along the road. Always greets me at the gate...

I guess the problem is - 40 isn't unusual here. It's -30 to -40 here for weeks at a time and that's before wind chill. Occasionally it'll drop to -45. And Virgil's just never grown hair, even the summers/falls that he was practically naked when I was trying to get him to grow a good winter coat so I wouldn't have to blanket him. 

This pic is the thickest winter coat he's grown:


and that was without blankets or sheets all summer and fall. (It was minus 25 that day, that's why he's had his blanket on). As you can tell by the clean blanket, he hadn't been wearing it yet that winter!!

Maxs Mom - honest to god. I was dating the vet that was called out to see the horses and he did the autopsies on them. Owners wanted to find out what happened to them...died from exposure.

Virgil is boss of his paddock mate and they get along really well. They eat from the same square bales almost all the time. Virgil dropped the weight this summer from the mosquitoes biting him - more than once I went out and he'd walked himself into a lather from walking away from them. He'd worn dirt trails in his paddock about 4 inches deep from walking his circuit all summer.

What did you do with your horse when you had the minus 40 snap?


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## Lennap (Jul 9, 2010)

I agree that it's weird that coyotes would attack a horse, especially when there are three in the paddock, but it was a pack - and the area has had a recent spurt of new buildings being built. Scares me to bits!

As far as the blankets - you do what you feel is best for your boy - as long as you are able to do it. However don't start what you can't finish either! If there is a risk that you can't be there for a week or two during the cold, and no one else has the time or patience for blanketing and Virgil hasn't grown any sort of coat - then he may be at greater risk!

My guy is such an overbred hot house rose that he doesn't get whooly in the winter either - so I totally understand your point. There is a woman in my barn who has a gypsy van, used to make total fun of me until she really took a good look in the winter - then she realized the poor guy would freeze to death. Us moms know our boys! Don't let others tell you any different! 

BTW Tux goes nuts the minute he hears my voice outside the barn -so I totally undertsand, not only is he a mush, but he is MY mush. while hhe is a total suck up to just about anyone for attention - he is still and will always be a momma's boy. One day he was down and refused to get up for anything. Everyone thought he was colicking and they called me. I had them put their phone to his ear - he got up at the sound of my voice. I beat a very hasty run out to the barn - that was the day we found he had shattered his spint bone - poor guy was just miserable in pain.

(FYI my B/F used to have mountain horses - they use them as dude ranch horses all summer, hunting horses all fall - and then release them to fend for themselves all winter - those that come back have a job the following summer - stupid horses! Now you know why I took the fifth!)


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## damita (Jun 4, 2009)

Our 5 horses spend pretty much all of their time outside in weather VERY similar to yours and we have never blanketed anyone unless they were ill. Occassionally when it is -40 and snowing hard we will put them in the unheated barn for a while to let them dry off or put them in for a couple hours during the day when the bugs are at their worst but that is about it. Our senior man (23) is ribby at the best of times even with supplements all winter - but all 5 of them do get fed pellets/grain and square bales all winter and he is the only one who doesn't get pudgy by spring.

Question but when was the last time he was wormed? Do you rotate you wormers? This is always our first question whenever we have a horse that is losing weight.


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## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

When I had my horse, he was outside year round with access to a stall (but not in a barn, more of a lean-to.) In MA, our winters get pretty cold (not as cold as yours), but he was sufficiently warm with his Rambo blanket.

This was his blanket: http://www.horseware.com/ss10 site/usa/forhorse/turnouts/rambo/original.asp


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## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

OT - I know that Goldens don't need a coat during winter, but I think this Rambo dog blanket is so cute!!!!

http://www.doversaddlery.com/product.asp?pn=X1-24234A&ids=486233071


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## Duke's Momma (Mar 1, 2007)

So, in the winter - to add an extra layer of fat (not that they need any lol) we feed corn to heat them up a bit. There was one winter I remember years ago when the horses noses would freeze shut and we stood there cupping our hands so they'd be breathing warm air. Poor babies.

I agree - because he's been pampered most of his life - just keep blanketing him. I'm not sure I understand the problem. Would someone else have to make sure that's done or would you do it? Let people say what they may. He's your guy and you know him best. So what if he's a momma's boy? You guys have been through alot together I'm sure. I love his face, btw.

Nothing like a horse for a very good friend I say. Unless it's a golden :

Here's dirty Buddy with our grandson who is now 15.


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Ranger said:


> Maxs Mom - honest to god. I was dating the vet that was called out to see the horses and he did the autopsies on them. Owners wanted to find out what happened to them...died from exposure.
> 
> 
> What did you do with your horse when you had the minus 40 snap?


For it to get "that" cold for us is unusual. The show horses stayed in their stalls, owners were not coming out, the pasture horses all came in and got turned out together in the indoor arena for additional shelter. None of our outdoor horses wear clothes. Most are ponies. 

Like someone else said, get a good Rambo rug, that with his hair he should be fine. Try not to put it on him until it gets to a certain temperature you pre determine. Being a chestnut, I understand the lack of growing hair gene....Thin skin too, I have to share a story with you some day. :doh: Less is more, if he is living out. He will be fine. 

That is horrible about the horses that died, did they NOT have wind shelters? Something is not right about that story. Someone was NOT paying attention. When I moved Sayler to my friends farm, she did not have a shelter for the horses BUT one side of her paddock was up against a deep pine tree woods. They still had weather protection if not a "shelter". She got the shelter up the following spring. The horses moved in during the winter. 

This has been a BAD year here for bugs, I don't ever remember it to be so bad.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Duke's Momma said:


> So, in the winter - to add an extra layer of fat (not that they need any lol) we feed corn to heat them up a bit. There was one winter I remember years ago when the horses noses would freeze shut and we stood there cupping our hands so they'd be breathing warm air. Poor babies.
> 
> I agree - because he's been pampered most of his life - just keep blanketing him. I'm not sure I understand the problem. Would someone else have to make sure that's done or would you do it? Let people say what they may. He's your guy and you know him best. So what if he's a momma's boy? You guys have been through alot together I'm sure. I love his face, btw.
> 
> ...


Love that pic! What a gorgeous deep chestnut! 

There's no real problem about blanketing him...I'm about to work part-time and moving closer to the barn so instead of 45 min, it'll now be 20 min which make blanketing easier. 

I was just surprised at all the backlash at the new barn! Everyone there thought I was crazy when I was lugging in all the winter blankets and asking me about them. I always thought it was normal since I came from a show barn and everyone there had at least 3 winter blankets for their horses! The two winters that I didn't blanket much (when we were still at the show barn) everyone thought I was being so mean. But Virgil was so heavy compared to the in-shape show horses that I thought a little cold weather wouldn't hurt him. 

Now he's thin again from the bugs so it's back to blankets to stay warm. My other thought is that once they start losing weight because they're cold, it's that much harder to get it back on them. Which is why I thought some preventative measures (ie putting on a thin blanket when it starts to get chilly) would help keep him warm and thus, keep the weight on.

I'm not sure who asked about worming but there's a set schedule at the barn and he was wormed just recently (and they do rotate). It's just the bugs bugging him constantly all summer. They haven't been this bad in years.

I was just wondering what everyone else did, in particular the people who board in similar winter climates. I wish I could get a Rambo rug! We don't have any suppliers around here, believe it or not! I was looking for the bug wug earlier this year and no one sells rambo products. Virgil's winter blankets are custom made with a ton of filling to keep out the cold. I am wanting a big blanket without a seam down the back and made of waterproof material so I can layer things a little better but that'll have to wait!

Maxs Mom - the horses had a wind break set up (if you see the second pic of Virgil, a similar one is in the background) but not a full three sided, roof shelter. Apparently it blew down in the night so the horses had no place to go to get out of the wind. The horses in the neighbouring paddocks were okay - their shelters had stayed up. I think up here at least, outdoor horses need the 3 sided shelters with a roof. The elements are too crazy for just wind breaks and we don't much trees, either.


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## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

Ranger said:


> I wish I could get a Rambo rug! We don't have any suppliers around here, believe it or not! I was looking for the bug wug earlier this year and no one sells rambo products.


Dover Saddlery sells Rambo products and I noticed yesterday when I was looking that they have this wug on sale, http://www.doversaddlery.com/product.asp?pn=LC-24079A

But I don't know how much shipping would be to you or if you even need another blanket, but just in case!


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## MillysMom (Nov 5, 2008)

Every horse I've had, including ones that lived out have had varying wardrobes. Some of them tolerated the cold fine, others not so much.

The staples for all of the horses included at least a heavy rug, a stable sheet, and/or a rain sheet. Some have been very sensitive to bugs, those have gotten hooded fly sheets. Others just wore a fly mask in the summer. And still others had to go out in a full fly sheet with neck and face mask if they got sunburned easily, or sun bleached. In the summer, I always leave out one light stable sheet in case it gets cold.

My last horse, a large pony, was in show condition most of the time I had him, but I'd occasionally give him a few months off to be a horse where he'd live outside full time and wouldn't be groomed until his vacation was over. He had quite the wardrobe:

Summer:

fly sheet and fly mask (actually not worn too often, bc he didn't mind the sun or the bugs.

scrim sheet - used while standing outside at horse shows and after a bath.

light summer stable sheet.

irish knit - only used if it wasn't hot.

Fall/Winter

Heavy turn out rug
waterproof turn out sheet
heavy stable blanket
medium stable blanket
stable sheet
a bra (one of the chest sleezy sleepwear things to prevent rubs)
wool cooler
irish knit
fleece cooler

I'd start blanketing him a bit early every year so I could body clip later on. Other ponies I've owned, even if in a sheet, had a full winter coat by the end of September, and needed to be body clipped 2-3 times a year. Those ponies had a lot fewer blankets, and were allowed to get furry. 

Some of my thoroughbreds have been fine with the winter and minimal blanketing, others were total wusses about everything, and no matter what could not adjust to turnout, especially when it was cold.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

I think it depends on the horse. We had a TB who had no fat, very fine coat and lost weight in the cold. He was blanketed heavily plus 2 warm liners.

I don't like to blanket. It compresses the hairs and can actually make them cold. Their fluffy coat holds air which helps insulate them. Plus Harry is a blanket eater, not just his own but Hershey's and Daz's too. We use no chew spray for fabrics on everybody's blanket. They have windbreaker/raincoats for the nasty days that are cold, wet and windy. If it gets super cold...nights below zero F and days in single digits (F) I add a blanket liner to Harry's raincoat. The other 2 have medium weight Rambos. One of the reasons I don't like to blanket is once they go on, it's hard to find a suitable day to take them off. I wait for a sunny day, little wind and temps in the 20s. We also park the horse trailer along the fence to give a windbreak from the west. If it's REALLY awful for a long time, I open up the barnyard which gives them shelter on the south and east side of the barn. I put them out at 8 a.m., they come into the barn at 5 p.m. every day. Never outside at night. They go out for a couple of hours even in the worst weather except for ice storms/freezing rain. They have no shelter outside from wind or sun, bugs or storms so I spend quite a lot of time letting them out or bringing them in. 

I called my carriage horse my "Ken" doll. I made him all kinds of blankets. Quarter sheets for winter riding and coolers that covered from head to tail. His quarter sheets were made from polar fleece and were 'themed'. Snowmen, santa bears, snowflakes for the holidays. U of M fleece for football season. I had 2 trunks that held just his clothes: fly sheets, stall sheets, raincoats, 3 winter blankets (light, med, heavy) trailer sheet, show sheet. A lot of them had coordinated color halters. 

I'd do the same for Harry if he didn't chew everything to bits.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

@Penny's Mom - my horse doesn't chew on his blankets, but he rolls every chance he gets. The blankets get torn and need mondo repairs every time there's a decent break in the cold weather. Any thaw, and the blanket comes off to get sewn up. o_I

I also replace the blankets every two years (which drives my barn lady nuts) because there's only so much you can patch up without it looking horrible. _And I like getting new colors for him every couple years_.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

Funny story about Harry. 3 horses, 3 blankets with detachable tail covers. Attached with 'sandwiched' velco. All 3 go out with their blankets on because it's snowing like crazy. Got 10 inches that day. Daz comes in without his tail cover. We KNOW it didn't fall off. I'm not going out and digging through all that snow; it will wait until spring. A month or so later I notice Hershey's blanket is missing his tail cover. Odd that Harry would mess with him, he's the boss. I could understand him chewing on Daz's butt but not Hershey's. 

AT THE SAME TIME, we know either Harry is pooping over the common wall between him and Hershey or Hersh is pooping over the wall. Don't know who but sometimes a couple of nuggets would be stuck between the bars so we KNOW it's going over the wall with poop on the floor on both sides. Late in spring, I'm in Harry's stall and DD says, "Mom, can you reach up and knock down that wasp nest?" I reach up with handle of the fork and the nest falls between the stall wall and steel barn wall. I look over the edge to see where it went and see this odd looking something. I reach down among the cobwebs and pull it out. It's a chewed up, dirty, dingy tail cover. So I guess Hershey backed his butt up to the wall to poop over it just once too often to suit Harry. That solved the mystery about who was pooping over the wall and who took off Hershey's tail cover. 

The funny part is that is all played out over 6 months or so. Little mysteries. The capper came one nice day in spring when the snow was mostly melted. As I was driving the tractor in from dumping manure, I see Harry with 'something' in his mouth. He's shaking his head up and down, side to side, having a grand time. I get off the tractor, walk over to him. Sure enough: he's having a good time with the tail cover off Daz' blanket. 

We'd come full circle on the tail cover saga. Can't help but laugh at his antics!!


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Finally got some pics of Virgil without his bug gear on - I talked to the barn owner and she thought he was getting a little too thin, too, so she'd been adding extra 

Here are some recent pics: 

It's hard to get pics when your horse is intent on following you all around the paddock and trying to get in your face.


His mane super long


A little ribby but I think he's close to perfect condition (besides a complete lack of muscle)


I love this pic


The horses' new shelter


Cookies?


Modelling his new blanket - a fleece lined rain sheet. (It was raining and just above freezing the day before when I put it on)


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## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

I use a water proof blanket on my horses if it is going to be less than 35° or less than 45° and wet at the very least. they have a 3 sided run in shelter and hay available 24/7. They mostly choose to stay outside in the weather and since it makes me uncomfortable I blanket them.

The increase in hay is the most important factor IMO. Not only could Virgil use a little more cushioning to take him into winter, digesting hay will keep him warmer too. I've used round bales and square bales and have definitely noticed it is harder to keep weight on them with square bales.

I live in the SE and it is fairly mild here - certainly when compared to your weather.
I'm never moving any further north.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

Fairly mild there means a lot of cold rain. Yes? When Harry came north at the end of March '08 (from Greensboro, NC) everyone felt sorry for him putting up with our cold, wet spring. I had a feeling though that it was a lot like a NC winter.

He adapted beautifully by the following winter.


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## Walker (Sep 5, 2010)

What a handsome guy!

I have two Quarter Horse geldings, one a twenty-seven-year-old who’s long retired from the show ring, and the other a five-year-old who will make his show ring debut next spring (I purchased him a bit too late this year and have had too many things happen to even think about showing -- the deaths of my Mom, my thirty-two-year-old mare, Bram, an aunt and an uncle, etc., etc.). Though we do have access to the barn in sever weather, they’ve never been in it, instead living 24/7 outside in a huge corral with a strong and sturdy shelter. Outside is far better for a horse’s lungs than inside. And on the whole, there’s also less chance of colic, too.

On to their clothing. 

Summer: Nothing, though they both have lightweight shipping blankets and shipping boots for… you guessed it… shipping. I bug spray them using a plush mitt, as required. 

Winter: Heavyweight, waterproof and breathable Orican Weatherbeeta Freestyle blankets. Love them! Those don’t go on until it gets down to around -20 C, since they need a chance to grow winter hair for added insulation. And although the blankets come with neck attachments, I don’t use them, being just one more thing my boys can get themselves hung up with. 

If your horse is used to being blanketed, then I'd say keep on doing it and to heck with what other people say. You know your guy best.

By the way, I sure hear you about the weather. I live in central Alberta, Canada! 

Is he UTD with dental? Just curious.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Hi Walker,

So sorry to hear about the passing of your mom and those close to you - that's awful and I hope you're doing okay.

Thanks so much for the compliment on Virgil - he's 15 this year and I've had him since he was 4. I hope he lives as long as your horses seem to be! Yep, he's up to date on his dental - he was getting done every year since he was 6 but missed last year (his first year ever) due to moving to a new place. He's never had a problem in his years and the vet actually recommended I just have him done once every two years - though I think that was more for the vet's benefit than Virgil's! Virgil will be getting a float in the spring.

I hear you on the hoods - I only use mine on the super cold days. The rest of the time, I'd rather throw another blanket on and leave the hood off. I'll keep blanketing Virgil as he seems happiest when he's comfortable and since his additional weight is no longer a concern, it's not a big deal if he has his blankets on. Before, I was trying to keep his weight down by letting him get cold in winter...didn't work!


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## Walker (Sep 5, 2010)

Thank you for the condolences. It sure hasn't been easy. Ah, but I suppose all anyone can do is keep going and hope things get better. That, and I'm already looking forward to 2011!

Virgil (I love that name!) is sure a handsome boy. Hopefully everything will go to what it should be once the bugs die out... if they die out that is, and aren't still flying around in the winter with little parkas. The way it's been so crazy with them this year, you never know.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

Quote: "if they die out that is, and aren't still flying around in the winter with little parkas. "

Walker, that hilarious. I can see them now with their little heads together over the LL Bug catalog! Or maybe the Mountain Horse catalog.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Hahahaha, me too! There's still some flying around here but I think most died out last week when it went below freezing. Stupid things. 

Aw, and thanks for the compliment on Virgil's name! He came with it, but I was able to make a very fitting show name for him out of it - On the Verge. That pretty much describes him to a "T"!


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Walker you have certainly had your share! You sound like me 20 years ago... .my condolences.

Ranger Virgil looks pretty good. Yeah a little thin but his coat looks really healthy. Lots of good hay should fatten him up nice for winter. He is a handsome boy.


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## LilTuffGirl (Sep 22, 2009)

I say do whatever makes YOU and YOUR horse happy  But letting him grow a coat will help him...

I had an arabian mare that I got when I was 10 (she was 8). Not the smartest move that my parents ever made.. lol but she did help me through my teenage years.. after all the broken bones she gave me....
When I was 14 we moved from Cali to Virginia and I refused to go without her  $1k later to move my $800 horse... lol I felt really bad for her since I know I was freezing from the temp change! I got a few blankets for her. I only had a light fleece like blanket before to keep the winter fur down (I showed at small shows) I had the full hood and everything! And I learned the dark colors were a BAD idea! I guess she noticed she was now pretty much invisable at night (she was grey) so i'd go out to feed her at night searching for trees to find my way to the barn in the dark and EVERY night i'd here the sounds of galloping hoofs right in front of me and coming at me. I started to just stand there and wait for it. The slide stop and the heavy snort in my face. lol 
She had so much personality! I loved that horse! 

BUT yea... I'm sure he'll learn to live with not having it (i'm sure rolling is much more enjoyable without a blanket). But i'd for sure keep one on him in cold weather! 
Just do what you wanna do!

I always had stall and pasture during the day for my horses. 
Now i have none


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

Finding horses in the dark. Haha! My carriage horse was the only one with white on his face. I called it his 'headlight' cause it made him the easiest to find in the dark.

The 3 we have now are all dark bays who turn nearly black with their winter coats. They're hard to find in the summer, especially when they go way out back and graze in the shadow of the tree line, but standout very well against the snow in winter.


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