I live in SCA where the low temperatures in the Winter times generally do not drop below 40 degree F. I do not recall it going down to less than 32 degrees though a few years ago, there seemed to be some ice on the roof tops for a day.
I have a 5 year old healthy mare who develops thick hair in the Winter. I generally do NOT wish to do unnatural things and think in SCA, at least where I live, blanketing horses is perhaps for the owners and not so much for the horse (though there are exceptions like the age or perhaps super clipped horse). I have not increased her feed and she is on straight Bermuda grass (per Equine Nutritionist)- 20 lbs a day, with morning mixed SCA supplements() to complete what our local Bermuda farms lack nutritionally, Bermuda/alfalfa pellets(a cup), and 1 cup of Beet Pulp. This is her regular intake regardless of the season. I visit her at night too and she does not seem to be cold but last night 'steam' was coming out of her mouth (similar to what happens when it is too cold for us and when breathing through the mouth, you can see 'steam' )
Should I blanket my horse if the temperatures drop a certain level? If so, what temperature is that? Should I not worry about increasing the feed since these temperature ranges are supposedly not even cold to horses?
Thank you so much:-)
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Horse Care and Comfort
Blanket or not to blanket?
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If your horse has a good thick winter coat, she can manage without a blanket, especially in S. California. Horses in Montana go all winter without blankets and their winters are far more severe. As long as your girl is dry, not showing signs of shivering, and has proper rations, she should be fine. We just had an Arctic blast here in central Oregon, where the nighttime temps got down into the 20's. My horse did just fine without a blanket, although I was careful to ensure she was thoroughly dry and had shelter. The horse's coat helps the horse retain heat by being fluffy, so if the hair is matted down by moisture or mud, it doesn't work as efficiently.
I would say to heck with a blanket! I live in Vermont, where the temps regularly go below 0 in the winter, and I never blanket my horse. Actually, unless it's wicked cold and windy, he doesn't even go in at night. I mean, he has the option, but he prefers to be outside. And if you think about it, horses lose their heat from their bellies and loins, where the blanket doesn't really go anyway. I wouldn't worry about it, especially if the temps only get down to the 40s! Besides, without the blanket, the horse gets so fluffy and cuddly! :)
I wouldn't worry too much about a blanket if the weather is dry and have enough to eat. Feeding extra hay is the best way to keep horses warm as they produce energy when eating (straw - not energy feed!)
Blankets in climates like yours is more to keep them dry or free from flies. Or to whicker (sp?) away sweat after hard work.
Horses also have a very different perception of what's "cold" than we do. Their coats will create a warm layer of air between their skin and the outer air. If they are dry and it isn't so windy that the warm air blows away, they won't feel cold until a bit below the freezing point (32F = zero centigrades).
I live in Northern Maine (as in 20 minutes from the Canadian border) and at least a couple times per winter, we get around -40˚F. We don't blanket our horses, and they don't get cold. The only time they do get cold is if they get wet. (The main reason we will let them in the barn is because of the major wind or if they are shivering!) Our horses are very easy keepers and live on hay and water during the winter, and grass and water during the summer. So really, your horse doesn't really need a blanket... :)
I live in Pembrokeshire, UK and in the grip of snow.
I have a six year old cob mare (which we have recetly brought), that has never been rugged. She is still not rugged and is warm as toast. She has a bucket with a scoop of low heating food (as we have not starting riding at the moment), mixed with sugar beet as well as dry grass. Where as my 26 yr old highland cross dales is rugged as we do not want him to loss condition. He does gets a veterian mix, with a fibre food and sugar beet.
We plan to contiune to not rug the mare as long as she stays warm.
I live in Canada where we regularly get -30C in the winter. Just as for people, different horses get cold more or less easily depending on breed, age, condition and individual ruggedness. The thing is "how do you tell?", right? One fact you can go by is that horses, like any other mammals, compensate for cold by increasing their metabolism, which means they have to burn more energy to stay warm. Their energy requirements start going up for every degree under 0C (32F). Like somebody else mentioned, eating HAY is how they produce warmth. It's like a little furnace. So you should definitely increase hay way before you increase grain (you can also increase grain to increase their body fat which also contributes to keeping them warm to a certain extent).
When trying to decide whether your horse is cold or not try to answer these questions:
-where is your horse standing? Is she hiding in the shelter or in the middle of the field?
-is the horse excited and running around for no apparent reason? Cold horses will somteimes get excited and restless.
-is the horse hair spiked or his back like he's got goose bumps? If he's got to puff his coat to stay warm, he might be cold.
-has he been loosing weight? A horse loosing weight with the cold means they are cold and compensating for it.
Well hell I live in Houston Texas and I blanket all my horses because my vet said they use 4 times the amount of calories just staying warm any temp below 40 so I look at it like I'm saving money and body clipping time! My mare actually loves to be blanketed, she nudges it with her nose when it's cold hahaha :)
4 times the amount of calories, sounds too much to me, but it's true that the rate increase exponentially once the temp drops close to the freezing point. (Have to check up on that info.)
Then again, horses used to Texan weather will of course differ from those in Canada - or Sweden. ;)
I think too many owners don't realize that sometimes just throwing a blanket on a horse and not monitoring things actually makes the horse COLDER than if they left them alone. If the hair under the rug gets matted down and the horse gets any wetness underneath he/she can actually suffer more, not less.
Wherever we live, we need to at least check our horses every day, not just when we want to ride them...
Thank you everyone for your input. My conclusion from this forum, other ones and my research along with a touch of 'common sense' is that for my area, with the temperature not falling below 35 degrees and certainly not below 32, given that my horse grows winter coat, if there is no rain, I will not blanket for sure. If it rains, given that she has a shelter over her head and with no wind, I still wont blanket. I am prepared to blanket her if it gets super windy and WET which has not occurred. I do have a nice sheet to put on her if need be though. As for changing her feed, I have not done that either because it seems that she is comfortable with the weather range here. I do give her a scoop of hay if it seems to be a bit cold (that is more for my comfort than hers it seems) at night to increase her body temperature. She sure does not seem to be distressed with the weather change here. My final conclusion is that blanketing horses in my area seems to be providing comfort for the owners' minds than the horses'! :-) and will do more damage to good for the SCA weather range. Thank you again.
Hi everyone - I know this is an old post but I wanted to share my experience of not rugging my horses over winter. I live in the South Island of New Zealand where we have cold dry winters - we live in a ski resort, although we are below the snow level down in the valley. My two geldings (anglo-arab crossbred and standardbred, who has just been sold) lived out all year in a four acre paddock with purpose built shelters. They have only grass in summer and grass and meadow hay in winter, with a little bit of oaten chaff and oil in the evenings. After a lot of research and debating with myself I decided to let them go rugless over winter. Temperatures here range from a low of about -10C (14F) at night to a high of 10C(50F) during the day, we get very little rainfall and days are for the most part sunny and clear. I would like to report that both boys have come through winter in fabulous condition, they look great and the picture of health. I did have a few sleepless nights worrying whether I was doing the right thing, but now I am convinced that naked horses are happy and healthy horses! Some mornings they had frost in their manes and tiny icicles on their whiskers, and I made sure to go out and check them late evening and early morning to ensure they had plenty of hay, were not shivering and that the water trough was not iced up. This may not work for all horses, as the local climate needs to be taken into account and wet and windy weather and mud can be difficult to deal with, and old/sick horses may not be able to keep themselves warm in the same way. My neighbours think I am utterly nuts but I have come to the conclusion that horses should be kept in as natural a way as possible for both physical and mental wellbeing.
Hi! I live in South Africa (Gauteng) and i have a healthy 5yr old TB mare. The temperatures drop below freezing(0C) @ night but the days are not so bad. i feed her 4kg of 12% maize free pellets(for i cannot handle a highly strung horse) and 2 nets filled with hay. i would definitely not blanket my horse if she were not such a thin skinned horse. i believe that the 3 hotblooded horses(Arab,Thoroughbred, Saddler) do need blankets in the Winter nights. However, i also believe a horse can adapt to any weather and if you wish for it to stay outside you should start from the beginning so it can grow a winter coat. On the contrary, If you wish to show your pony then i suggest a blanket for i think a horse looks prettier with a shorter coat(the judges may also prefer the look) Happy Riding:)
Hi! I live in South Africa (Gauteng) and i have a healthy 5yr old TB mare. The temperatures drop below freezing(0C) @ night but the days are not so bad. i feed her 4kg of 12% maize free pellets(for i cannot handle a highly strung horse) and 2 nets filled with hay. i would definitely not blanket my horse if she were not such a thin skinned horse. i believe that the 3 hotblooded horses(Arab,Thoroughbred, Saddler) do need blankets in the Winter nights. However, i also believe a horse can adapt to any weather and if you wish for it to stay outside you should start from the beginning so it can grow a winter coat. On the contrary, If you wish to show your pony then i suggest a blanket for i think a horse looks prettier with a shorter coat(the judges may also prefer the look) Happy Riding:)
Hi! I live in South Africa (Gauteng) and i have a healthy 5yr old TB mare. The temperatures drop below freezing(0C) @ night but the days are not so bad. i feed her 4kg of 12% maize free pellets(for i cannot handle a highly strung horse) and 2 nets filled with hay. i would definitely not blanket my horse if she were not such a thin skinned horse. i believe that the 3 hotblooded horses(Arab,Thoroughbred, Saddler) do need blankets in the Winter nights. However, i also believe a horse can adapt to any weather and if you wish for it to stay outside you should start from the beginning so it can grow a winter coat. On the contrary, If you wish to show your pony then i suggest a blanket for i think a horse looks prettier with a shorter coat(the judges may also prefer the look) Happy Riding:)
Hi! I live in South Africa (Gauteng) and i have a healthy 5yr old TB mare. The temperatures drop below freezing(0C) @ night but the days are not so bad. i feed her 4kg of 12% maize free pellets(for i cannot handle a highly strung horse) and 2 nets filled with hay. i would definitely not blanket my horse if she were not such a thin skinned horse. i believe that the 3 hotblooded horses(Arab,Thoroughbred, Saddler) do need blankets in the Winter nights. However, i also believe a horse can adapt to any weather and if you wish for it to stay outside you should start from the beginning so it can grow a winter coat. On the contrary, If you wish to show your pony then i suggest a blanket for i think a horse looks prettier with a shorter coat(the judges may also prefer the look) Happy Riding:)
When growing up on the family property in northern NSW (frosts and mostly sunny days in winter) we didn't use rugs/blankets for any of our horses but these days in Melbourne (mostly wet days during winter with bitterly cold southerly winds) I do rug all of mine as most of them do not have a shelter shed. I think most of them would be fine without rugs but I hate to see them shivering and cold especially when they have little shelter. I even rug my shetland and I know he doesn't need it! I think it does depend on the breed of the horse somewhat, what it has been used to in the past and of course the climate. Nicky, my thorougbred definitely needs rugging as she has very fine hair which doesn't grow very thick while all the others (quarter horses and a warmblood) would probably adjust over time. Just suits me to rug them. I am more relaxed knowing they are warm and dry.
Horses generally do better when it is cold and dry rather than cold and wet. As you say Maggie, it does depend a lot on the breed and the local conditions. Arabs were bred in the desert so do not mind extremes of hot and cold, but they can sometimes suffer in the wet. In the UK I had a Fell pony and she had a thick, heavy coat which even the soaking rain could not penetrate - it would have been cruel to rug her as she would have overheated. Fells are bred in the English Lake District which is one of the wettest parts of the UK and they live out all year in semi feral herds. But every horse is different and there is no one size fits all solution. I think it's up to the individual owner to do what's best for the horse, and in some cases if that means using a rug then that's fine. I know of thoroughbreds that were quite happy unrugged, and others that would stand at the gate shivering at the first sign of rain. I do feel though, that some people over rug their horses without realising it, and overheating can be just as bad as being cold. Rugging up horses to keep their coats artificially short just to please the show judges is not something I personally would be comfortable with, even if it does make them look prettier - but that's just my opinion.
I agree Emlaw. I know some people use two or three rugs on their horses here in Melbourne. I just settle for the relatively light and relatively cheap standard winter Saxon rug. I use combos these days as these rugs are light enough not to damage their mains - not meaning to give an ad for Saxon! I buy mine at the end of the season when they are on sale.
Hi Horselover! your FIRST rule is: enough HAY - you will find a good schedule of MJ and crude protein intake in a scale depending on lower temperature on the internet.
Horses cote is their insulation - the toughest weather is heavy rain and wind and no shelter - horses stand still to keep warm.
A normal senario is you are coming home and nobody told you about the weather and you see your horses standing there with their tail to the heavy wind and rein - as soon as you start to move the horses to get them inside they start to tremble - this is the muscles trying to keep them warm.
I live in the south of Sweden and "down here" the air is pretty humid compared to the north of sweden - our horses need blankets much more due to the flat landscape and wind/rein at the same time.
Last winter we had a beautiful winter! 1-2 meters of snow and -17°C - not much wind and even our retired racehorses and the old guys (+23 and up) loved the weather and did not need any blankets! They even slept outside many nights in the snow - like insulation!
Do put some extra bucks in the blankets - they are on a lot of hours!
Warmest Ann Lindberg
I have a question. When coming home and to the stables and it is raining and cold should I blanket my horse at that time. Often in the winter the forecastcast is not correct and I come home to a wet and unhappy horse. Blanket a wet horse or not. Thank you
If you must blanket your wet horse, you can get breathable ones that wick away the moisture. But firstly you need to dry them off as much as possible with towels. If very cold and the horse is being turned out for the night you could also put on a cooler rug under the main rug, but be sure to take it off in the morning to prevent overheating during the day. If the horse is to be stabled a good cooler rug may be all that's required overnight. Ann - your point about plenty of hay is a good one. Horses keep warm by constant eating, it creates heat in the horses body and is the best way of preventing them feeing the cold. If feeding dry hay it is also imperative that clean unfrozen water is always available as they will also drink a lot.
Good point emlaw - our horses have water 24-7 even if it is below freezing!
Surely Age,Climate & BREED/Type play a large part as to wether to rug or not. Arabs, Thourghbreds & Warmbloods Versa Welsh Cobs, Mountain & Morelands etc
This makes sense to me horsepower - I know my eldest horse and my thoroughbred need to be rugged more warmly than my warmblood and quarter horses and my shetland really does not need to be rugged at all.
Kathy
1. What do you mean by "with a little grease"? Is there something I should be putting our horses coats? I do groom them every day.
2. Our neighbor's Arab is a mild boy and will not go in the shelter, due to fear, I believe. We are getting another shelter made so the horses have two places to go to keep out of the snow and cold. How do we train our neighbor's Arab to use the shelter and not be afraid to go in?
Thank you!
Kathy
1. I can't answer for Jo of course, but I think she meant the grease that is naturally in the horse's coat. The sebaceous glands provide this for every hair. The more we brush, the less grease will remain in the coat. It works like an oil skin jacket against rain. Normally, a horse won't get wet down to the skin. The skin also have tiny muscles that can raise the hairs when it gets cold out, so there will always be a warm air pocket closest to it - unless a heavy blanket (or saddle/rider) press them down. Or sweat or heavy wind coupled with rain (or a thorough hosing down).
2. Horses are claustrophobic by nature - not all of them will see the advantage of a shelter, esp if other horses tend to hog it, or there aren't wide enough openings. Some horses find enough shelter by standing on the lee side and then again, some feel just fine without it.
But, if you think he does want to go inside, building a second one is a great start.
Putting feed in there and make sure the arab gets a chance to get to it undisturbed/unchallenged, he might get over his reluctance. Mind you, that means more cleaning out of the sheds - but I guess that goes without saying. ;)
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I remember dandy brushes being stiff & hard - to remove mud & grit. Nowadays, dandy brushes are soft - I believe to accommodate the sensitive skinned horses that disliked the old style brushes being used with too much enthusiasm. But these soft bristles remove grease, just like a body brush does. I tried something different, a scrubbing brush. Short, stiff bristles which my guys really enjoy - a real good scratching experience. I don't tie up to groom & they stay because they like it. Plus, doubles as a water brush! Winner, winner.
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Monty Roberts faced significant criticism because he did things differently, to the benefit of the horses. My point is this, just because it's the done thing doesn't mean it's necessarily the right thing for you & your horse. Don't just 'go with the flow'. Think independently. Remember, Monty says horses without humans don't have behaviour issues, we cause them. Perhaps if we tried to let our horses have a more natural life they'd have less issues? Compromise brings benefits to all parties. Cheers, Jo.