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 Elite Veteran
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Location: White Mountains of AZ | How many of you blanket during the colder months? How cold does it have to get for you to start blanketing? Just at night? Daytime? |
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  Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
 
Location: ND | I have 3 older horses (22+) who I blanket over the winter, I don't start blanketing until it gets into the 30's at night. I also blanket some others if it's below 0 & stormy for more than a day or two. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | Do you blanket younger horses if it gets into the 30s? |
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | the ones we use get blankets but nothing else (young or old) and we get -30, -40 up here...........i gave mine a bit of time off, they will be coming in next week and stalled at night with the lights on and i keep blankets on inside and heavy turnouts on outside.....
m |
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 Expert
Posts: 2457
| SaraJean - 2014-12-10 2:19 PM I have 3 older horses (22+) who I blanket over the winter, I don't start blanketing until it gets into the 30's at night. I also blanket some others if it's below 0 & stormy for more than a day or two.
Ditto ^^ but also to add ... my two are in a pasture with only a minimal windbreak, so I keep them blanketed like Sara does her older horses. |
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Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
Location: ND | No, I don't. Other than the sr citizens nobody see's a blanket until it's below 0 & then it's only the group that doesn't have good shelter. Last winter I did blanket my foal, she was a fall baby born mid Sept, and we had a brutally cold winter. But other than that I've never blanketed my younsters. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | I blanket Bert because his hair is ridiculous and he enjoys wallowing in the mud and I can never get it all out of his hair. I should find a picture of him last winter and post it, you literally can't see his hair at all for the mud, and I usually have to scrape it out of his ears every day.
So back to the topic, he gets a blanket starting when the weather turns wet, I have a light weight sheet style water proof turnout for him that he can wear when it's wet but warmish and I have a heavier winter blanket that he wears once it gets below freezing. |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | SaraJean - 2014-12-10 5:55 PM
No, I don't. Other than the sr citizens nobody see's a blanket until it's below 0 & then it's only the group that doesn't have good shelter. Last winter I did blanket my foal, she was a fall baby born mid Sept, and we had a brutally cold winter. But other than that I've never blanketed my younsters.
Yeah.. but your horses are used to cold... like... when their butts itch, they scratch them on the nearest glacier..  |
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 Georgia Peach
Posts: 8338
Location: Georgia |
If it gets below 32, I typically blanket them. Mine are 9, 15, 19, and I have a weanling as well. Age isnt a factor. Its going to be 30 tonight so they will all have their blankets on. People can say all they want about horses not needing blankets...I say bull. If it was me out there, I would want to be covered up so I do the same for them. |
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 Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
| I do a lot of layering... when its gets to low 50s at night and its still show season ill put a sheet on at night. When it gets to the 40s ill start putting a sheet w/stable blanket underneath. When it gets 30s or below I put a midweight on. When it gets to below zero or single digits, I put the heavy weights on. |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | When I lived in the cold, we'd typically blanket below 40. If it's nice out though (sunny) we'd take blankets off during the day. I usually only blanketed the horse if I'm riding during the winter. My horse went 3 winters without a blanket when was away and he survived. In our climate, it was usually snowy, still, and anywhere from 10-30. Usually mid-20s. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 927
Location: Iowa | If I need a coat, so does he. |
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | memory - 2014-12-10 10:18 PM
If I need a coat, so does he.
He was born with a fur coat.. :/ |
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 Ace Ventura Pet Detective
Posts: 2411
Location: Wisconsin | The one I run has been blanketed for over a month. He is on break now, but im leaving to go south for a few weeks, and its such a change compared to here in Frozen Tundra (Wisc)...All my others are not blanketed, they all have nice lean to buildings, and are all brought in stalls at night |
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Too busy outside!
Posts: 5417
| komet. - 2014-12-10 5:12 PM SaraJean - 2014-12-10 5:55 PM No, I don't. Other than the sr citizens nobody see's a blanket until it's below 0 & then it's only the group that doesn't have good shelter. Last winter I did blanket my foal, she was a fall baby born mid Sept, and we had a brutally cold winter. But other than that I've never blanketed my younsters. Yeah.. but your horses are used to cold... like... when their butts itch, they scratch them on the nearest glacier..
Now that was funny right there!! |
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Too busy outside!
Posts: 5417
| When I lived in the northern states I hardly ever blanketed my horses. Now that I have moved south, the temp differences can be so radical that I have been blanketing at night. When it gets to 70+ degrees every day through the winter months, a winter coat doesn't serve a purpose- so I do whatever I can to keep their hair from growing! If I were still up north- I'd do whatever I could to get their hair to grow- |
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 Expert
Posts: 1273
Location: South Dakota | trickster j - 2014-12-11 12:22 AM When I lived in the northern states I hardly ever blanketed my horses. Now that I have moved south, the temp differences can be so radical that I have been blanketing at night. When it gets to 70+ degrees every day through the winter months, a winter coat doesn't serve a purpose- so I do whatever I can to keep their hair from growing! If I were still up north- I'd do whatever I could to get their hair to grow-
Always living in the north I never really thought about that before but that makes a lot of sense. I do have to laugh at my southern friends on facebook though when they talk about blanketing when it gets down into the 40's. Or that their dogs don't want to go out cause it's cold. This morning I was running late so as I was dropping my kids off at school I looked at the temperature on my car. It said 20 so I told my daughter it was warm out today so she could walk from where I drop my son off and I wouldn't have to go around to her school on the other side. Of course she's not my horse lol! |
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 Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | Coming from a show world... it's hard for me to not blanket. I only blanket the ones we ride. Broodies don't get blanketed. My coming 2 year old has worn it a couple nights just so it isn't a big deal. My boys get their's on at feeding time and pulled before I go to work unless it stays below 35 for the day, then they keep them on. It really helps with the length of hair and keeps in nice in the winter. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 639
Location: God's country...aka TEXAS | I don't like them hairing up, so mine are kept under lights- so therefore yes I blanket. Under 60 they get sheets. Under 50 they get blankets. Young or old, doesnt matter. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | I have a 6 yr old, a 12 yr old and 25+ year old. It's been getting down in the 20's at night then a thick heavy 40 degree fog during the day. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 667
| stayceem - 2014-12-10 6:31 PM
I do a lot of layering... when its gets to low 50s at night and its still show season ill put a sheet on at night. When it gets to the 40s ill start putting a sheet w/stable blanket underneath. When it gets 30s or below I put a midweight on. When it gets to below zero or single digits, I put the heavy weights on.
I do the same. People think I am crazy because all I do is change blankets all winter long.. and I am always checking the weather.
They are my babies and I dont like long hair. So there you have it :) |
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 Chasin my Dream
Posts: 13651
Location: Alberta | When the temperate gets in the 20's at night....only the horses being rode get them, rest nothin and we have a weanling and 24 year old who do fine even in -40 with shelter and hay. I have different blankets for the temp, today we r in the 30's so all blankets are off during the day. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | I've always seen people work their horses and while they are still damp, throw a blanket over them at nights....So they are wet with a blanket in 30 or - weather? |
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Expert
Posts: 2457
| QH<3er - 2014-12-11 1:25 PM I've always seen people work their horses and while they are still damp, throw a blanket over them at nights....So they are wet with a blanket in 30 or - weather? NOPE> That's a crap move to do to your horse, IMO.
I throw a cooler blanket on, allow 'em to dry, then throw the regular blanket back on.
I liken it to this ... If you go run your booty off 'til you're a sweaty mess, then just throw a sweatshirt on, then stand in the weather ... How will you feel? Cold as h3!!. But if you allow yourself to cool down and dry, then throw the sweatshirt on, and THEN go out in weather, you'll do alot better.
Edited by lindseylou2290 2014-12-11 1:31 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | That's what I was thinking! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 683
Location: Ohio | I have mare that was born and raised in Canada but cannot grow a winter coat to save her life and her filly is the same way so they both get different weight blankets when the temps drop under 40. If not they both drop weight and battle the shivers all winter (no matter how much hay is in front of them). I have 2 cow ponies that turn into woolly mammoths every winter so they only get blanketed sparingly (nasty wind chill or -0 temps). This year has been crazy with it raining all day and then getting in the 20's at night so they all get waterproof turnouts to keep dry.
People who blanket their horses when wet are just plain lazy. If you can't take the extra time to cool them out and get them dried off... don't work them! I also never understood putting sheets on horses in cooler temps, doesn't that just flatten their hair out where they can't keep body heat trapped (seriously, I'm curious)?  |
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Expert
Posts: 1477
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | I have two that doesn't grow winter coat so they get a thicker blanket but my other ones get the thinner ones that are just a little thicker than a sheet mostly just to help keep the wind off them. They all get sleezy's to keep there hair flat and pretty. It doesn't get very cold here so we don't usually take a show break during the winter.
Edited by TessBelle 2014-12-12 8:09 AM
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Expert
Posts: 1477
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | mruggles - 2014-12-10 2:43 PM
the ones we use get blankets but nothing else (young or old) and we get -30, -40 up here...........i gave mine a bit of time off, they will be coming in next week and stalled at night with the lights on and i keep blankets on inside and heavy turnouts on outside.....
m
Me and my horses would literally freeze to death if it got -30. If it hits 30 here that's freezing. We was in the mid and high 70s and 80s last week. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | TessBelle - 2014-12-12 6:12 AM
mruggles - 2014-12-10 2:43 PM
the ones we use get blankets but nothing else (young or old) and we get -30, -40 up here...........i gave mine a bit of time off, they will be coming in next week and stalled at night with the lights on and i keep blankets on inside and heavy turnouts on outside.....
m
Me and my horses would literally freeze to death if it got -30. If it hits 30 here that's freezing. We was in the mid and high 70s and 80s last week.
I wanna be where you are!!! 70's and 80's!! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 306
| I'm in Minnesota and I never use to blanket in the winter unless I was actively riding one. This year however I blanketed my two hard keepers, they are both appendix quarter horses and tend to drop weight. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | If the horses already have a decent winter coat, would you still blanket them? ( this is for anybody ) Or just when it gets 0 or - or that freezing wind? |
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 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | We have a 9 year old Appendix bred, a 14ish year old quarter horse and a 4 year old Appendix. The 9 and 14 year old have good winter coats. The 4 year old we got out of Phx, AZ; warm weather. He has zero winter coat. The 14 year old is a hard keeper. Everyone gets blanketed if its going to be under 32 degrees at night. Heavy blankets. They come off during the day unless its freezing rain or snowing.
I get to go into an insulated house with a roaring wood stove, and crawl into my bed with a heating blanket on. The least I can do is blanket my ponies. |
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Chasin my Dream
Posts: 13651
Location: Alberta | QH<3er - 2014-12-12 8:33 AM If the horses already have a decent winter coat, would you still blanket them? ( this is for anybody ) Or just when it gets 0 or - or that freezing wind? I'll bite......no I wouldnt blanket if they had a good coat and weren't showing any sign of stress (shivering, weight loss) when the temperature got really cold. If/when it does I'd rather have them with good shelter and a ton of hay then blanket(if I'd never blanketed them to that point)
Another point Ive discussed with people is giving a horse more grain (or grain at all) when it's colder, they utilize forage best to product energy to stay warm, grain takes energy to digest, which is energy they could better utilize to stay in warm....
Edited by dream_chaser 2014-12-12 10:01 AM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | dream_chaser - 2014-12-12 7:58 AM
QH<3er - 2014-12-12 8:33 AM If the horses already have a decent winter coat, would you still blanket them? ( this is for anybody ) Or just when it gets 0 or - or that freezing wind? I'll bite......no I wouldnt blanket if they had a good coat and weren't showing any sign of stress (shivering, weight loss) when the temperature got really cold. If/when it does I'd rather have them with good shelter and a ton of hay then blanket(if I'd never blanketed them to that point)
Another point Ive discussed with people is giving a horse more grain (or grain at all) when it's colder, they utilize forage best to product energy to stay warm, grain takes energy to digest, which is energy they could better utilize to stay in warm....
Ok... they get grain and hay and I've never seen them shiver/drop weight! Frost on them, yes ! |
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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| Runninbay - 2014-12-10 6:22 PM
If it gets below 32, I typically blanket them. Mine are 9, 15, 19, and I have a weanling as well. Age isnt a factor. Its going to be 30 tonight so they will all have their blankets on. People can say all they want about horses not needing blankets...I say bull. If it was me out there, I would want to be covered up so I do the same for them.
Exactly how I do it. Always checking the weather to see if im gonna be blanketing that night! |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | My 2 horses that live outside 24/7 don't get blanketed. They have shelters and get pretty fat and fluffy. The one that lives in a heated stall at night gets blanketed when he's outside during the day since he doesn't grow as good of a coat in that nice warm barn.
ETA-my oldest horse is 12 so age hasn't become a factor yet.
Edited by cavyrunsbarrels 2014-12-13 3:15 PM
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Blanketing Horses