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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 683
  
Location: Ohio | I live in southern Ohio, our lows usually only get in the single digits or barely below -0. Starting Thursday we will be hit with -1 temps and -18 windchill, Friday we will have -11 temps and -23 windchill and then back up to 38 by Saturday afternoon. My horses are not used to this weather by any means, two are seniors who are both in good condition and stay blanketed under 35 but I torn between stalling them up with free choice hay v/s turnout with free choice hay. I hate to take their ability to move around away when its so cold but at the same time the wind outside will be brutal. I'm torn and its stressing me out! lol
How do you guys handle temps that are well below normal? How do you weigh the odds of stalling v/s turnout? All I can think to do is layer blankets, lots of warm beat pulp, adding lots of warm water to their water buckets to keep them drinking and keep a close eye on them... any tips or ideas on what to do would be appreciated. |
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
 
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | they will be fine if you leave them outside............
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 Maine-iac
Posts: 3334
Location: Got Lobsta? | We have had it hard here. It was -24 yesterday morning - we have had -35 windchills. When its very windy I keep mine inside as the wind cuts right through their blankets. Their eye lashes turn frosty with frosted up muzzles. Mine are 2, 13, 25, and 31. This morning it was -9 they are outside as it is sunny with about 15mph winds. Keep water clear, free of ice so check often, and lots of hay and they should be fine. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2489
Location: somewhere up north | We live in MN and deal with this a lot. If you can bring them in then I would. Right now if it's going to be below zero with windchill then we bring ours in. Give them plenty of hay and water and they do just fine. They all have good winter coats. Otherwise our horses prefer to be outside and they have shelter and all the hay and water they want. A blanket will definitely help with the older ones. They deal with it a lot better than we do! I think ours do better in winter than the heat. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 683
Location: Ohio | Thanks everyone... I feel better with everyone's input and will bring them in. I also forgot to mention that most if my pasture is open hillside with no wind break except their turnout shelter so it gets brutal when the wind kicks up. Ugh, I will be so happy to see spring... heck I would just be happy to get back to 30 degrees! lol How do you guys do it when this type of weather is the norm? You need a metal! |
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 Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | I normally boot mine out no matter the temps, but tonight we are in the negative also with negative windchills all tomorrow. They will be inside with blankets on all day. I know they may be mad at me, but I'd rather have them in than out in that nightmare wind. |
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| Mine are out in it right now. It's 9 with a windchill of -11. Wind is blowing around 20 mph. No blankets, but they do have a barn and lean-to that they can get under that blocks the wind. They don't use it most of the time.
Tonight they will be in their stalls. Because it's supposed to be -7 and windy and we are under a windchill advisory for windchills down into the -30s. They won't be blanketed, just lots of hay and heated water buckets. |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | That's a pretty average winter here. Do your horses have a shelter/windbreak in the pasture? If so then I'd turn them out and maybe just bring them in at night. Horses are pretty resilient. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | I am up in MIchigan. Mine are all blanketed and I have shelter in one of the 2 pens. They are in all night and getting kicked out at 6 am each day. Friday morning we are supposed to be -20 with a windchill of -35. I will probably leave mine in for the day on friday or I will go in late to work and wait until at least the sun is up to put them out. The wind is always were my worry is. Monday morning we were -26. I waited til the sun came up and they were happy to go outside and eat. But the wind was not adding to the cold weather much on Monday. Friday morning is going to be different. |
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 IMA No Hair Style Gal
Posts: 2594
| Mine will be kept in for multiple reasons. If they are out they have no choice of shelter, my good horse has a full set of shoes and just bounced back from a soft tissue injury, the snow balls in his feet are not worth the risk of having to deal with more soft tissue damage, I can monitor water intake and rest easy that my crazy neighbor who was charged with 49 dead horses isn't going to mess with them because where I live the county can't hold him accountable. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 683
Location: Ohio | I brought them in last night and kicked them back out early this morning. I will be doing the same tonight. Finally warming up Saturday and Sunday but it looks like it will be all freezing rain and snow all day so I will be getting the evil eye when they are in their stalls... This weather is just down right depressing! lol  |
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 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3314
Location: Jersey Girl | My horses are out 24/7 but have a nice run-in to get into if they so choose. They also have a round bale. We have been having some pretty cold temps here too and they have been fine. I am in NJ. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 964
Location: Alberta, Canada | Granted I live in the far north country Alberta Canada (northern part to boot) but I do have a couple American running bred residence that don't handle to chill quite as well as those who were born here. Those two come into the barn at night. It's not heated but it gives them a break from the wind and I keep them in rugs when it's cold. Outside I blanket with heaveyweight winters and neck pieces if it gets below -25 celcius. at -30 or lower I do a walk through the herd and anything that's got a bit of shiver gets a blanket. The first cold snap I usually have almost everything blanketed. By the last, even the american mares don't need heavyweights ;) I'm one of those "if I'm cold, they must be" tho. |
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 Texas Taco
Posts: 7499
Location: Bandera, TX | How do you survive this?? I get depressed when it's in the 40ties for a few days without sunshine. My hat's off to you all. Stay warm!!! Brrrrrr!!!!! |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | I double blanket with hoods and ear covers and leave them out if it is dry. If it is raining or precip or snowing I stall them with their outerwear on. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 964
Location: Alberta, Canada | Hahah, contrary to popular belief, most of our winter isn't much different than yours. We get cold spells that will last a few days and then we go back up... we just get more cold spells than you guys :) almost harder on the poor horses because they don't know what to expect lol. |
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