|
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
 
Location: North Dakota | I manage a small boarding barn in ND and we are about to have some pretty cold weather here over the weekend, the forecast says its going to be -40 including the windchill. I know a lot of you don't get quite that cold but all areas of the country has their own variety of really cold temps for their climates. I'm wondering what all of you do when it gets extremely cold for what your horses are used to.. Do you require blankets on outdoor boarded horses? Let them into an indoor space?
The barn I manage has auto heated water, 24/7 hay, and 3 sided shelters. We only have 2-3 horses per pen and the shelter can fit all horses in each pen. So the horses can get out of the elements but -40 is cold..I feel bad for some of the horses that owners don't have blankets for them.
Normally in years past we allow people to put outdoor horses in stalls or let them have the arena during the night during these extreme temps. They get those options but they are suppose to be responsible for cleaning the stall or arena. In the past I have gotten screwed on this deal thou. I end up being the one cleaning the poop up in the arena(because I want to ride or it takes them weeks to do it) or cleaning stalls for all these people because "something came up", "they can't make it out".. blah blah blah. I offered the arena to the outdoor boarders for this weekend and about half want to do it and half don't. Well that makes things more difficult. I was planning to go with majority rules and then everyone follows along. Does anyone else offer this type of service during extreme cold in your areas or am I being too nice and just need stick to outdoor board is outdoor board.
Ideas/advice/opinions from barn owners or managers would be great! |
|
| |
|
I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
 
| If they don't clean up after themselves , charge a fee/fine. If you think the cold is too much then tell the owners ALL the horses are going to be inside for their health and safety. I am so done with ignorance. Sorry, vent over. Bless your heart for caring!  |
|
| |
|
The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
 
| I live in Alberta so we have bad winters.
The horses I am not riding during the winter including my weanlings are not blanketed, nor are they kept inside. They are all fat and healthy.
They have trees, but never take shelter in them
I honestly would let the outdoor boarders stay outside, they have windbreaks and shelters, they will be fine |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 2531
Location: WI | Where I board, the owner has let me use a stall when it gets cold - same temps you are talking. This year there are a lot more boarders, though so I certainly don't expect it. Nor does she have the room. Mine is blanketed, but they will be fine outside. |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | I live where it gets extremely cold and if the horses have constant hay, and water they typically don't mind. I froze my butt off more then they did with all the check I did to make sure they were okay.
What you can offer is an occasional indoor option. For $x dollars per month extra your horse can come in a maximum of X times per month due to cold weather, shows, health related issues, or because you rode and the horse is too damp to put back out. Lots of clients tend to like this option because it's cheaper then full indoor but it helps on these cold days or for those occasional days that they horse needs to stay in.
This way you are paid for your time for cleaning out stalls/arena and your clients are happy to have this service. |
|
| |
|
Location: Not Where I Want to Be | GLP - 2016-01-14 11:10 PM
If they don't clean up after themselves , charge a fee/fine. If you think the cold is too much then tell the owners ALL the horses are going to be inside for their health and safety. I am so done with ignorance. Sorry, vent over. Bless your heart for caring!
bingo
money motivates folks
|
|
| |
|
 Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
| We are looking at -20s (-30s with wind) and we had some temps like that last weekend. My horse stays out and has roundbale, shelter and he stays out. He is blanketed already but I do add a layer for these frigid temps. However, we have a good 8 or so other horses who dont wear blankets and stay out all night with their hay and auto waterers. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
Location: North Dakota | Thank you everyone. I think for next winter we will be changing things up a bit. I would prefer for all the outside horses just to have blankets for these cold nights so they are comfortable enough to go eat on the bale and get water and have outside horses stay outside. It just gets too confusing with all these different people, some wanting horses to be inside and some not, because I don't want some horses in and some out. The owners of the barn never had exact rules about all of this so I never really felt the need either but that is going to have to change. |
|
| |
|
 Toastest with the Mostest
Posts: 5712
Location: That part of Texas | MidWest1452 - 2016-01-15 9:06 AM Thank you everyone. I think for next winter we will be changing things up a bit. I would prefer for all the outside horses just to have blankets for these cold nights so they are comfortable enough to go eat on the bale and get water and have outside horses stay outside. It just gets too confusing with all these different people, some wanting horses to be inside and some not, because I don't want some horses in and some out. The owners of the barn never had exact rules about all of this so I never really felt the need either but that is going to have to change.
If it was me, I would opt instead just to tell everybody that outside horses may be moved inside depending on weather and your discretion. If you can't get them to show up on time to clean up poop, are you sure that they are going to show up to blanket horses, take them off when needed and be around in case a horse destroys one that needs to be replaced? You'd spend more time messing with everybody's horses than if you had just moved them inside and possibly charge a $5 fee each month in the winter for waste removal when it happens. Putting that type of responsibility/power on the shoulders of so many different people (some more/less responsible than others) is a sure-fire way to create more stress for you. Keep control in your corner and that way, you know what's going to be done, when it's going to be done and how you will recoup your time/energy/caring. |
|
| |
|
The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Read the published papers on blanketing. It is a double edged sword, as once you blanket, you must continue to blanket all winter.
Blankets remove the oils, flatten the hair so they have no insulation.
Horses without blankets are fuzzy for a reason, this is their insulation |
|
| |
Folks on-line