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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 599
 
| I’ve never blanketed because I know it’s a huge commitment - but I plan on riding a lot this winter and think it might be a good idea to start.
I live in North Georgia so temps aren’t terribly cold. We get below freezing overnight but during the day it warms up a bit. They’re turned out during the day and stalled in a draft free barn overnight.
IF I decide to blanket, what needs to be done? How often do blankets need to be removed for grooming and checking weights and for rubs?
How do I know what weight of blanket is needed? How many should I have on hand in case blankets get wet or torn?
I’m wanting to hear all aspects to determine if it’s worth it or not.
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 Expert
Posts: 1304
 
| Bumping because I'm curious too! |
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  Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4553
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | since your in a warmer climate a lighter fill is more suitable. if you are turning out in the weather then you will need a waterproof turn out versus a winter stable for horses that never leave the barn. the correct size shouldnt leave rubbing. I prefer closed blankets cause they fit better across the chest,but if used as turnout they do get muddy and wet and kind of a pain to take off over the head. since I dont have an arena or barn the blanket stays on. I un do back straps to check back and ribs to make sure everyone is getting their fill. leave on or take off as you feel necessary, to cold leave on ,to warm take off. I have only needed one blanket per horse all winter. If your horse is a houdini, dirty,and have access to barbwire and such you may need 30 blankets per month to keep him warm.  |
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 Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12704
| I'm in Virginia, which is too warm for heavy weight (except in a freak blizzard, 2 in 18 years since I've had my farm). My show horses will get a rain proof sheet when it starts getting to freezing overnight, then the mid-weight will replace that sometime in December when the lows drop to 20 and the highs will be under 55 for the day. Even northwest of Atlanta in the hills I would think a light weight blanket or rain sheet would suffice for all except the coldest times. Mid-weight is too much for temps over 50 to 55. I try to have a spare or two for destruction over the winter, but these days you can always find an available blanket online and delivered within a day or two. |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| Since you live in ga maybe get a breathable lightweight blanket. So if the temp.changes to the warm the horse will not.swest to bad. I had one and they wouldnot sweat at 65 degrees. The blanket costs more but its worth it in the
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 BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25351
Location: Bastrop, Texas | You don’t need a dam blanket in Georgia. |
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 Living on the edge of common sense
Posts: 24138
Location: Carpenter, WY | Bear - 2018-09-09 7:55 AM You don’t need a dam blanket in Georgia.
LOL...I've got to agree. I'm in WY and the only thing that gets a blanket here is the old mare and only when it gets below 0. Most of them just get dense coats and not long coats on them
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
Location: North Dakota | Are you trying to blanket to avoid the excess hair in winter? If so that won't help you. You need to put lights up to increase the daylight starting like 3 weeks ago to keep that excess winter hair away. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 403
Location: Armuchee, GA, NW section of Ga | I too live in Georgia, up in the NW section. Closer to Chattanooga. I have 6 horses, a nice barn which has over stalls radiant heaters over each stall. 5 of my horses are old, three have health issues and are really not rideable. But as a reponsible owner, I will not sell because I do not know that a new owner would care for them like I do. I bred them, I raised them, so until it is time to put down I will keep them. But In our section of Ga, it really doesnt get cold enough to blanket until mid/late January. Then I do blanket, light weight, water proof blankets. They do well. About half have good coats, and I suppose I could not blanket, but I worry if they catch a chill. Given they are older and health comprimised. And on warmer days I remove blankets. So I put on, take off, many times during winter here. My barn is up on a hill so we have alot of cold wind. The stalls stay open and they go in as they like. i shake my head alot wondering why they stand outside under pasture shelters in snow, rain or wind....but they do and seem happy. I recently discovered the pleasure of round bales of hay. For the past 20 years it has always been square bales which enabled me to minitor their intake daily. i want them going into winter months with a nice layer of fat on their bones. But in short, I do blanket, but not daily. I should mention that I am now 64 and perhaps that may have a factor in not only round bales but the blankets too.
Edited by janjan1 2018-09-09 12:54 PM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 599
| MidWest1452 - 2018-09-09 1:50 PM
Are you trying to blanket to avoid the excess hair in winter? If so that won't help you. You need to put lights up to increase the daylight starting like 3 weeks ago to keep that excess winter hair away.
Yes, I was hoping to avoid the long hair that curls against their skin from sweat under the girth and saddle pad. If blanketing doesn’t lessen that, and I’m too late for lights, the. They can stay in their natural state as they’ve done every winter. I have coolers, was just thinking it might be easier to avoid that this year. |
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 Famous for Not Complaining
Posts: 8848
Location: Broxton, Ga | Bear - 2018-09-08 9:55 AM
You don’t need a dam blanket in Georgia.
No you don't.........Js........and when I lived in Ohio horses do fine there without a blanket...as well.......... |
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Duct Tape Bikini Girl
Posts: 2554
| Blanketing won't prevent a winter coat. Being under lights will, but you needed to start earlier.
I live in Texas, and although I allow my horses to grow a winter coat, I give them a working clip. Get your heavy duty electric clippers and shave hair off entire girth area and up between front legs all the way up the underside of neck. Not having thick winter hair where the major arteries are helps keep them from getting so hot during winter workouts. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 599
| luckyjo - 2018-09-09 4:27 PM
Blanketing won't prevent a winter coat. Being under lights will, but you needed to start earlier.
I live in Texas, and although I allow my horses to grow a winter coat, I give them a working clip. Get your heavy duty electric clippers and shave hair off entire girth area and up between front legs all the way up the underside of neck. Not having thick winter hair where the major arteries are helps keep them from getting so hot during winter workouts.
Thank you!! I’ll look into this - I’ve seen many English horses with clips like that! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
Location: North Dakota | dRowe - 2018-09-09 1:09 PM MidWest1452 - 2018-09-09 1:50 PM Are you trying to blanket to avoid the excess hair in winter? If so that won't help you. You need to put lights up to increase the daylight starting like 3 weeks ago to keep that excess winter hair away. Yes, I was hoping to avoid the long hair that curls against their skin from sweat under the girth and saddle pad. If blanketing doesn’t lessen that, and I’m too late for lights, the. They can stay in their natural state as they’ve done every winter. I have coolers, was just thinking it might be easier to avoid that this year.
You can still add lights but they might still get hairy but 3 months from now they will start to shed rather than later in spring, so you will be better off still. You just won't catch all that hair like you would have if you started early august. |
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Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12704
| Bear - 2018-09-09 9:55 AM You don’t need a dam blanket in Georgia.
Tho I agree that horses in GA, NC, SC probably don't 'NEED' a blanket . . it sure helps to keep them clean so mud doesn't get in the long coat. I can spend my entire daylight hour after work just getting one clean enough to ride. And if the horse gets sweaty at all it gunks up something terrible with no way to rinse for months. NW Georgia is mountainy and can be much colder than the rest of Georgia.
Just another side to the blanketing issue to think about . . |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | lonely va barrelxr - 2018-09-09 6:25 PM
Bear - 2018-09-09 9:55 AM You don’t need a dam blanket in Georgia.
Tho I agree that horses in GA, NC, SC probably don't 'NEED' a blanket . . it sure helps to keep them clean so mud doesn't get in the long coat. I can spend my entire daylight hour after work just getting one clean enough to ride. And if the horse gets sweaty at all it gunks up something terrible with no way to rinse for months. NW Georgia is mountainy and can be much colder than the rest of Georgia.
Just another side to the blanketing issue to think about . .
I'm in SE corner of AR, and last year we got COLD (for us) and stayed that way for awhile; Chan's ponds stayed frozen solid for a week or more, with single digit wind chill. Dan HAD to have a blanket, but the other 4 were pretty cool too! We don't blanket very often, but if it got 32 to 30, Dan got his blankie. Now that he's gone, we will probably change the routine by a few degrees. (Putting on and taking off blankets for 5 horses, sometimes daily, does get old. But it's just something we have a responsibility to do. I do realize not everyone feels that way tho!) |
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6437
Location: Montana | teehaha - 2018-09-09 11:25 AM Bear - 2018-09-09 7:55 AM You don’t need a dam blanket in Georgia. LOL...I've got to agree. I'm in WY and the only thing that gets a blanket here is the old mare and only when it gets below 0. Most of them just get dense coats and not long coats on them
I have to agree, no blanket should be needed in GA. I live in Montana, and have one gelding I'll blanket a little bit at the start of the season because he doesn't start getting a coat until later and we had some really wild weather changes last fall...from like 45 to 0 in a matter of a few hours. I just kind of wait and let the horse and the weather tell me what I need to do. |
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 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | I live in ND where it can get to be 60 below zero and I don't blanket. As long as you are getting your horse out of the elements, like rain and wind, you'll be fine. You're not going to stunt the hair growth because you need lights to do that, not blankets, so therefore my opinion would be don't mess with blankets. The only time I ever blanketed was when we'd have cold, fall rain...soaks them to the bone and usually has some wind behind it. Then they got blanketed til they dried off, but I think what helped them most was just getting them out of the rain and extra food in their bellies. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Bear - 2018-09-09 8:55 AM You don’t need a dam blanket in Georgia.
Ha, I decided I was not going to blanket last year- that lasted about 2 days when I walked out and my 23 year old and my younger who doesn’t grow a coat were shivering -in south Texas. I know they shiver to keep warm but I do not want them having to work to stay warm-very spoiled. They came running when I brought out the blankets. I have 2 who hate blankets-run from me - so I do not make them wear one. |
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BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25351
Location: Bastrop, Texas | Shivering is an exception. If there’s a freezing rain and you have a horse that’s shivering, especially an older one, that’s different. That’s pretty uncommon in southern states, but as a rule, I don’t think blanketing just for temps in the 30s and 40s is necessary. I’ve seen people down here throw blankets on their horses as soon as temps dip below 50. Seriously. An awful lot of people in northern states never blanket even in extreme sub zero temps. |
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