Thank you for this! I live in PNW ~ my horse has in and out shelter and he is a OTTB ~ I don't blanket him. He is so healthy and content. Yep he is dirty. I try to explain this concept to so many horse owners and so many are still in resistance ~ they are constantly comparing the human "Body Temperature" feeling to the horse. He gets plenty of hay to help him process the cold days.
Army Navy Surplus usually has affordable mostly wool (80%) blankets that can, with modification (add straps) become a decent cooler. It will take more than one blanket for a draft horse.
I’m in RI and we ride our horses in the winter, but don’t clip our horses coat. We just walk them until their chest is cool. Is this wrong? Should I be clipping and blanketing my Appaloosa?
There are many ways to look at this issue, and it truly depends on many factors. If your horses are consistently wet with sweat after riding, they are wet from the skin out and will have not have the ability to stay warm if the weather is cold and especially if windy. If they are just a little damp and you wait until they are cooled out, they will probably be fine unless the weather is extreme. If they are wet and you have a place to put a cooler on them until they are dry, or you use a hair dryer you may not need to clip. But if they are consistently wet and you have no way to dry them, they will be better if you clip at least the area that gets wet. Then you may only need to blanket them when the weather is very cold, rainy or windy because they will have most of their fur. And if you only ride occasionally, just get out a hair dryer so you can avoid having to clip. Be well Joyce
Thank you, Joyce! Love this webinar! I'm saving it to my favorites so I can go back and refer to it! The blanket fit position, what an eye opener!! No wonder my horse hates being blanketed, they don't fit him correctly! Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge 💜
I never thought about clipping the ears affecting their body temp. Thanks!
Thank you for this! I live in PNW ~ my horse has in and out shelter and he is a OTTB ~ I don't blanket him. He is so healthy and content. Yep he is dirty. I try to explain this concept to so many horse owners and so many are still in resistance ~ they are constantly comparing the human "Body Temperature" feeling to the horse. He gets plenty of hay to help him process the cold days.
Army Navy Surplus usually has affordable mostly wool (80%) blankets that can, with modification (add straps) become a decent cooler. It will take more than one blanket for a draft horse.
I’m in RI and we ride our horses in the winter, but don’t clip our horses coat. We just walk them until their chest is cool. Is this wrong? Should I be clipping and blanketing my Appaloosa?
There are many ways to look at this issue, and it truly depends on many factors. If your horses are consistently wet with sweat after riding, they are wet from the skin out and will have not have the ability to stay warm if the weather is cold and especially if windy. If they are just a little damp and you wait until they are cooled out, they will probably be fine unless the weather is extreme. If they are wet and you have a place to put a cooler on them until they are dry, or you use a hair dryer you may not need to clip. But if they are consistently wet and you have no way to dry them, they will be better if you clip at least the area that gets wet. Then you may only need to blanket them when the weather is very cold, rainy or windy because they will have most of their fur. And if you only ride occasionally, just get out a hair dryer so you can avoid having to clip.
Be well
Joyce
Thank you, Joyce! Love this webinar! I'm saving it to my favorites so I can go back and refer to it! The blanket fit position, what an eye opener!! No wonder my horse hates being blanketed, they don't fit him correctly! Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge 💜