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Re: [RC] Blanketing Question-another round! - Vicki AustinAmy, I for one always encourage blanketing as I WORK my horses. My belief is that if you groom all the oils off and then sweat them up they need some help from we who do that to them. There is nothing colder than being wet with sweat and taking hours to dry off (as in a worked horse in winter with a full winter coat). I start with a light sheet on those colder summer and fall nights and windy days, then use progressivly warmer blankets. I layer, that way you can take away some if they are warmer or add some if colder days happen. I go by how cold or warm I am and whether I put on a sweatshirt or a coat or both. If working indoors I use a rump rug until my horse is warmed up and then take it off (or roll it up). I myself usually have to take my heavy coat off as I warm up as well. I cool him off after the workout for about 15 minutes with the butt rug on (and my coat) and then put his cooler on and put him in the stall for about an hour with some hay and maybe a little grain or treat of some kind. I also do a trace clip from november until about Feb, then a hunter clip until about May and then a full body clip early spring and summer. Clipping makes the whole cooling off time a lot shorter and even makes the sweating less. But you MUST use blankets if you clip at all. I know some people want to leave their horse "totally natural" but don't really think about the fact that if you groom and ride you cannot let them be "natural" as you have taken all the "natural' out of their life. And in winter that can cause a lot of discomfort for the horse that has to stand around cold and miserable shivering and trying to stay warm. When people say that a horse is warming up when they shiver I tell them to take their coats off and shiver for a while and see how they feel after even a few minutes. I have shivered so violently before that every muscle in my body ached afterwards for days. I can sympathize with my horse when / if he starts to shiver. I put cloths on him as quickly as I can, yes my horses are spoiled but they are comfortable. Hope this helps in your decision. Vicki --- amy <amym600@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: I am hoping that if I describe my winter riding activity if I can get some advice on blanketing or not blanketing my horse. I have a big indoor and a slightly warm barn and will be doing training this winter indoors, ie. sweat work. The horses are on daily turnout and do get inspected daily and blankets will get straightened when they are put in for the day if needed. My friend has said to blanket so I do not have a hairy beast will help him not to sweat so much during a workout and then a cooler after working out will keep him dry and warm. I have never blanketed before but then again I have not had an indoor to ride in either or training to do. I live in MN so you can imagine just how cold it gets! Not to mention the snow/rain/sleet crud. In this situation would blanketing be advised? Thanks, Amy __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail AddressGuard http://antispam.yahoo.com/whatsnewfree =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail AddressGuard http://antispam.yahoo.com/whatsnewfree =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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