Just MHO re; what to do with a horse still wet/damp
after riding and weather cool; err on side of keeping him warm
rather than chilled, and put a blanket on him til he drys out and you come back
out to feed. I will often do that in damp, cool / cold weather - and when I put
them in to feed them later, I will loosen blankets and roll them
back to let horse start getting readjusted to outside temps, before
turning out, after they have finished eating. If they are still wet, then leave
blanketed til Am , if cold. Of note, I rarely blanket my horses around the
clock, unless the worst weather, ie. read : cold, wet, windy. Blizzard.( They
are not stalled, except to eat feed )
I was once told and find true
that - horses tolerate cold fine,( down to 0 temps) it is when it
is cold and wet that really chills them easily ( say temp of just 60 when
not used to and damp or wet, add any breeze and makes it worse. I
have gone out in summer, after a thunderstorm and a 'front' has moved
through, and found them chilled ), makes sense, as the hair can not
then act as insulation when wet.
Also, as long as they can move
around, and have plenty of hay; they can tolerate lower temps, but
when confined to pens, tied, etc like we
often use at rides they need a blanket,( not sheet, as they can be colder with
just a sheet, as it does not offer enough warmth, and mats down their hair);
the same horse at home on pasture will not need a blanket. Hope this helps
you .
Along similair 'thread' if you
ever come into vet check and ambient temp is not that high, and you start
putting water on your horse and his pulse is not comming down, one of
first thing to consider is that you are chilling him. Have seen this
happen when air temps were in low 70's, low
humidity.
Riding in cool/cold weather - Another 'rule of thumb' - if you
wouldn't want water on you, because of temperature, may be best not to use much
/ any on them. Just come in, loosen girth, cover them if needed with light
blanket, or in this case sheet, and wait couple minutes. Stephanie
M. (VA)
