Here in MN we finished our last ride (The Point Chaser) of the season last weekend. It was in the 30's and low 40's, rainy and very windy. But heyyyy...it's been worse! Two years ago we had snow. Last year it was stinking hot (in the 80's). And I remember my very first Point Chaser when I crawled out of the back of my pickup to 14 degrees, a shivering horse with a lightweight blanket (the only one I had) and a frozen water bucket. On the question of cooling a horse out in the winter--I put a polarfleece blanket liner and his breathable waterproof sheet on. I've never had a problem with him staying damp or getting chilled, and he gets a winter coat like some Ice Age neanderthal horse. At the ride this weekend we used a waterproof polarfleece rump rug and threw a waterproof winter blanket on as soon as we'd get into camp.
