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Re: [RC] to blanket or not - Diane TrefethenI wonder if I’m misjudging the cold (it’s in the low 50s) because when I get home, about a 30 minute drive, my horse is still soaked and feeling very warm under the light blanket or cooler, but his uncovered neck is dry and feels a more normal temperature. 50's and 40's are very comfortable temps for horses, MUCH more so than 90's and 100's. We humans find it hard to accept that a naked horse can be comfortable at temperatures that would make a bundled up human shiver and complain about freezing. The bottom line is that they, and other furred/haired animals, cope with cold very well while we have absolutely no ability to cope without our human equivalent of "blankets". When is the last time you saw a caribou or elk in a "blanket"? They survive quite well at temps into single digits F. The most common reasons for a horse to suffer are 1) clipping, 2) being confined so not able to move about sufficiently, 3) being used to having a blanket... all of which are human-imposed. If we would just turn them out 24/7 so they could acclimate to the changing seasons naturally, they would be fine. But no... the temps drop into the 50's or 40's and boom - conscientious owners blanket them or stick them in a barn where they usually pick up at least one cold per winter while those horses whose owners are indifferent and uncaring, just leaving the poor things unblanketed in pasture all winter, stay healthy. If a horse with a winter coat is cool on his chest but wet or damp when you put him in a trailer and the trailer has moderate airflow, not stiff, direct wind, unless the temps are dipping into the low 40's or less, don't blanket. You just prevent his coat from doing its job. If he's clipped, then he doesn't have his natural coat and may need a very light blanket. If he's still hot on his chest, you need to walk him more before putting him in the trailer. Even if the trailer is wide open to the elements, if your horse routinely arrives home hot and wet under the blanket, his condition is saying loud and clear, "I'm too hot". =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 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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