At what temperature do you blanket?

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Unbridled

Formerly Appy_Luv
Dec 29, 2004
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Question is in the title. :)

When do you blanket? 32 degrees Farenheit? Below 32? Never? My guys have waterproof medium weight rugs and I put them on for the first time last night because it got below freezing. I was going to remove them this morning but neither of them seemed uncomfortably warm and since the wind was sharp I left them rugged. It's about 40 degrees farenheit, now. Is that too warm to leave them rugged?

I never worried much about this kind of thing before Sugar got hurt, but now that she's lost so much muscle mass I'm afraid she will be cold. :eek:
 
i can't think it farenheit :eek: my 29 yo arab mare is in a MW now and it is above 0 degrees C but she does feel the cold. the wind is very biting here and any rain is freezing (not literally) so she's in a MW for that reason. my 11yo arab gelding is in a LW (summer sheet) to just protect him from the wind and rain a bit. It probably isn't too warm for them to stay rugged as they will regulate their temperature quite well.
I will be putting my gelding into a MW soon as it is much colder. Once we have had a few frosts and its rains. He doesn't actually mind frosts and i've left him un-rugged during them but if its cold enough for a frost but rains instead... brrrr
Hope that helps. (sorry if a babbled)
 
I think it depends on where you live, what sort of horses you have, if they live out 24/7 etc. If you live in the cold wet Welsh hills, or the snowy Scottish highlands, it's different to living in the warmer southern regions. My two live out with field shelters and there is plenty of natural shelter in the fields. I tend not to rug until the beginning of December, and the weather is not usually that bad in essex.
 
doris said:
I think it depends on where you live, what sort of horses you have, if they live out 24/7 etc. If you live in the cold wet Welsh hills, or the snowy Scottish highlands, it's different to living in the warmer southern regions. My two live out with field shelters and there is plenty of natural shelter in the fields. I tend not to rug until the beginning of December, and the weather is not usually that bad in essex.
Click to expand...

definitely depends on breeding etc. i think rain is the worst thing as it clings to their coats and doesn't allow the horse to keep itself as warm as usual - snow also does this
 
I think it all depends on the type of horse and the type of weather, rather than the temperature. If it's -10°C (Around 16°f?) but clear, still and sunny, I'll put all but the thinnest coated, thinnest skinned out without rugs. Today, however, was around +2°C (36°f) but snow/sleet/rain mix and very windy - and all except the haflingers and thick coated cobby types were rugged.

I think for horses damp and windy is much worse than cold. When it's very cold and dry, they fluff their coats up and stay warmer than they would in rugs. The problem is with temperatures around freezing and damp.

There can also be special circumstances, as coss said. If the horse is old, or weakened in some way it might need extra warmth. Another guideline (other things being equal!) is whether the horse is native to the climate. A haflinger in Austria or a Shetland in Scotland is probably going to be fine with their respective local climates without rugs, but an Arab in Scotland is probably going to need rugging for most of the winter.

It also depends on whether they are stabled, what the stables are like (warm or not) etc. etc. Our are in warm stable blocks, so all rugs come off at night, regardless of how cold it is outside. However, if they are out all night they may need rugging just at night.

Feel the weather yourself, and see what you think. Your own instincts are probably right! :D
 
I rug when the mud starts sticking to the winter coats! Mine could all live without rugs - even though we are in Scotland - the rugs are manily so I can ride without spending hours scraping of mud.
The sweetitch pony has been rugged to stop midges - we still have them in November - and he has been clipped too so he is rugged now.
Second the fact it is rain that gets them down more than cold - I have been known to turn mine out without a rug on a sunny frosty morning so they can have a roll.
 
Good question.... where I am , since it is in the High Desert area, cold can be 25-30 Degrees F, bought rugs, lightweight ones just to have, but these horses have been unrugged since day one with previous owners, even when they lived in Colorado, where it snows far more than California does....

So I myself dont know whether it is necessary or WHEN it is necessary, should I wait until it rans and gets cold????

DONT REALLY KNOW WHEN IT IS CONSIDERED COLD...
 
If your horse starts to lose weight, on the same feed, it's cold. If the base of your horse's ears are cold when you touch them, it's cold. 3-6am here is the coldest time, and I went to the yard yesterday at 6.45ish.

My horse, in two HW rugs ('twas -3 degrees C), was warm on her body, cold on her neck and belly, was cold at the base of her ears and didn't want to eat on the floor 'cause that meant the wind could get up her neck cover.

My pony (sweet itch rug only) was warm near her skin under her fur, her ears were a little cool, but she didn't look too bothered.

Other horses in the field had MW rugs on. Their ears were cold, and under their rugs they didn't feel warm. They seemed ok, just hungry.

It really depends on the horse. Your horse needs rugging if he/she is cold. Same for is it too hot, go out and check (or get a friend to) around 2pm. Then you'll know if it is.
 
I don't really go by temperature. If my horses are cold they're rugged, if they're warm enough they aren't. Usually one of them is rugged up while the other is naked - Jim feels the cold (& lets me know about it!) while Little Un keeps himself toasty warm & would probably cook if rugged!
 
Is there a reason to blanket your horse? are you planning on riding during the winter and you want to keep the hair from growing to fuzzy?

I dont ride my guys at home during the winter, im at school and usually its just to icey so they dont get blanketed (-30 f windchill) it doesn't matter. Not being worked at all they have no real muscle exept what they have from being turned out. However with the ice they are not moving around a lot. With little muscle, a little extra hay they manage without blankets fine.


At my barn the unclipped horses were being blanketed with lightweight blankets when it got below 40 F now that they are clipped they have medium stable blankets being put on at 32 and the lightweights are on unless it gets above 55ish i believe.
 
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