English Deutsch Français Italiano Español Português 繁體中文 Bahasa Indonesia Tiếng Việt ภาษาไทย
All categories

We live in South Florida and are inexperienced horse owners. This is our first winter with Malakai, my daughter's thoroughbred horse. We are currently experiencing unusual night time temperature drops in the 40's. How cold does it need to get for a horse to need a blanket?

2006-11-22 10:57:52 · 11 answers · asked by felihum 1 in Pets Other - Pets

11 answers

Ok... First things first... TB's DO NOT grow thich winter coats like many other breeds. (other breeds may not ever need to be blanketed) TB's NEED to be blanketed when the temp starts falling below 50* (around there). If you are going to ride make sure he is COMPLEATLY cooled down before turning out (right after unsaddling, untack and put a sheet on and walk untill cooled, then put the blanket on and turn out).

2006-11-26 10:34:31 · answer #1 · answered by Sarah B 1 · 0 0

Hi,

I have horses in the Homestead area and put a light blanket on them when it drops under 60*. Although,when it goes below 50* like last night I put a medium fiber quilted blanket and hood on them.

One thing to consider is the horses age, their living environment and if you want to keep their coats short for showing.

My horses are all our older show & breeding stock. They live in cbs stalls which retain the heat or cold. Plus the wind whips through the stalls bringing the wind chill factor into play.

I'm guessing your horse lives in a stall and not outdoors. I would consider blanketing your horse if it drops below 65* with a light blanket too and if you have a heavier blanket if it's going below the 55* mark.

If your horse is not blanketed he'll grow a longer, thicker coat with each season and you'll probably find him lying down in the stall to stay warm. This is what they'll do in the wild too.

Hope this helps

2006-11-22 11:20:35 · answer #2 · answered by karaborr 3 · 1 1

It all just really depends if you are using him for show then when it gets below 50's or 60's you would need to put something on him from keeping him from getting a long coat. Like my horses the older ones get a LIGHT blanket since their coat seems to get longer and they dont have to worry about going to shows. My younger show horses have to be blanketed to either keep their coats nice or short. Even when it is raining i put my horses blankets on. It all just depends on the horse and the conditions.

2006-11-22 13:09:40 · answer #3 · answered by captian obvious 2 · 0 0

I live in the midwest and own Thoroughbreds.
We do not blanket or body clip our horses.
If you body clip he will need a light to mid weight blanket. If you do not body clip I would not put a blanket on him at all. It might just make him sweat.
You want to make sure he is dry when it gets dark and cools off.
My horses live outside 24/7 and have free choice hay and a run in shelter. They get a fairly long coat in the winter and we ride some as the weather allows. As long as they are dry when you put them up for the night they will be fine.

2006-11-22 12:29:16 · answer #4 · answered by tlctreecare 7 · 1 0

i would put a winter blanket on the horse when it gets into the low 40s or lower. but if it gets higher then that like...40 - 55/60 but a light weight blanket on. good luck with your new horse! best wishes

2006-11-22 12:46:46 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Unless you are talking about keeping a horse that is wet from exercise from being chilled, you do not need to blanket a horse. Make sure that he/she has a nice warm barn to go into without any drafts. When I say warm, I mean plenty of bedding, not heated. I grew up in WI and we had horses and ponies and they never were blanketed. My aunt has 2 horses and she never blankets them.

2006-11-22 11:08:22 · answer #6 · answered by Lizzy 3 · 1 0

truly i dont' blanket my horses unless it is raining or like snowing or is going to frezze..and i put them in a stall when i blanket them.. to keep them dry..if your pasture is not big than you can turn them out in it in the day time but ONLY IF IT IS LIKE 2 ACRA because they can get tangled up in them.. and that is not fun.. trust me..if it gets below 36 and i'm have a show or competion coming up i keep blankets on them to keep there coat looking good.. oh and if it is really windy.. that is just me.. you may be diffent i know every one is not the same.. i hope this helps

2006-11-22 19:11:47 · answer #7 · answered by i love my son wyatt 2 · 0 0

You don't really want to blanket her unless she is extremely cold or shivering. If they have their winter coat they don't need a blanket. Having a blanket on them when they don't need it could make them sweaty.

2006-11-22 11:13:14 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

well you should blanket them and rub them down every day. you really need to blanket the horse after you ride it. don't feed or give it water after a run... rub the horse down and let it rest till it cools of then let it graze and eat and drink like i said yoou should blanket them every day uness it is reallly hot.

2006-11-22 11:05:47 · answer #9 · answered by izzy animal maniac 2 · 0 1

time to bundle him up now

2006-11-22 11:02:07 · answer #10 · answered by Mary Smith 6 · 0 1

fedest.com, questions and answers