# New barn obsessed with blanketing? Need advice!



## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

So I moved my horse last week to a new barn, thats much closer to home and full care! Woot! It's actually a very old friend who I recently reconnected with families barn. 

I've had my horse a year, so I know how he did last winter. He grows a nice thick winter coat, is only 7 and pretty darn healthy! He has free choice hay so that helps him keep warm too. Well the last year I've had him I did self care boarding that was about 30-50 min from home, so blanketing was hard to do and I only did it when I knew he would be fine with keeping it on all day. 

Basically I would blanket if it was wet and under 30, just his light weight, or in the low teens. I'd put his med blanket on if wet in and low teens/below. This seemed to work great for him, he didn't lose any weight or ever seem unhappy/cold. I've tried telling my friend and her family that's what I like to do and they just think I'm nuts! They have a few show horses that they clip so of course they blanket but the younger girl is obsessed with blanketing and fearing they will get cold. Yes thats great to worry but I know how well he did last year so I dont see why I need to change it? How do I get it through to her that he is OK without a blanket on when its just in the mid 30s? I'm in the northern VA area so usually our winters arent that bad.

I don't want them to think I'm a terrible horse mom and making him suffer but I also don't want him to NOT have a good winter coat. I love his fuzzys haha. I dunno I'm pretty sure before I bought him he probably had never even seen a blanket because he came from a barn with like 40-60 horses that were all just kept out year round. I have keep reassuring them that hes fine not in a stall at night too LOL. Their horses are very sheltered. 

The boarding situation is so much better for the both of us if I can just get them to understand that hes a tough guy and doesn't need to be babied lol! 

What would you say to help them understand? Do I just keep repeating myself? I check weather app every night and if I feel its cold enough I'd ask them to throw his blanket on


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

you just show them how happy and healthy your horse is. they will soon see evidence that a blanket isn't necessary for the most part.

we don't blanket either. the temps here are not like that cold. maybe similar to where you are. sometimes it's in the teens at night. But, as long as they have plenty of hay and a place to get away from the rain and wind (our use trees for shelter) they will be fine. 

it's hard for humans to realize how very warm horse fur is. Z's fur is at least an inch long now, and it stands up nicely and traps his body heat near him. try to imagine an inch thick cashmere sweater. INCH thick. that's a lot of wool! and it gets longer than that by midwinter.


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Ha! Dexter's is prob close to an inch too. I'll just keep telling her no hes fine and hopefully after a few colder nights she'll start to believe me more. Guess my pleasure/trail riding world is much different then her show world!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I went for ride today and boy was Z dirty! I don't even try to clean up every inch of the hrose, just get the area where the saddle and girth go as clean as possible. and we walk for a good 20 minutes on the way back, to cool horses out. Ah, winter approaches. don't you just love it? . . . . . . . . NOT!


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

evilamc...that is what I refer to as "show ring mentality".
Basically, they have show horses and you do not, period.
So your needs are different and approaches to an animals health and comfort level will and must be different.
They body clipped their horses of natures intended defense from the cold where you have left yours fuzzy and warm...so they must blanket and heavily too unless they plan to body clip again and you do not need to deal with that.
Their horse can't go out in just about any weather without some protection except on warm sunny days for short periods of time. Their horses have no way to puff their coat for warmth & weather protection as yours does.

I don't know if you will be able to convey that your horse is better prepared for any weather condition with what Mother Nature has provided than theirs who now are dependent upon their humans for their comfort levels.
You can talk till blue in the face but some will not listen nor want to learn that there are other ways of doing things.
It sounds more like this is "a kid" with this attitude not an adult.... some kids and adults think they know it all about horses when that is so the opposite...you learn everyday if you are truthful when dealing with horses.

Regardless, you are a "backyard rider" in a "show barn" atmosphere it sounds like... that is not a put down at all.
It is just a different approach to doing certain things with our horses, in this case blanketing yes or no.

Be firm with them on what you want. This is your horse and you are responsible for him, his bills and health concerns.
Actually, if you bent to their way of thinking now after he has grown his heavy winter coat for protection...he would probably get sick from over-heating or be miserable. 
Be firm in your wants for your horse... you decide what and when the blanket makes a appearance, he is your horse not theirs.
I would bet you are going to find other issues you don't agree upon with your horses.
You may have to agree to disagree on some issues or look for another barn to keep the horse at. It is supposed to be fun owning & riding a horse, not to be challenged all the time on the way of doing something...

Just be firm in what you want....

_I have had the "show barn" mentality and that of the backyard owner & rider....different approaches and neither is right or wrong, but with a different end goal in sight you need flexibility... 
I found it easier to not mix the two elements in one barn only because the way of doing things could be different and I got tired of the static from others.... you might come to find the same thing true.
One thing I have never changed though is my "if in doubt, call the vet"... I don't leave things like that to a watch, wait and see like others in any discipline/style of riding activity. I would rather a vet bill and peace of mind than "What did I do" at my horses expense.

_Good luck...and_ ENJOY_ your horse!
:wink:


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## MyBoySi (Dec 1, 2011)

Ugh. I managed a barn that was obsessed with blanketing to the point where none of the horses grew any winter coat at all. Personally I only use a thin waterproof sheet when its wet. 

YOU know YOUR horse and how to keep him healthy and happy. If he is cold you'll know. Don't worry about how other people do things, do what works for you.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Wow thanks for the awesome response! You are right it is a kid that really wants to blanket him, she's 17 and just really only known horse show way. Her mom, the barn owner, and my actual friend are both fine with my wants/needs it's just getting through to the 17 year old  it's odd how much she thinks he needs to be blanketed though, all the other boarders don't show either so I'm not sure if they blanket as much.

It's only been a week though so I think I can get through to her once she realizes he really is ok! Lol maybe I'll show her some stuff on here about why some horses don't need blankets to help her understand. Lol she freaked when I told her my horse only gets 1 lb of grain a day! A ration balancer lol,..she feeds her horses like 10-14 lbs. I think this will be an interesting experience for the both of us, as long as she doesn't blanket him behind my back or something like that I think it will work out fine.
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## tlkng1 (Dec 14, 2011)

The 17 yr old doesn't run the barn so therefore what she has to say is just her "suggestion" and I would put it somewhat like that. "I appreciate your concern for my horse's welfare but since I do not clip him and his winter coat is well developed, he is fine in these temps and I will blanket him when I feel it is time." If you were in Alaska I might say she was right but in Virginia...the blankets/sheets at the barns I rode at barely ever saw the light of day.

I am a paranoid type and it takes all of my willpower not to sheet or blanket and let the coat develop a bit. We know for a fact (via two thermometers) that the barn is a full 10 degrees warmer than outside when the doors and stall windows are closed so when the gauge outside reads 32, it is actually 42+ inside..plenty warm enough. We do not start sheeting until it is a consistent, as in more than 6 hours worth, of temps under 40 INSIDE the barn and do not start using blankets until it is a consistent below 30 inside. Now, if it is overly windy outside and temps are cooler, they will turn out with blankets even if temps are in the 30s or lower but for the most part the horses go out unblanketed in dry sunny weather when temps are even in the 20s. In cold damp weather, heavy fog, or snow flurries, they will send them out in blankets just for the weather proofing.


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## OTTBlvr (Jul 20, 2008)

it's actually much healthier to not blanket horses....wanting to blanket is a human comfort. for the most part, my guys stay blanketed since it's what they're used to (and most are partially, if not fully clipped for the season)...but my new baby is from colder temps and never been blanketed...so I see no reason to change that. he shall remain unblanketed, with a sheet for when the weather is really nasty. 

you know your horse. if he's happy and maintaining weight and not frozen, keep up with what you're doing


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I know lots of blanketing obsessed horse owners. It's their prerogative, although I think it's unnecessary most of the time.


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## RandysWifey (Jun 12, 2012)

that sounds like a barn we were at up in that area minus the 17 year old  Maggie and I are both not blanketing this year (much to my initial horror-she has to be my cheerleader on this-lol) on either of our horses. They each have a sheet for rainy weather but thats it for this year unless one of them shivers then obviously we'll blanket then!


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

You could always just not leave blankets there then they have nothing to put on him.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Ha I like your idea of just not leaving my blankets there! It's close enough that I can bring them if I think he does need them. Maybe just leave his rain sheet for emergencies and he can put that on if it's really nasty till I can get his other blanket there haha! We really don't get that bad of winters here though. I maybe blanketed him 2 or 3 weeks of last winter, half the days were as a precaution because they called for snow then we got nothing!

I do understand why it's better and healthier not to blanket so hopefully I can pass that on to her. I appreciate all your guys input 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

I want to blanket my mare when its under 45 outside. That's mostly because its 119 in the summer and the darn mare wont shed her coat when its in the 100 (so early June). Our weather is currently in the high 80s and mid 50s. Darn mare has a 1 inch coat already -_-'.


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## Cacowgirl (Feb 19, 2011)

KQ-We are about 20 degrees cooler here, but it is pleasant enough. I have blankets but have not needed to use them.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

evilamc said:


> Ha I like your idea of just not leaving my blankets there! It's close enough that I can bring them if I think he does need them. Maybe just leave his rain sheet for emergencies and he can put that on if it's really nasty till I can get his other blanket there haha! We really don't get that bad of winters here though. I maybe blanketed him 2 or 3 weeks of last winter, half the days were as a precaution because they called for snow then we got nothing!
> 
> I do understand why it's better and healthier not to blanket so hopefully I can pass that on to her. I appreciate all your guys input
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Make the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

We get temps in the minus 30s and only one gets a light waterproof on days with cold wind along with snow/rain mix in late fall/early winter. Last year that meant two days and only during the day. The last time this happened was 10 yrs ago and it lasted only a day. By Jan my horses have coats like grizzly bears. As long as extra hay is provided during cold most horses do fine. Blanketing throws the horse's thermostat out of whack. It's back gets too warm while it's head, neck, belly and legs are exposed to the temperatures. Think of wearing a warm fur jacket and only your shorts on the lower half.


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Yeah he has free choice hay so I know he's eating plenty to keep warm. 

I like that dancingarabians, apply horse training to people hahaha! I'll be like oh oops I took them him to wash and rewaterproof and just keep forgetting to bring them back!

It's in 50's today, so nice out!!! He's like standing in the sun falling asleep after our hard lesson haha!
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## EdmontonHorseGal (Jun 2, 2013)

up here there is harsher winters than some of you down in the states and elsewhere. in some instances, much harsher. my Eddie horse is staying un-blanketed this winter unless it gets really nasty and cold out. i'm talking -30 celcius cold. he's got free choice hay to keep warm with and a good couple windbreak areas in his pen. and his coat is really starting to get wooly already, so i'm not worried about coat growth for the winter.


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Yeah, maybe this winter I'll try blanketing even less. He has free choice hay and he did great last winter with the minimal blanketing I did so I should see what he really can tolerate. Maybe if its just under 20's and wet?

Ohh cool trick I learned last year, I got to barn late and he was already wet, and I know your not supposed to blanket a wet horse but it was freeeeeeezing! So I put him in his stall, put his blanket on, and stuffed a bunch of hay in it. They hay pulled the moisture out of his hair and then just falls out while he walked around when I let him out of his stall! I hung out for a good 2 hours to keep an eye on him and before I left I checked him and he was perfectly dry and happy under his blanket!


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

evilamc said:


> Yeah, maybe this winter I'll try blanketing even less. He has free choice hay and he did great last winter with the minimal blanketing I did so I should see what he really can tolerate. Maybe if its just under 20's and wet?
> 
> Ohh cool trick I learned last year, I got to barn late and he was already wet, and I know your not supposed to blanket a wet horse but it was freeeeeeezing! So I put him in his stall, put his blanket on, and stuffed a bunch of hay in it. They hay pulled the moisture out of his hair and then just falls out while he walked around when I let him out of his stall! I hung out for a good 2 hours to keep an eye on him and before I left I checked him and he was perfectly dry and happy under his blanket!



If you have the time to wait for him to dry on his own you could also just stall him in a cooler.

And as for training people with horse methods.....you'd be surprised how often it works. LOL
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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

i doubt if you could get the girl to change her opinion. She has clipped horses that need blankets, has probably only been around clipped show horses. 
I agree take the blankets home.
Tell them not to put anything on your horse without your specific instructions. 
Talk to her parents .


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## Northernstar (Jul 23, 2011)

No blankets here!! We'll see up to 3' of snow more than once, and _I've never_ _seen my horses shiver! _No grain, either. Plenty of *free-choice hay/loose* *minerals/fresh water/salt, and a run-in barn.* The 6" in today's avatar is just another 'practice session' for what's yet to come! _Don't let this teen_ _make you feel 'inadequate' in your very good horse care..._ on the contrary, (apologies to show people!) she should exclaim kudos to you for your knowledge of what's _truly natural_ for a horse! Sure, you're new to the barn, but you're a good horse owner, and your horse's health will speak volumes for you. No more 'explaining' to them - enjoy the winter!


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## MiniMom24 (Mar 13, 2013)

Ya, I'm up in Saskatchewan and we can hit -40's sometimes -45 with the windchill. I don't blanket. My mare has shelter and free-choice hay. She's starting to get her fluffy winter coat and does well in winter. She's an easy keeper and doesn't lose weight with the cold so I don't blanket. I asked around on blanketing and everyone said that unless I was to ride her hard ever single day then I should blanket, but because I only ride her once or twice a week and she doesn't break a sweat then I shouldn't blanket. They said blanketing can stop them from getting her winter coat and that I would have to go out every time the weather changes from warm to cold to change blanket types. Some of them do shows once spring hits so they blanket their horses in winter to stop the winter coat from coming so they are ready for show time.


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## 40232 (Jan 10, 2013)

I do not blanket horses unless they NEED it. I do not believe in limiting their coat whether it be for show, or beauty or whatever. It is their natural ability to stay warm so I would never mess with it. I read this on facebook a week or so ago:

Here is something for my horsey friends....
Here is some information on winter blanketing that may surprise you.
This is the result of a multi-year study done by CSU, using state of
the art thermal detection equipment. Colorado State University is
widely considered to be one of the top three equine veterinary
schools in the country: Blanketing horses is one of the worst things
that you can do to a horse in the winter. Horses have the ability to
loft and lower their coats to 17 different levels, so it's like
exchanging 17 different thermal weights of blankets off and on them
all day and night, depending on what they need- except that we don't
know what they need as well as they do. Their 'self-blanketing'
process works a little like 'chill bumps' do in our own skin. That's
why long-haired horses may seem fluffier on some days than on others.
Only three things make the 'self-blanketing' process not work:
blanketing, clipping, and wind. Not even snow or rain stops their own
thermostats from doing the job. Also horses are in 'neutral' (meaning
not using energy for either heating or cooling) when the air around
them is between 26 and 38 degrees. Otherwise, they're using energy to
control their temps. So- since they're cooling their bodies when the
temp is over 38 degrees, they're having to use extra energy to cool
themselves when blanketed in temperatures over that. Any time a horse
that is outside and has a long coat is shivering, it's because the
horse has opted to shiver to warm itself, instead of using the option
of moving. Moving generates a considerable amount of heat for a
horse, but they sometimes stand and shiver while napping, etc. It
does not mean that they need to be blanketed. However- a horse MUST
have a way to get out of the wind in order for their
'self-blanketing' abilities to function fully. It turns out that
blanketing is done more for pleasing the human, than to fill a need
of the horse. The horse blanket industry has done a great job of
making us think that their product is a necessary part of good
horsekeeping- when it is actually an item that is very seldom needed.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

FYI that study does not exist. It was all made up.

Also..
A horse shivers because he's cold. A horse does not have the logic to say "gee if I move around or eat more I will warm up".
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## frlsgirl (Aug 6, 2013)

Very interesting thread. I wondered about that too and had started a similar thread this morning.

So how are wild Mustangs able to survive without blankets?


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## mangomelon (May 11, 2012)

I personally blanket my horse because I do not like winter coats. At all. But I'm at the barn morning and night every single day and sometimes in the afternoon so I can monitor him pretty much 24/7.
I also blanket other people's horses at my barn and there are some who get blankets as soon as it goes under 50 and others who never get blanketed all winter long. Mostly I've noticed it depends on the owner and their preferences but also it depends on the horse. In Oregon we mostly don't have to worry about temperatures; it's the steady, soaking rain that makes the horses cold. Rain sheets solve that problem 
As a person in charge of blanketing horses, unless the owner tells me to blanket their horse as I see fit, I just do what they say. It takes one text message for an owner to ask me to throw their horse's blanket on. It's not a big deal to just let the owner call the shots. And I'm 17...


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## eqstrnathlete (Nov 13, 2013)

I live in the Midwest where temps can reach 0*. I don't blanket my horse, just let him go fuzzy. I have never noticed him acting cold.


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## Foxesdontwearbowties (Jul 9, 2012)

The barn I work at is like this, every horse has a blanket on. Always. I mean we take it off to check when they are worked but they are kept in a semi-heated barn and I think its crazy, but not my choice and the horses seem fine and not sweaty or anything. 
I am just now looking into buying a blanket for my senior horse who is having a hard time keeping her weight. My pony is out all year round (walk-in stalls) and is never blanketed. Just has plenty of hay and shelter.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

There is nothing wrong with shivering....CSU is right! These are horses. Their coping mechanisms do not need to be altered by us!

Nancy


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## 40232 (Jan 10, 2013)

greentree said:


> There is nothing wrong with shivering....CSU is right! These are horses. Their coping mechanisms do not need to be altered by us!
> 
> Nancy


Homeostasis at it's finest


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

It is YOUR horse and that 17-year-old better not touch YOUR horse, unless you have given specific instructions otherwise. 

Simple. 

Somebody would get an @$$ chewing if my horse got blanketed when I specifically said not too. IMO

Clipped horses; yes, they need blankets because you've taken away their "natural blanket". A horse with a full winter coat who is young and healthy? Doesn't need a blanket.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Horse blanketing! #PetTipTuesday

Each fall and winter, our Colorado State University equine programs get questions from horse owners who think we have conducted a long-term study on blanketing. CSU has not researched horse blanketing. Even so, Equine Services veterinarians at our James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital will help keep your horse healthy and happy throughout the year.

Here Dr. Luke Bass, a veterinarian on our Equine Services team, provides facts to help you decide whether or not to blanket your horse. He provides cold-weather management tips, and explains when blanketing works best! Read on: To Blanket or not to Blanket? That
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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

Thanks, DA!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

CSU may not have done a study regarding blanketing but the remainer of the article is quite accurate. Horses can lift and turn the hair to catch cooling breezes or to trap warm air rising off the body. And yes, blanketing does disrupt this process and can cause a horse to get chilled by overheating and getting dehydrated. If man doesn't interfere, nature provides exactly what the animal needs to survive.


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

That's so amazing that they can do that. This thread turned into such an informing thread haha! Thanks guys for all the info you've been sharing 

It's going well, not asking to blanket him anymore haha she did comment about how much of a hay muncher he is  he's happy though and she sees that
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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

The post I copied was from CSU's facebook if anyone is curious. 

Honestly I don't know why blanketing gets people so stirred up. If the horse is happier with a blanket, or just needs one, then blanket the thing! If he doesn't care then spend the money for a blanket on something new for you. Just commit to your plan and go with it. Don't blanket the first half of the year then leave him to his own devices when he hasn't grown a coat. Don't not blanket and not expect him to eat more.

It's just not that hard 

(My horse LOVES his blanket. Doesn't grow much of a coat - I should get you guys pictures of his sad coat - but it's easier on him when he's worked to not have two inches of fur, and I don't mind blanketing or the upkeep. If he wasnt so visibly happy being blanketed, and was okay without, I wouldn't blanket.)
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