# Share photos of your shaggy winter beasts!



## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

A shaggy and snowy Rusty trying to make new friends:










And pretending he is a wild stallion while wearing a blanket for the first time this year when temps plunged to about -37C. He does not feel the blanket contributes to his tough-guy image, but it's so cute. Bella, in her fashion-forward otter blanket, is doing her best to ignore the boys and their silliness.


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## desjiem (Jun 18, 2020)

My mare Blue gets super fuzzy in the winter..


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)




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## AMarie (Jan 13, 2022)

*my 3 drafts. LADY PARIS: 4yr Perch 19.1hh, COCO & CHANEL both 9mo old Clyde fillies*


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## Kalraii (Jul 28, 2015)




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## redbadger (Nov 20, 2017)

From last winter. 

Gotta get a photo of the lil' Icelandic gelding at the barn. You could hide another horse in all that hair.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

When you’re so fuzzy even your face is fuzzy
















note impressively fuzzy ear hair
















PS-I forget how bad their manes look until I see pictures 🙈 Because they wear neck covers during sleet or heavy snow, we do have sections that rub. I just leave it for the winter and I promise I’ll deal with it in the spring!


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## redbadger (Nov 20, 2017)

Beardie weirdies! 😍


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## SteadyOn (Mar 5, 2017)

My not-so-shaggy old girl... here in Canada. You can see why we blanket her!!


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

@SteadyOn wow that looks like Moonshine's "winter coat." You can't tell at all from looking that it's any thicker than her summer coat. When you feel it, you can feel that it's thicker, but it's certainly not any longer than her summer coat.


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## rambo99 (Nov 29, 2016)

Ices winter coat he spend most of winter with blankets on. He gets really long hair on backs of his legs. Rest of his coat isn't much more then shown.


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## Knave (Dec 16, 2015)

Queen! (Her nose is not big, she just was reaching out to see what I was doing)


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## CallmeDior (Apr 26, 2021)

Pony Bear!!!! He is getting a haircut today and can't wait to see him on Saturday in our competition.

We are in Mexico and our winter is non existent - Chilly at night but I can still wear flip flops, shorts and t-shirt! 😂


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## Aprilswissmiss (May 12, 2019)

Unfortunately, my new BO has insisted on blanketing my mare this winter even though she's gone without all her life even in Maine, so what she has of a winter coat this year is laying flat right now. Here's a pic from last year


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## Cowgirls of Nebraska (Jun 14, 2021)

he got wet earlier when he was outside😄


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

I love all the pictures! Especially the ones where people put their hands in their horse's fur. I want to do the same thing to all those fuzzy guys!

Maybe when we move up north my guys will start getting really fuzzy for the winter...


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## redbadger (Nov 20, 2017)

@Aprilswissmiss your mare is a cutie.


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## Aprilswissmiss (May 12, 2019)

redbadger said:


> @Aprilswissmiss your mare is a cutie.


Thanks, I think she is too 🥰


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

I have been surprised that even in the tropics, our horses coats change in the cooler months. It’s only down to the high teens and mid twenties (c) right now. Might get a bit lower in late January and February.

Both of ours are slick and shiny in the hot months. Now, they are not shaggy, but certainly scruffy looking.

The cooler weather also corresponds with the dry season. So the scruffy horses go deeper into the brush looking for forage, picking up burrs and such along the way. Pinatubo seems to get scruffier than Skippy.

A scruffy Pinatubo.









Forelocks full of cockle burrs. 


















Nice and fluffy again.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

@ACinATX - took this for you this afternoon 








(Excuse the dusty coat, she had just rolled in the shavings in her shed and I brushed her out after I took this)

I know people who don’t like blankets say it keeps horses from growing a good coat or being able to loft their hair, but in my experience that doesn’t happen. She’s been in a heavyweight for the past 36 hours because temps were below 0*F, but it went up to about 20*F with strong sun and no wind this afternoon, so I got the blankets off. Immediately she fluffed the coat right back off and dozed away in the sun. Blanketing seems to work for mine, and of course it does make me feel better for them to have some protection when wind chills are -25*F or when there’s a foot of snow coming down on top of them.


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## Aprilswissmiss (May 12, 2019)

egrogan said:


> @ACinATX - took this for you this afternoon
> I know people who don’t like blankets say it keeps horses from growing a good coat or being able to loft their hair, but in my experience that doesn’t happen. She’s been in a heavyweight for the past 36 hours because temps were below 0*F, but it went up to about 20*F with strong sun and no wind this afternoon, so I got the blankets off. Immediately she fluffed the coat right back off and dozed away in the sun. Blanketing seems to work for mine, and of course it does make me feel better for them to have some protection when wind chills are -25*F or when there’s a foot of snow coming down on top of them.


I think there is truth to horses not being able to loft their hair _while _the blanket is on - once it's off, shouldn't be a problem. And I think blanketing excessively in the fall when their bodies are deciding how much fur they need does lead to decreased coat thickness.

The BO started blanketing April once it started getting below 45ish (without wind or rain) and did not take blankets off on the warmer days. She's definitely not as fluffy this winter, and this is the first winter I've ever seen her shiver even though the temps have been the same here as places she's been previously. There are times when she comes in shivering because the blanket is light enough that it doesn't insulate, but snug enough that it traps down her hair too much for her to fluff it out. I take off the blanket and she fluffs up her hair after 15 or so minutes and stops shivering because her own fluffed up coat (even though short) is more efficient than the light blanket. Other times on particularly cold days, she comes in fine with a heavy blanket and then starts shivering when I take it off because even her fluffed-up hair isn't enough to keep her warm when it's not as long as it should be.

I think blanketing is most efficient when you let them grow out their winter coat as much as possible in the fall, then supplement with blankets if/when they're not able to thermoregulate in subzero temps/strong winds/heavy snow, and make sure to take them off once those bad conditions are over.


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)




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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

fuzzy fuzzy fuzzy!

thank you for that special picture @egrogan !


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

The fuzziest of my gang.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Fuzzy!!!


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)




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## dkgoodman (Oct 20, 2013)

secuono said:


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## dkgoodman (Oct 20, 2013)

secuono said:


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Now THESE guys are wearing the absolute BEST blankets! Love to see them cozy warm in their coats.


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