Texas Freezes! How are the horses?
The horses have a barn to go into, but they don't always do it. I really wish I could tell them that the barn will be warmer! But they are kinda like teenagers... they act like they don't even hear you LOL
Maggie, in the purple, already had a jacket (horse blanket coat thingy) but Tao did not. He was cold this morning and choosing to stay warm by laying in the mud. Yuck! We were not really prepared for this cold cold (to us) weather in regards to the horses.
There is so much conflicting information (opinions I guess) about whether or not your horses should be wearing these blankets. Tao has a nice fluffy winter coat of fur so we thought he'd be fine. Well... this morning he was acting cold so we ran down to the local feed store and bought him a new coat!
After we convinced him to get up out of the mud and into the barn (food as a bribe) we dressed him up. It took about 5 minutes for his body heat to build up under the coat and he started acting much better. No matter what the opposing opinions are about this. I believe we made the right decision for Tao today.
However, I am curious... Do you subscribe to the "never put a blanket on the horse" philosophy? Do you do it if it gets below a certain temp? What are your reasons?
Some great questions to ponder! Tweeting.
Enjoyed your post. I do not have horses but have goats and they do the same thing. The barn is warm and full of nice bedding. They would rather stand outside in the snow.
Oh, good...at least I know our goats are 'normal' for goats! :D
If it's any consolation, goats don't listen either! And, you did manage to get them dressed. I say do what feels right...this is not common for our Texas animals, and they aren't quite sure how to handle all of this cold weather nonsense! I wish I could have had pictures of my son in law trying to put coats on goats! Pure, unadulterated hilarity!
Lol! I'm sure it was comedy gold.
I suppose it might depend on who you ask. My brother is a horseman and I can tell you he's a blanket man. His horses have nice wool blankets and treats are always a good idea. Best of luck.
Yes it is certainly a "depends on who you ask" question LOL. Some are dead set on not doing it and others put on the blankets if the wind is blowing :)
! ! ! it's funny isn't it?? Maybe just asking the HORSE!!!! Best Bet!
Horse dream.
In college, we had some who had three or four different blankets for their horses. One blanket for 32-42 degrees, one for 42-55 degrees, or they'd layer two on top of each other if it got below 32...it was crazy.
I see several things involved in this discussion:
Shivering isn't necessarily bad for them - it's their body's way of warming up, however it means they're burning calories. Calories that you (probably) bought with their hay and feed. So less shivering means they'll burn less calories and eventually eat less food. (or at least the food they do eat will be converted to fat and muscle, not wasted)
Another consideration is that a horse's hair will naturally rise with the cold and trap air within it, acting as a natural winter coat. Putting a blanket on them can flatten the hair and actually REDUCE the amount of natural warmth-making they can do.
All that to say, it depends! As long as you care, and you go with your gut, I don't think there is a wrong answer :)
Love seeing pictures of your handsome horses!