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Discussion on Winter storm
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Member:
Gwen
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 22, 2005 - 6:08 am:
I know this has been discussed before, but I couldn't find any posts about it. We have a blizzard warning for my area tonight. The two horses that I have right now are living in and out of a run in without blankets. So far, temps have gotten down below zero and they seem to be fine. However, this blizzard warning has me worried. I don't have doors on the run in and the structure is separated by a half wall. My questions are whether I should take the wall out so that they both can out of the wind, and/or should I throw blankets on them. I don't want to overheat them with blankets! Help!
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Member:
Kthorse
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 22, 2005 - 6:52 am:
Hi Gwen,
I am in NJ with a blizzard comming here as well. My horse is not blanketed. He is out all day with not much shelter ,he can stand at the sides of the barn, he comes in at night. I would not put a blanket on if they are used to going without. They will be fine as long as they have some shelter from the wind. The snow itself is not a problem. I am not worried. My horse has done well in many blizzards. Unless your horse is shivering or unwell. I would not worry. They are hardier than we think.
Katrina
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 22, 2005 - 8:30 am:
Katrina is right the cold and dry snow is not much of a problem for a healthy horse with a full winter coat however I think it is important that they both can get out of the wind if neccesary. For more on this and other problems you might be facing: Care for Horses » Particular Situations & Procedures » Wintertime: Caring for Horses in the Cold.
DrO
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Member:
Jojo15
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 22, 2005 - 8:51 am:
LOL... I am laughing cause i am complaining about 40 degree weather... I feel for you guys. A blizzard... I have only seen it in movies. I can't imagine what a nervous nellie i would be in one of those.
I do agree with katrina that they are hardier than we think. and Dr. O is always saying that we are putting our concerns as humans onto them. My horse survived a hurricane like a champ. and i was sooo concerned.
Do heated water buckets help in this cold weather? drinking warm water?
joj
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Member:
Gwen
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 22, 2005 - 9:50 am:
I envy you right now joj! I do have the water buckets. My concern lies with the wind. My barn has two ten foot wide openings at the far ends. Both are on the south facing side which was recommended. However, the wall between them separates one stall so that he only has three sides of coverage. I want him to be able to escape the wind from all sides if he has to. He also does not like to go in his side because apparently there are monsters on the other side.
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 22, 2005 - 11:54 am:
If the horses get along o.k. I'd take the wall down so they can stand next to each other and get ot of the wind. If they have a good coat of hair and are out of the wind, they are probably better off without blankets unless your blankets are really warm and heavy and water/wind proof and the horses are used to them. I have lived with horses all my life in areas that get really cold and with lots of snow. I have worried and gotten up in the middle of the night during severe storms, piled on the clothes over p.j.'s and gone out to check on the horses, only to find the ones that can go in the barn standing out in the snow half the time! They have always been dry down under their hair close to the skin, and have always stayed warm enough. I'd just make sure they have extra good quality hay and open water to drink. The weather will bother you more than it does them.
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Member:
Suzeb
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 22, 2005 - 12:00 pm:
Eight days ago, where I live, we had -52ºCelsius factoring in a wind chill. That is the equivalent of -47ºFahrenheit. The horses all have heated automatic waterers. A couple of the horses had blankets on because they are older or not completely well. Extra hay is given for these guys when it is so cold and nothing else. Surprisingly, you will find a lot of them standing outside their shelters so they can see each other. The coats that they are wearing are "Snow coats" and will act as a bit of insulation provided it doesn't melt and get them wet. I guess what I worry about more is the footing underneath. Really deep snow or icy conditions. Stay warm Gwen, I am sure your horses will survive  .
Susan B.
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Member:
Hwood
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 22, 2005 - 1:29 pm:
Gwen,
I lived for 25 years in Vermont with horses . . . we had many blizzards during that time. There are a few factors to consider when making a choice for blanketing . . . age and condition being two, as Susan mentions above. I had all breeds of horses, but it seemed that my Arabians were always the ones that suffered the most when it came to below zero temps, (they shivered like Aspen leaves) so they were the ones I blanketed, along with one exceptionally old fellow. Below zero temps are tough on the animals, and shelter from the wind and wet; nutritious feed; coarse hay, and warm water, will help your horses weather the storm. A blanket is just a different kind of shelter, and one that I'd want if I were a horse in a blizzard. It's the wind PLUS the cold and wet that make it hard for the horses, so I'd opt to blanket through the storm . . . Then you aren't worrying about who is in the shelter and who is out. Besides, it won't hurt the horses to have the blankets for a couple of days. Make sure your blankets are water-proof, though, and as soon as the sun breaks through after the blizzard, go out and remove the blankets. Your guys will bask in the sun and cuddle down into snow beds. Be sure you cross the leg straps and snug up the belly straps so nothing is dangling for a foot to get through.
I am now in CA . . . and I am mowing foot long grass and listening to frogs at night . . . but I admit that I miss those snow days and cozying up in the house in the winter . . . and I remember well, dreading leaving the warmth of the house to shovel the path to the barn and hammer ice out of water buckets on bitter cold mornings. Ahhh . . . I am there with you in my mind. Be safe.
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Member:
Gwen
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 22, 2005 - 2:44 pm:
So I took down the wall and found two rain sheets (without quilting) to make sure they don't get too wet and windy. This way, as Hollywood mentioned I will sleep knowing that even if one doesn't get inside they are protected. Man, I wish I lived in California right now!!
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 22, 2005 - 3:31 pm:
Better be specific as to what part of Calif. you want to be in considering the weather they've had recently!
All this stuff that is hitting you now, was here in the west a week ago.(We're in So.Utah) Normally, we would have had lots of snow - our mtns. got over 6' from the one storm - but for some reason it was warm here in the valley and we had lots of rain. Our trainer's place flooded out and we had to go and rescue horses. The lowest water level that we could find to load in the water was still up to the horses' knees! They had stood all night in water because the roads were all flooded and closed and no one could get in or out. After wading through knee deep ice covered water for several hours loading almost 40 horses, I'll take the snow!!
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Member:
Kthorse
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 22, 2005 - 7:57 pm:
Hi Gwen,
I am glad you feel better. A sheet should be no problem as it keeps them dry. Where do you live? My horse is in the mountains of Warwick and Vernon NY and NJ border, Its extreme up there. We have around 7 inchs of snow already and its not going to stop for another 12 hours or so., Our house water pipes froze twice in 24 hours. Its only 6 below 0 but thats cold enough for me . with the wind chill I think its - 20 right now.
Holly my horse is a pure bred arabian and there are 4 other arabian horses in the barn. They all are fine with no blankets. I always thought it was the thorabreds that had thinner skins. and I dont know anything about that breed. I always thought arabians were extremliy hardy having grown up on an arabian stud. Then again we did not live in this climate. Maybe Ive been lucky. Then again each horse is different and should be judged as an individual. I dont like to blanket for the reason I love to ride all winter long and I want my horse not to be cold because he does not have the blanket on that he is used to. plus what if the blanket tears or rips then he has to go with out for a few days till I get a new one. I cant do that to him. Plus there are dangers in blanketining. I guess I am like an ex smoker who stopped and saw the negatives.I put blankets on my horses every winter for 20 years or so. What totaly changed me was an incident that killed a champion yearling that was my mums new stud. He won every Royal show he entered beating the proven grown stallions. He was so maginficent that you could cry from his beauty. her other stallions were in their 20's. Well any way a storm hit and he spooked ,the blanket somehow got over his head and blinded him . He ran into the dam and DrOwned. I swore never to blanket a horse again unless they were old , sick or malnutritioned. So forgive me if I dont like blankets much. As for heating water. Its so cold the here the water heater doesnt warm the water it just stopps it from freezing into a block of ice. You can drive a car or truck over our lake in winter. People do. They are nuts!!!
Yes Sara after all you have been through I would prefer snow to floods, hurricanes and all the horrible things that happen without warning.
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Member:
Gwen
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 22, 2005 - 8:19 pm:
I am beside myself with that horrific story Katrina. That poor baby that DrOwned... Anyway, they seem okay so far! I live in Massachusetts and we have about four inches right now. It is supposed to get bad around midnight(three inches an hour). I will do one more check, then hope for the best! One of them is a quarter horse and the other is a grade, appendix, something, or other. They are both seven years old and in reasonably good health. The grade is recovering from a broken leg, but is doing so well. I have not been a fan of blankets either, and so far have loved leaving them outside 24/7. I guess the term "blizzard" freaked me out. Good luck to you tonight Katrina! I guess we all have to deal with mother nature's wrath at some point!!
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Member:
Paintluv
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 22, 2005 - 9:10 pm:
That is aweful about that poor colt. The only time I have ever blanketed was when I first got my paint, Treasure. I bought her in North Carolina and had her hauled up to my place near Allentown, PA which is 75 miles northwest of Philadelphia. It was Feb. and she had already started to lose her coat but it was still cold here.
My horses have always been able to go in and out of the barn as they please and they have always been quite healthy. We got about 8 inches of snow so far today. I did put them in the barn tonight because my daughter's horse is 18 and was just covered with snow and ice. She wasn't shivering or anything but it made me feel better to bed them down in their stalls tonight. It will give her a chance to dry off in the sawdust. Even though there are two stalls open and a run-in shed and only two horses, little Sprout tends to stand out in everything. I felt good leaving them with their huge piles of hay tonight and fresh sawdust in their nice roomy stalls.
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Member:
Judyh
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 22, 2005 - 11:23 pm:
I board my horses right beneath the blizzard zone (just north of Philadelphia) and got in trouble at my barn today because I was upset by the water situation and forgot and expressed my dismay to a person that I should have kept quiet in front of because it made it back to management so fast... Anyway, I would like to know how others in this discussion are dealing with open water for the horses in this very cold weather we are experiencing. I have decided to get a heated bucket for my horse and then I won't have to worry as much. I found one called a "Little Giant Power Pail." Is anyone using this brand or could someone recommend a different kind?
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Member:
Hwood
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Posted on Sunday, Jan 23, 2005 - 12:23 am:
Blanketing definitely has its risks if they aren't fitted correctly, and if the belts, buckles, straps and snaps aren't done up correctly or if they break. There were several barns near me in Vermont where the horses were blanketed with more than one blanket and with horsey underwear, too . . . 24/7 . . . Often, I would see leg straps dangling or belly straps sagging, or blankets twisted around on the horses. Besides the hazards of leaving blankets on pastured horses with no supervision, it's just not healthy . . . but if some of us people insist on shaving off the horses' winter coats, we have to replace them with something.
Katrina, I like to think that Arabians are sturdy little horses . . . I'd more than likely choose one for endurance riding . . . but for some reason, my Arabians and one of my Morabs were the ones that I always found shivering on those below zero days, but I don't remember ever seeing my Appys, criollo, ponies or TB shiver. I had two barns, all with run-in stalls, and the horses would often opt to stand out in the weather . . . but many nights I'd find them inside, especially if there was sleet or icy wind.
Gwen, I had insulated, water-proof blankets for my guys, and I know that it was nice and toasty under the blankets, so when I removed them after a severe cold spell, I would do it in the morning during feeding time . . . and would fold the front of the blanket over the horse's back, then fold the part covering the rump over the horse's back . . . and just leave the blanket sitting there for a few minutes so the horse could acclimate to the outside temp. After a few minutes, I'd lift the blanket from the center of the horse's back and fold it over my arm . . . and it was ready for easy application when I next needed it. I don't know how much heat the rain sheets will keep in, so you may be able to just whip them off after the blizzard.
Snow is definitely more aesthetically pleasing than rain in the winter, but it usually made for icy footing, so it was more difficult to ride in than rain, but standing in knee-deep icy water???? Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-yuck!
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Sunday, Jan 23, 2005 - 12:24 am:
I haven't used that particular brand, but I do have one large heated tub that I use and I've been really happy with it. It's made the same as the buckets I've seen, so I would think the buckets would work fine too. It's kept water unfrozen in temps well below zero.
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Member:
Skye
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Posted on Sunday, Jan 23, 2005 - 9:41 am:
Hi, Judy. State Line and probably many other places sell the Thermo Bucket. It's not heated, (some barns don't want plug-in buckets,) and it supposedly keeps the water liquid for long periods. They have them for in the barn and in the pasture, too
Others on HA have advised putting a ball in the bucket or trough to keep the ice from forming solid.
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Member:
Wolfydoc
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Posted on Monday, Jan 24, 2005 - 12:30 am:
We use Coleman Extreme ice chests (lid removed) for our horses in stalls under our loafing shed, where we don't have electricity yet. The water stays unfrozen down to the low twenties all night long, and if you add a tea pot of boiling water at bed time it'll withstand even lower temps.
This model ice chest has wheels on one end and a large handle on the other so you can pull it out of the stall easily for cleaning out. The lid can be removed and replaced in the summer so you can use it for your own goodies when horse camping in the summer.
Cindy
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Member:
Maggienm
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Posted on Monday, Jan 24, 2005 - 8:02 am:
A horses hair will puff up and trap air, this traps heat, just like a double pane window is warmer than single pane. Even the snow and ice that freezes on their backs traps the warmth. Think of the huskies that have learned to burrow into snow and shun their 'doghouse'.
I have carefully scraped the snow and ice and used my finger to 'warm a hole' under the snow on my horses back. Switched hands and under that snow pack there was warmth.
When you put a blanket on the horse you are pushing the hair down so there is no trapped air to hold the heat. A rainsheet will keep them dry but won't do much for warmth. I don't know what area you are in but where I live a rainsheet will freeze a horse. For the past three weeks the temp hasn't risen above -25 with many days of
-40 -50 with the wind chill. Most horses here live outside year round.
This is an experiment I have done, put a sheet on, in ten mins stick your hand under, any warmth? Try a stable blanket, heavy turnout blanket, as many as you can.
I tried one blanket, I just arranged it on my horses back and put my hand under, that fast I could feel the warmth, I bought that one.
As a rule I don't use blankets but when I keep my horse at a boarding stable so I can use the arena to ride through the winter I think it necessary as the turn out pens have no shelters. So on go the blankets and at night the horses come in to the barn, the waterproof windbreaker comes off and just the stable blanket stays on. Depending on the temp, a chinook blew in so the temp is now +5 (this will last a couple of days then winter will come vback)so the heavey blanket has to come off and a lightweight one goes on. Once you start messing with blankets you really have to pay attention, if they start sweating under that blanket then go outside shudder-shudder
Just a thought, the blanket covers the back, neck and some people cover the head as well, what about the legs? Just messing with ya, I have never seen a horse with frostbite on their legs.
Someone gave me this peice of advice, if you are going to blanket your horse think of your own coat. If it is warm enough for you to unzip or wear a light coat do the same for your horse, if you wouldn't walk around without a coat, on even on a sunny day, don't expect your horse to.
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Member:
Paul303
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Posted on Tuesday, Jan 25, 2005 - 11:44 pm:
Judy, What is the water situation that disturbs you? Elizabeth
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Member:
Lisamg
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Posted on Wednesday, Jan 26, 2005 - 5:49 pm:
Hello all:
I agree with Dr. O. Blankets are totally unnecessary unless the horse has no shelter. I own horse blankets but only use them when camping with my horses and then it's usually only the rain sheets in the Spring & Fall. Where I live it seems like every horse barn you see has horses turned out with blankets on. (Sorry if I offend anyone but we call them "sissy horses"). I agree with Lori, a blanket simply pushes the pile of the hair down and destroys the horses natural insulation. Just about a week ago our actual temp. (not windchil...that was even colder) was more than -10F. The only horse that was shivering and cold was my 25 year old gelding. Had I know it was going to get that cold I would have only put a cotton sheet on him. Once he got outside and moving he stopped shivering, however the air temperature was not any warmer. I read an article that stated that a horse does not even use any calories to keep his body temperature at normal until the actual air temp. gets below 20F. We have to remember that horses are more suited to cold weather than we are. Just because we are cold, doesn't mean they are. That same week we got a blizzard with blowing snow and 50mph gusts .... the horses were playing "halter pull" during it.
JMO
Lisa
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Member:
Judyh
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Posted on Thursday, Jan 27, 2005 - 2:11 pm:
Elizabeth, I love the facility where I am boarding and I believe my horses do too. The one thing that has caused me some worry is how water is thought about. Statements like, "Horses have lived in the wild forever without water available all the time." People and horses can live for days without water." And, "The horses always have water." That last statement is just not true. I have to admit, there has never been an impaction colic in the six years I have been there, so I'm just going to have more faith in the watering practices at the place, plus get heated buckets (insulated ones won't fit under the outlet) and cleaning and refilling the outdoor troughs when they need it. I posted on this problem during the summertime also. Thanks for the suggestions of others. I thought the coolers was a really "cool" idea.
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Member:
Paul303
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Posted on Thursday, Feb 3, 2005 - 12:17 am:
Judy:I boarded horses for over 30 years before I was able to buy a place and bring them home. I can't count the number of nights I lay awake worrying about water problems similar to your's. The water accessibility problem ( when it existed) was similar. Yet in all those years, a problem from lack of water never emerged.
If you really like where you are, that is very important. Remember, the stable owner/manager is not eager to stay up all night with a sick horse. Nor are they eager to have to keep checking every hour to see how a horse with a problem is doing. They have enough work, they don't need a sick horse on top of it. So go ahead, get some good sleep, and trust their watering practices, help out if possible and if asked, and wait and see if there is an impact on the health of the horses.
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