Blankets Again
Emily Brooks
As I said, I'm taking care of my blanketing issue this winter by not taking
one to the barn. Tonight got a semi-panicked call from the barn - "I'm
turning your horses out and I can't find Hoover's blanket!". Me - "Good."
Stunned silence.
Yeah it's wet and coldish. Spot has his waterproof sheet. Hoover has fur and
flab. If/when he takes up shivering, I'll bring him a blankie.
Emily - I can remember when blankets were anathema in these parts
Dawn J-L
Solidarity.
"If/when he takes up shivering, I'll bring him a blankie."
That's what I do. I hardly ever need to give any of them a blankie.
Dawn JL
Tara
news:7mu5v3F...@mid.individual.net...
>
> Emily - I can remember when blankets were anathema in these parts
Not sure where you are at but I think its a general mindset issue
everywhere. Only rich and/or eccentric adult women used to dress their dogs
in bows & outfits. Now tons of people do it. There are pet "boutiques" in
just about every county now, or so it seems. It carries over to horses. We
treat our animals more and more like they are our children and less like
they are animals. I guess its the Feel-Good Factor.
Tara
(who is guilty of FGF moments on occasion)
Ocean of Nuance
You ride all winter outside, yes?
sharon
Ocean of Nuance
Do you think there is any conceivable combination of:
- riding through the winter
- indoor arena
- winter temperatures
that would ever be consistent with blanketing?
sharon
MA Sandy
Emily,
We have blanketed the school horses and/or boarders more in the last
two winters NOT because we have thought the horses needed them, BUT
BECAUSE the newer people to the neighborhood have been making noises
about our "abused" horses who have no shelter and must be freezing to
death out there. TRUST me that none of them go cold and only the
30ish Anglo-Arab is remotely thin enough to be worried about (he gets
blanketed because he is a hard keeper and grows NO freaking winter
coat!) Hell, I want Spice to shiver off some of the fat she has
developed (damned Morgan part of her! ;-))
Sandy
(Reason to Shout speaking: I HATE my blankets and roll my eyes and
hide in the corner of my stall when Mom or the BO come near me with
the bloody things! I am a Florida born Thoroughbred and I am NOT cold
out there!!! Damned nosey neighbors!!!!)
Hunter Hampton
<sandrab...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>Emily,
>We have blanketed the school horses and/or boarders more in the last
>two winters NOT because we have thought the horses needed them, BUT
>BECAUSE the newer people to the neighborhood have been making noises
>about our "abused" horses who have no shelter and must be freezing to
>death out there.
Do you live in MA? If so, you have no shelter at all for them?
Hunter
Emily Brooks
"Ocean of Nuance" <lizRMOVz...@nc.rr.com> wrote in message
news:7mu6r2F...@mid.individual.net...
>
> Do you think there is any conceivable combination of:
>
> - riding through the winter
> - indoor arena
> - winter temperatures
>
> that would ever be consistent with blanketing?
>
> sharon
If your horse is clipped, then you need to replace that fur with something
so that he won't shiver when he's not working. He only needs to be clipped
if he's working so hard that he gets overheated with that thick winter coat.
Indoor or out, makes no difference.
I usually gave Cash a strip clip in the winter which reduced the sopping wet
overheated part but did not usually require a blanket. I clipped Spot in the
summer, when he was in work. So far Hoover has not needed to be clipped.
These days I have only the great outdoors to ride in but I boarded at a
place with a nice indoor for years and years. Note that Hoover is not
working all that hard for a living and on the rare occasion when he does, I
just have to take the time to dry him out before I leave.
Emily
Emily Brooks
>
> You ride all winter outside, yes?
>
> sharon
And all summer, too.
Emily
Emily Brooks
"MA Sandy" <sandrab...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ce004200-f0f8-464a...@j9g2000vbp.googlegroups.com...
We have blanketed the school horses and/or boarders more in the last
two winters NOT because we have thought the horses needed them, BUT
BECAUSE the newer people to the neighborhood have been making noises
about our "abused" horses who have no shelter and must be freezing to
death out there.
-------------------
Despite boarding deep inside suburbia, none of the pastures are visible from
the street. Probably just as well!
Emily
Dr Corinne B Leek
There is now a "pet spa" just 4 km away from me, at the foot of my
road. They advertise "paw-decures". <rolls eyes>
However.
They will get in food that Kenny can actually eat and not be allergic
to, which will be far more convenient than driving 100 kms one way to
get the damned stuff. Which is what I have been doing.
sigh.
Corinne & Crazy Canuck Crew, surrounded by fluffbunnies...
--
*** Conserve Energy: Laughter is easier than Anger!
*** cl...@ns.sympatico.ca
Dr Corinne B Leek
Yup.
Jen just lets them all in the barn. Some in stalls and some in the
indoor arena. North wind, freezing rain, that sort of thing. The
horses frequently "hide out" in the woods, effective except for
certain winds.
Seldom, if ever, a blankie.
And, of course, Olga's Iceys would turn their nose up at a blankie.
Coirnne & Crazy Canuck Crew...
Emily Brooks
Maybe. And take it away very early in the spring.
He's two+ inches taller and the same weight as Cash so he sheds heat better.
Meaning he doesn't get as hot and sweaty under the same or more work. By
that token, he MAY get cold sooner. I'm doing the wait-and-see first this
year.
He and Spot were both born in Minnesota, early in the year. I tell folks
Spot never got over it. He's a yak every winter; Hoover is less yak-ish but
he still has a decent winter coat.
Emily - pulled H's bell boots too
Ocean of Nuance
> "Ocean of Nuance" <lizRMOVz...@nc.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:7mu6r2F...@mid.individual.net...
>> Do you think there is any conceivable combination of:
>>
>> - riding through the winter
>> - indoor arena
>> - winter temperatures
>>
>> that would ever be consistent with blanketing?
>>
>> sharon
>
> If your horse is clipped, then you need to replace that fur with something
> so that he won't shiver when he's not working. He only needs to be clipped
> if he's working so hard that he gets overheated with that thick winter coat.
>
> Indoor or out, makes no difference.
Have you ever working in a heated indoor? I think that makes a difference.
I rode in short sleeves all winter in a heated indoor.
sharon
MA Sandy
wrote:
> On Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:35:37 -0800 (PST), MA Sandy
>
>
> >Emily,
> >We have blanketed the school horses and/or boarders more in the last
> >two winters NOT because we have thought the horses needed them, BUT
> >BECAUSE the newer people to the neighborhood have been making noises
> >about our "abused" horses who have no shelter and must be freezing to
> >death out there.
>
> Do you live in MA? If so, you have no shelter at all for them?
>
> Hunter
Northwestern MA, yes.
Man made shelters, no. That being said, the trees and hills and
valleys in the paddocks have worked for years and years and years.
NOW, when the wind chills are going to be below 0F OR there is going
to be freezing rain, the horses ALL have a stall (ok, so Reason and
Lance get turned out in the indoor ring or we would have NO stall
walls left in the morning! ;-)) available to them EVEN the horse who
is on true pasture board (most of our "pasture" boarders are actually
in/out feeding types, for whom the stall is a convenience to ensure
they get their proper am and pm feedings!)
IF they stay out in "cold" weather, we provide at least 1/2 again the
amount of hay they normally get and even give them double if it is
going to be exceptionally chilly. TRUST me, none of these horses will
be mistaken for a starving rescue case, so the extra fat they have
will protect
This will be my 8th winter at this barn and NONE of the old timer
neighbors EVER batted an eyelash before. Now, we have to deal with
the touchy-feely types who think that the horses are suffering if they
are NOT locked in their 12'x12' cave EVERY night regardless of the
weather!
Sandy
(we can argue the shelter thing all day, because I know it is part of
the laws of the state of MA. However, the farm inspector from the
state every year says that he sees NO reason to change anything about
our set up.)
Hunter Hampton
<sandrab...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Sandy
>(we can argue the shelter thing all day, because I know it is part of
>the laws of the state of MA. However, the farm inspector from the
>state every year says that he sees NO reason to change anything about
>our set up.)
Whoa, I was just asking... not arguing. You do have shelter, you have
stalls in bad weather... that's all I was asking.
Hunter
Hunter Hampton
<sun...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>Despite boarding deep inside suburbia, none of the pastures are visible from
>the street. Probably just as well!
I had someone yell at me for "blindfolding" my horses one summer day
in SC.
Hunter
Tara
>
> - riding through the winter
> - indoor arena
> - winter temperatures
>
> that would ever be consistent with blanketing?
Don't have an indoor so I can't answer that. As for winter temperatures, it
depends on the area. Right now, my winter temperatures are daytime highs in
70s and nighttime lows in 50s. Due to shorter days all of the horses at my
stable are in full winter coat which is very inappropriate given the heat &
humidity (humidity is the bad one). So a lot of horses in this area of SC
get clipped to keep them comfortable during the day. It means they get some
covering at night.
Tara
John Hasler
> So a lot of horses in this area of SC get clipped to keep them
> comfortable during the day. It means they get some covering at night.
With lows in the fifties they should not need any covering unless
they've been shaved bald.
--
John Hasler Boarding, Lessons, Training
jo...@dancinghorsehill.com Hay, Jumps, Cavallox
Dancing Horse Hill
Elmwood, WI USA
Cricket
What she said - blanketing was originally to replace clipped hair and
sometimes to cool down. I remember a book I had when I was a kid, talking
about throwing a cooler or light blanket on a sweaty horse until it dried
*and then take it right off*.
If a horse is generally healthy and not clipped, needing blankets should be
the exception, not the rule.
Cricket
Cricket
Emily,
We have blanketed the school horses and/or boarders more in the last
two winters NOT because we have thought the horses needed them, BUT
BECAUSE the newer people to the neighborhood have been making noises
about our "abused" horses who have no shelter and must be freezing to
death out there. TRUST me that none of them go cold and only the
30ish Anglo-Arab is remotely thin enough to be worried about (he gets
blanketed because he is a hard keeper and grows NO freaking winter
coat!) Hell, I want Spice to shiver off some of the fat she has
developed (damned Morgan part of her! ;-))
Sandy
(Reason to Shout speaking: I HATE my blankets and roll my eyes and
hide in the corner of my stall when Mom or the BO come near me with
the bloody things! I am a Florida born Thoroughbred and I am NOT cold
out there!!! Damned nosey neighbors!!!!)
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
And we have no one to blame but ourselves if we keep caving like this and
then end up with laws mandating all manner
of stupid horse care tricks.
Cricket
MA Sandy
wrote:
> On Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:10:38 -0800 (PST), MA Sandy
>
> >Sandy
> >(we can argue the shelter thing all day, because I know it is part of
> >the laws of the state of MA. However, the farm inspector from the
> >state every year says that he sees NO reason to change anything about
> >our set up.)
>
> Whoa, I was just asking... not arguing. You do have shelter, you have
> stalls in bad weather... that's all I was asking.
>
> Hunter
Sorry. Sticky point with us, since we have had this issue with the
neighbors. The TajMastall across the road that still hasn't finished
its perimeter fencing is even getting in on us about not having run in
sheds (albeit, indirectly in comments to the general population AND
neighbors!) We won't go there!
Sandy
Emily Brooks
>
> Have you ever working in a heated indoor? I think that makes a
> difference.
>
> I rode in short sleeves all winter in a heated indoor.
>
> sharon
AIUI, heated barns are a real taboo around horses. A separate, heated arena?
Hmm. Certainly makes the clip/blanket/turnout choices more challenging
essentially mandating the clip/blanket in order to ride. I know this is how
you lived in Calgary.
But being able to ride in short sleeves in the dead of a Canadian winter
sounds to me like accommodating the people not the horse. It's rarely so
cold here that you'd dress like the Michelin man. I covet a covered ring
more for rain protection.
Emily
Sue Leopold
> "Ocean of Nuance" <lizRMOVz...@nc.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:7mu92eF...@mid.individual.net...
> >
> > Have you ever working in a heated indoor? I think that makes a
> > difference.
> >
> > I rode in short sleeves all winter in a heated indoor.
> >
> > sharon
>
> AIUI, heated barns are a real taboo around horses. A separate, heated arena?
> Hmm. Certainly makes the clip/blanket/turnout choices more challenging
> essentially mandating the clip/blanket in order to ride. I know this is how
> you lived in Calgary.
We have a handful of heated indoors around here. I don't love 'em
but they are surely nice when you are doing ice circuit showing with
the prerequisite h/j cool your heels and wait routine. It does mandate
clipping though. But that's the norm with hunters and jumpers so
we do it anyway.
> But being able to ride in short sleeves in the dead of a Canadian winter
> sounds to me like accommodating the people not the horse. It's rarely so
> cold here that you'd dress like the Michelin man. I covet a covered ring
> more for rain protection.
One reason for heated indoors in very cold climates is to keep the
footing workable and non-dusty. It is really, really hard in long-term
sub-freezing temps to keep the footing right - you can't water and
mag flakes can only do so much esp. in an arid climate like Calgary.
I'd rather clip and micro-manage blankets than have my horse
inhaling boatloads of dust everytime I ride.
I am very much in the no blankets, lots of turnout camp - but
sometimes you have to make choices based on what you do with
the horse.
Sue Leopold
> What she said - blanketing was originally to replace clipped hair and
> sometimes to cool down. I remember a book I had when I was a kid, talking
> about throwing a cooler or light blanket on a sweaty horse until it dried
> *and then take it right off*.
>
> If a horse is generally healthy and not clipped, needing blankets should be
> the exception, not the rule.
My rule of thumb is if it takes longer for the horse to dry after being
worked and properly cooled down, it's time to clip. I just hate seeing
horses hanging on cross-ties for hours long after they have been
cooled out waiting for a long coat to dry. These are horses in hard
work.
The Nose is not much of a sweater and he has a very fine short
coat. But man, after a good workout - he sweats and even his
winter coat holds heat and sweat. So we clip, he works, cools
out, whisked into the crossties and groomed and then back to
his beloved haynet with a blanket.
Healthy horses in light work do not need blankets. And for most,
a strip clip as Emily describes works a treat.
Cricket
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Well of course they complain. Your kind of turn-out is extremely damaging -
to their ability to claim a horse needs the high dollar maintainance they're
trying to sell. Same thing with grain, and blankets, and all kinds of fancy
leg support and shoes, and...
A few need a few of those things, once in a while. Can't make a career out
of once in a while. Therefore, must create a market.
Cricket
Cricket
"Sue Leopold" <svle...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:1j9mmf1.1sayvsm1y8j9oaN%svle...@earthlink.net...
>
> One reason for heated indoors in very cold climates is to keep the
> footing workable and non-dusty. It is really, really hard in long-term
> sub-freezing temps to keep the footing right - you can't water and
> mag flakes can only do so much esp. in an arid climate like Calgary.
>
> I'd rather clip and micro-manage blankets than have my horse
> inhaling boatloads of dust everytime I ride.
>
> I am very much in the no blankets, lots of turnout camp - but
> sometimes you have to make choices based on what you do with
> the horse.
>
> Sue
> svle...@earthlink.net
I have no issue with blanketing horses for a reason (and truly, blankets are
better than breaking a leg on frozen footing, or breathing in clouds of
dust). Clipped horses were what they were dreamed up for, barring the
occasional sick one, or cooling sheets (that's why they call them coolers -
'cause once the horse is cooled out, you take them off!) In the winter,
cooling out is more drying out, but basically, same difference.
It's the rest of the poor beasts trying to not get sick while overheated all
winter that bother me. H/J have always worn blankets when clipped (though
not necessarily to the ridiculous degree they do now), and replacing removed
insulation is the whole point of them. If your horse is healthy and not
naked, they might need a cooling sheet occasionally, but otherwise...
Cricket
Cricket
> Healthy horses in light work do not need blankets. And for most,
> a strip clip as Emily describes works a treat.
>
> Sue
> svle...@earthlink.net
Yeah, but they look funny (not like Fury or Black Beauty) in a strip clip -
can't have that... ;>/
Cricket
Nancy DeMarco
> My rule of thumb is if it takes longer for the horse to dry after being
> worked and properly cooled down, it's time to clip. I just hate seeing
> horses hanging on cross-ties for hours long after they have been
> cooled out waiting for a long coat to dry. These are horses in hard
> work.
I completely do not get this. Why the cross-ties? Can't they use a
cooler that's going to survive a roll in the shavings? Or use a
blanket that allows sweat to pass through? Even "properly cooled
down" horses "in hard work" still benefit from movement as the cooling
out process continues past the arbitrarily set point of completion.
Lucy is a yak. She lives out, so I don't clip her. She gets sweaty.
Sometimes very sweaty. Once she's cooled out, I run a plastic curry
over her to lay the sweaty mess a bit more flat, and I kick her
loose. She rolls in her stall, then wanders around. If it's windy,
she finds a wind break. When I feed hay at 11 PM, I groom her back to
fluffiness. The coat dries quickly near the skin - the long hair
wicks the sweat to the surface. She is plenty warm with no need for a
cooler or forced inactivity.
Cross-ties for a horse who has just worked hard? Lunacy.
Nancy
Sue Leopold
> It's the rest of the poor beasts trying to not get sick while overheated all
> winter that bother me. H/J have always worn blankets when clipped (though
> not necessarily to the ridiculous degree they do now), and replacing removed
> insulation is the whole point of them. If your horse is healthy and not
> naked, they might need a cooling sheet occasionally, but otherwise...
>
> Cricket
Agreed. Clipped horses do not need tons of blankets. Cruiser
is currently clipped and wearing a sheet. He is perfectly
comfortable, not burning hot under a ton of blankets and
certainly not shivering.
Horses are four-legged fermentation vats. :-) A clipped horse
stays warm just the way an unclipped one does - via lots
of hay. All you are doing after a clip is replacing what
Mother Nature gave him naturally. Even the shaggiest
pony does not have four blankets worth of hair.
Common sense - sadly lacking in the horse world.
Sue Leopold
> I completely do not get this. Why the cross-ties? Can't they use a
> cooler that's going to survive a roll in the shavings? Or use a
> blanket that allows sweat to pass through? Even "properly cooled
> down" horses "in hard work" still benefit from movement as the cooling
> out process continues past the arbitrarily set point of completion.
>
> Lucy is a yak. She lives out, so I don't clip her. She gets sweaty.
> Sometimes very sweaty. Once she's cooled out, I run a plastic curry
> over her to lay the sweaty mess a bit more flat, and I kick her
> loose. She rolls in her stall, then wanders around. If it's windy,
> she finds a wind break. When I feed hay at 11 PM, I groom her back to
> fluffiness. The coat dries quickly near the skin - the long hair
> wicks the sweat to the surface. She is plenty warm with no need for a
> cooler or forced inactivity.
>
> Cross-ties for a horse who has just worked hard? Lunacy.
Not my barn. Not my rules. :-) Everything else is great care-
wise so I deal with the occasional bits of lunacy. Cruiser is
happy, healthy, beautiful condition and fit. Happy horse.
Sometimes you make choices.
I would do just as you. But - this is a big, very, very busy
h/j training barn. They don't have the acreage per horse
to do as you do with Lu. So, compromise. A clipped horse
fits better into their routine.
I don't think that makes me a bad horse owner nor a lunatic.
Ruth Baltopoulos
> I have no issue with blanketing horses for a reason (and truly, blankets are
> better than breaking a leg on frozen footing, or breathing in clouds of
> dust). Clipped horses were what they were dreamed up for, barring the
> occasional sick one, or cooling sheets (that's why they call them coolers -
> 'cause once the horse is cooled out, you take them off!) In the winter,
> cooling out is more drying out, but basically, same difference.
It's exactly as you and Sue (and a few others) say: blanketing was meant
for clipped horses in certain weather. But a market and a mindset have
been created, and now some believe that all equines need clothing.
I have basically given up with some of my boarders when it comes to
blankets and sheets, other than severely limiting the number of layers I
will have members of the co-op dealing with. And I will remove the
clothing of animals that look miserable when they are overdressed.
> It's the rest of the poor beasts trying to not get sick while overheated all
> winter that bother me. H/J have always worn blankets when clipped (though
> not necessarily to the ridiculous degree they do now), and replacing removed
> insulation is the whole point of them. If your horse is healthy and not
> naked, they might need a cooling sheet occasionally, but otherwise...
My other mental exception to this rule is for horses in show barns that
are only turned out for a few hours each day. If they are standing in a
stall with limited movement and forage during cold New England temps,
then I can see the need for blankets.
--
Ruth B
AKogler
> svleop...@earthlink.net (Sue Leopold) wrote:
> > My rule of thumb is if it takes longer for the horse to dry after being
> > worked and properly cooled down, it's time to clip. I just hate seeing
> > horses hanging on cross-ties for hours long after they have been
> > cooled out waiting for a long coat to dry. These are horses in hard
> > work.
>
> I completely do not get this. Why the cross-ties? Can't they use a
> cooler that's going to survive a roll in the shavings? Or use a
> blanket that allows sweat to pass through? Even "properly cooled
> down" horses "in hard work" still benefit from movement as the cooling
> out process continues past the arbitrarily set point of completion.
>
Oh, you touched a pet peeve.
I have been at barns where people do this. They stick the wet horse,
either wet from work or bathing, in the cross ties and leave it for a
couple of hours..and usually with NO cooler. It just stands there,
shivering, or just bored and needing to pee and have a drink. this
really slays me. Its another reason I love the barn I am at now..the
jumper people there totally get it and the horses are cooled
correctly..they never just spend hours in the cross ties. One of the
small trainers there is guilty of this..bathing and letting stand in
fifty degree weather, no cooler. WTF!!
A hot horse needs to walked till its cool. A wet horse needs to be
standing in front of a pile of hay steaming with a cooler on,
periodically toweled and fluffed if necessary. Horses should never
just get parked in cross ties. And a wet horse for any reason should
never be without a cooler.
Abby
Sue Leopold
> Oh, you touched a pet peeve.
>
> I have been at barns where people do this. They stick the wet horse,
> either wet from work or bathing, in the cross ties and leave it for a
> couple of hours..and usually with NO cooler. It just stands there,
> shivering, or just bored and needing to pee and have a drink. this
> really slays me. Its another reason I love the barn I am at now..the
> jumper people there totally get it and the horses are cooled
> correctly..they never just spend hours in the cross ties. One of the
> small trainers there is guilty of this..bathing and letting stand in
> fifty degree weather, no cooler. WTF!!
>
> A hot horse needs to walked till its cool. A wet horse needs to be
> standing in front of a pile of hay steaming with a cooler on,
> periodically toweled and fluffed if necessary. Horses should never
> just get parked in cross ties. And a wet horse for any reason should
> never be without a cooler.
I never said I did this. I have seen it done.
A horse with a full haircoat will take time to dry even when
properly cooled down. Winter coats hold heat - that's what
they are supposed to do afterall.
I choose to clip and blanket a horse in heavy work. It works
better for me. And if we send one to Florida it's an absolute
NECESSITY! I am not shipping a horse from 10 degrees to
60 in a horse van with a full coat. WTF?
So I suck as an owner. Bite me.
Nancy DeMarco
> I don't think that makes me a bad horse owner nor a lunatic.
Oh, please - I said, "They," not "You."
Clipping and blanketing is fine by me. But standing a horse in cross-
ties following exercise is stupid, stupid, stupid.
Nancy
Nancy DeMarco
> And a wet horse for any reason should
> never be without a cooler.
I'm completely with you until this. :)
It's still pretty mild here - high 20's/low 30's at night and high
40's during the day. I'll leave Lu nekkid and wet if it's not overly
windy.
Bear in mind that she is mostly wet on her neck and chest and between
her hind legs - her topline is dry beyond the saddle area. If she
were in a stall, forced to stand still, she would have a cooler. If
she showed any sign of discomfort, she would have a cooler or light
blanket.
If she were stalled and wet, covered or not, I'd expect to have to
increase her bodywork accordingly.
Nancy
AKogler
>
> I never said I did this. I have seen it done.
>
> A horse with a full haircoat will take time to dry even when
> properly cooled down. Winter coats hold heat - that's what
> they are supposed to do afterall.
>
> I choose to clip and blanket a horse in heavy work. It works
> better for me. And if we send one to Florida it's an absolute
> NECESSITY! I am not shipping a horse from 10 degrees to
> 60 in a horse van with a full coat. WTF?
>
> So I suck as an owner. Bite me.
>
Sue!! I didnt mean you!! Gracious!! Was just responding to Nancys
post. It drives me nuts to see horses parked in cross ties, sopping
wet, no cooler.
I also clip all mine. Ya gotta here in SD if you want to work. They
just stand there and sweat in their paddocks if unclipped.
Honey! Calm down! Wasnt impugning you at all!
Want your comments on my nice horse, see other thread >;->
Abby
John Hasler
> One reason for heated indoors in very cold climates is to keep the
> footing workable and non-dusty. It is really, really hard in long-term
> sub-freezing temps to keep the footing right - you can't water and mag
> flakes can only do so much esp. in an arid climate like Calgary.
A couple of tons of feed salt suffices to lower the freezing point of
our footing enough to allow me to water it all winter (though I can only
apply water on "warm" days).
Nancy DeMarco
> A couple of tons of feed salt suffices to lower the freezing point of
> our footing enough to allow me to water it all winter (though I can only
> apply water on "warm" days).
I have wondered about salting my outdoor ring. But the horses are
turned out there, and I'm afraid they'll start eating the sand. Like
they don't have enough salt blocks.
Nancy
John Hasler
> I have wondered about salting my outdoor ring.
Won't work outside in your climate. Way too much water.
> But the horses are turned out there, and I'm afraid they'll start
> eating the sand.
Ours don't eat the footing in the indoor.
Lisa Cook
winter coat 3 weeks after I clipped her the first time.
I rode last night in the indoor while someone else was having a
dressage lesson. We both rode for an hour. I walked Suzi out, she
was dry as a bone, groomed her, put a medium weight blanket on her,
cleaned my tack, got myself organized and got ready to leave.
At that point, I walked by he other horse who worked at the same time
as Suzi. He was not clipped and was in his stall just soaked with
sweat with a cooler on. Looking at Suzi last night and then looking
at the other horse after they worked....Suzi was absolutely looking
more comfortable of the two.
I'm with Sue L.....,my horses work all winter...I'm happy to clip
them, happy to blanket them as needed. :-)
Lisa Cook
Brookline, NH
Lisa Cook
place.
I'd do an exercise with Suzi, and a few minutes later, the dressage
instructor would have her student do the exact same thing. A few
examples:
- shoulder in down long side. 10 meter circle at B/E, return to
shoulder in. The person in the lesson was asked to do this shortly
after I did it with Suzi, although she had never done a s/i with her
horse before. And I giggled to myself when the instructor told the
student to do a "15 meter" circle at B/E, "that will bring you to the
center line of the ring". Uh, not in that indoor. A 10 meter circle
will bring you to the center line, 15 meters will bring you to
opposite quarterline.
- work without stirrups. After I warmed Suzi up, I rode without
stirrups the rest of the session. Shortly after I removed them, the
instructor mentions to student that she would benefit from working
without stirrups.
- walk-canter-walk transitions on a 20 meter circle. I did them on
one lead. Free-walked for a bit, was getting ready to do them the
other way when the instructor had her student do the same thing. The
student had never done a walk to canter transition before, so tried it
for the first time last night.
I wonder if the student even recognized that her trainer was just
having her follow my exercises in the order that I did them? It was
quite obvious to me.
Lisa Cook
Brookline, NH
Ocean of Nuance
> "Ocean of Nuance" <lizRMOVz...@nc.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:7mu92eF...@mid.individual.net...
>> Have you ever working in a heated indoor? I think that makes a
>> difference.
>>
>> I rode in short sleeves all winter in a heated indoor.
>>
>> sharon
>
> AIUI, heated barns are a real taboo around horses. A separate, heated arena?
Yes. The barn was not heated other than by the horses who were in at night.
> Hmm. Certainly makes the clip/blanket/turnout choices more challenging
> essentially mandating the clip/blanket in order to ride. I know this is how
> you lived in Calgary.
Yes. I don't see another option if you want to work through the winter.
> But being able to ride in short sleeves in the dead of a Canadian winter
> sounds to me like accommodating the people not the horse. It's rarely so
> cold here that you'd dress like the Michelin man. I covet a covered ring
> more for rain protection.
I think some rode in long sleeves. If I was in better shape then I
might have been able to do that. ;)
sharon