Best foal blanket

[Small_Stars]

Our little mare is due the middle of next month. I'm praying the weather is semi-warm, but not holding my breath. February here can be brutal with single digits and strong north winds. Our mare has a stall and all that, but the barn is not heated, though I've seriously considered bringing her into my laundry room to foal. Anyway, where can I find the best severe weather foal blankets that wick away moisture and keep them warm? Any other ideas for keeping a foal warm besides heat lamps, would be appreciated also.

 

[Minimor]

My favorite foal blanket is one I made--a simple blanket cut from a heavy wool Hudson bay blanket! That kept my baby warm in -35 temps in early February --I just put a plain fleece lined foal sheet over top to keep it clean.

For a commercial blanket though I would go with the Kensington foal blanket from Ozark Mtn. I love my Ksnsingtons--they are warm and do wick away moisture

 

[Small_Stars]

Thank you. Do you have anything you do if a foal is born when it's freezing? I've heard their super sensitive to cold and drafts. I don't "think" there's any drafts except what comes from around her dutch stall doors to her run, but I couldn't swear to it. Do you hang heat lamps or other heating devices?

 

[eagles ring farm]

Someone on the forum here made some wonderful little flannel foal blankets I got a few and love them anyone remember who it was it was back in 2007 when I got mine.

 

[SampleMM]

sstack.com. They have foal saver blankets for minis and full size horses. You won't find anything better!

 

[Carolyn R]

sstack.com. They have foal saver blankets for minis and full size horses. You won't find anything better!

When I had foals, these were my favorite by far.

 

[Minimor]

Thank you. Do you have anything you do if a foal is born when it's freezing? I've heard their super sensitive to cold and drafts. I don't "think" there's any drafts except what comes from around her dutch stall doors to her run, but I couldn't swear to it. Do you hang heat lamps or other heating devices?

I don't use heat lamps - I don't feel that they are safe around horses and bedding materials such as straw or shavings. The most important thing is getting the foal well dried off. The foal we had born in -35 weather had to be brought into the house the first two nights. We do not have a warm barn and it was just so cold that, even after I got her dried off & warm, when I took her back out to the mare she would not nurse. Luckily the mare was good about having her baby taken away for the night; I went out & milked her every hour & a half & fed the foal, then in the morning the baby went back out with her mom. She was okay for the day when it was less cold, but the 2nd night she again would not nurse. Back in the house she went, and I milked the mare again. By the third night she was okay outside--she wore blankets of course, and she continued to wear blankets right through the rest of the winter. We have had winter babies since that one & lucked out with having milder weather at the time of foaling. I've also fixed up a shed better for winter foaling--tarps on the walls ensure that there are no drafts; even the door can be closed off. If we had horses in the barn it would be warmer in there (insulated barn full of horses actually gets warm in the coldest of weather) -- but we are not putting horses in the barn as a rule & if there is only the mare & foal in the barn it is no warmer than any of the loose housing sheds.

If you must use a heater, an infrared heater is the thing to use--they don't heat up & so aren't likely to cause a fire the way a heat lamp can (with heat lamps even if the horse cannot reach the lamp or cord & knock it down into the bedding, the lamps do sometimes shatter, and when the hot glass hits the bedding material a fire is started--my grandfather lost a barn, sow and piglets to just such a fire one time)

 

[Small_Stars]

I found those little mini foal savers. Do you layer those under another blanket?

 

[SampleMM]

I never did and my foal is due in February as well and that's all I sent to the farm that's foaling my mare out.

 

[Small_Stars]

Thanks! Still praying for warm weather though.

 

[Charlotte]

These are the infrared heaters we use for foaling. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200395479_200395479

They work very well and are safer than heat lamps, but any source of heat can be an ingition source. We keep them dusted daily and make sure there is no dust on the stall edges that they may shine on. we have 2 and move them around as needed.



Our stalls are open to the floor so if needed I will stack blaes of shavings or hay on the outside of the stalls to keep drafts out.

I have about 30 something foal blankets in various sizes and most of them are polar fleece. Try to have several different sizes for layering and for whatever size the foal is and to change out if they get damp. You might consider using a hairdryer on the foal to help dry him/her.



this stall is bedded with shredded cardboard bedding which is insulating and very clean, but I can't get it anymore.

And DEEP bedding! Deep shavings then DEEP hay or straw over that and maybe bank up against the walls to help with drafts.

And be prepared to milk mom and feed baby if it is slow to nurse...a cold foal won't nurse and they quickly go down hill.

I also keep an electric blanket and an electric heating pad at hand for a really cold one....never leave the stall when using something like that.

Then when you are all prepared.....ENJOY!

 

[little shiloh farm]

For my little orphan foal that was born in November, we had some of the foal liners as well as the foal blankets from prime design mini tack. They are affordable, fit well are really adjustable. Our little guy has stayed nice and warm