Kepping horses warm

[seahorse]

It is 28 degrees outside and has been raining lightly all morning. My crazy little gelding won't stay in his shelter.

I do have a waterproof blanket but he is already wet so it wouldn't do any good?

Should I be concerned about him getting to cold or will he be ok?

Thank you!

 

[Katiean]

We have gotten down to the single digits. My brats just use their shelter as a place to potty. Oh, they do get fed in there too. I only blanket one of my horses because when she does want into the stall our oldest mare won't always let her in. I only blanket her when it snows and is in the single digits because the last BIG snow storm we had I went out and she had 6"-8" of snow on her back. I have found that if they get too cold they will go inside.

 

[Alex]

Its been zero here, and my silly geldings still choose to stay out of their shelter!

When hes cold, he'll go in the shelter. If I were you, Id make sure to feed him in the shelter.

 

[MyFriendFlicker]

Yep. My monkey's out...it's not nearly as cold as you guys are discussing, but it gets as cold as he's used to, I figure.

It has been a cold rain here for almost a week, with only a little relief in the form of complete overcast. The land is saturated, with standing water everywhere. The barn is on a natural "hill" (I'm on FLAT ground) and is the only dry place on our 20 acres.

What does Flicker do? Stands in the puddles, in the rain, watching construction workers all day work on building a house for my mother in law. I tried to put him up two nights ago in a fresh stall. I got up to find an 8" deep hole he'd pawed the dirt out of, right in front of the stall door. OH! I guess he wasn't too pleased.

He has a run in shed AND can access a stall. He never had shelter before we got him...maybe that's part of his deal.

 

[outlawridge]

Earlier this week it got to 13 below without the wind chill figured in, my tiniest wee dwarf is so close to the ground at 21.50" that she actually had frost forming on her face and the blanket she was wearing in her closed shelter. Here's what we did......

 

[K Sera]

 

[Cathy_H]

We use the calf panels to close off the front of our horses run ins so that they cannot get out in the rain, sleet etc.. This doesn't close them in so much as the stalls. We do this while they are turned out into the dry (mud

) lots during the day. If really bad we put them all in stalls.

 

[Miniv]

If your situation is where the horse has an option for shelter or not.........and the temps are down in the single digits? My suggestion would be to feed them INSIDE their shelter.....AND be sure to feed them extra rations of HAY. It's the hay that keeps them warm from the inside out.

 

[sedeh]

My guys only go into their shelters when the wind is blowing hard or it's a drenching rain. OH! Otherwise they prefer it outside. Most of the articles I've read have said that horses actually prefer the cooler temps....down to the teens are their comfort zone

(and I think our minis coat up even more than the big horses do!!). As long as they have the option of a shelter I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[mizbeth]

Outlawridge ----------cute! She will get spoiled!

I typically leave my broodmares and last years babies out all year, they have shelters but do not use them most of the time. It is pretty windy here a lot of the time, they will get up close to it or in it in the wind/rain. The wind is usually the worst enemy here, especially when it rains as the rain can/will penetrate the long hair they get this time of year. If I should see one shiver then they come inside where they cannot get the wind/rain.

So far it has not been that cold here, mids 30's night and 40's day as the low. They have plenty of hair and run and play most of the times, even the older girls. I do keep my old stallion (26) and mare (30) up where the wind/rain will not get them. The others have options. None of mine are clipped now. If I had one clipped they would definately stay up in a closed stall with double blankets, neck wraps with heat lamps.

Most of these little guys like the cold weather. I would not blanket one that has a full body of hair.

 

[Warpony]

If he actually shivering? If not, then it is probably not bothering him and that is why he is out in it. Unless mine start to shiver I just don't worry about it. They always look soaking wet but if I actually go out there and look at them they are dry at the skin, it is just all the surface hair that is soaked.

 

[Sue S]

I was keeping all my minis in when it got real cold, I'm just an overly protective mom, but last week I started letting them out in the cold weather, They just loved it, wish I would of taken some oics of them, I also put my 8 month old little colt and my 8 month old filly out with them, boy did they like it, If its rainng or windy I will put them all in there stalls, don't need another vet bill out here, Looking at my 2 babies on camera now and they are exausted, their both laying down sleeping, they love it in the cold weather.

 

[seahorse]

I always feed him his feed in his shelter and I also put his hay flake in there, which he promptly picks up and takes it out to eat!

OH!

It's warmer now and not wet. He never shivered or anything so I guess he was comfortable, though I would be freezing. :Cold-Scared