This does make me feel better. Real feel today is -7. I ended up adding another layer last night, so he’s in a 200g liner, 100g liner, and 380 heavy w/ hood for a total of 680g. I feel insane but when I left late last night he was sleeping and looked quite content. I am hoping I can pull a layer tonight!
I’ve got a super thick coated mustang who is also PSSM and runs SO cold. I’ve got him in 300 grams overnight - Ohio and feels like 0. I’ve got an Optimo in 75 that is way too big on him BUT with a 200 gram liner and then a 100 gram liner it fits him perfectly and he’s happy.
I do pull blankets every day, switch out styles and how they lay on them, groom a bit and move them around in this weather - 15 min walks for example.
They need to be moving.
Agreed.
That’s also relevant to the layering conversation. When you get to the three rugs stage of layering, you need to make sure they can move comfortably with the weight and the straps. Get up, get down, walk between the hay and the trough at least.
Based on the behavior of the back field last night when I turned my guy out, that is not a concern for any of them.
Its a bit damned if you do, damned if you don’t. I’m sure mine doesn’t move as well in three layers as he would with less. But he also won’t move at all if he’s cold - he just stands by the wind break shivering and miserable. And of course, if I leave him in he doesn’t move at all.
Definitely important to hand walk or do something to get them to move when its this gross out!
And then there’s my senior with PPID telling me he doesn’t need his blanket when it’s going to be -20c with the wind chill overnight…
Yes, yes you do need the blanket.
Sometimes I think he objects for form’s sake. His objections seem very mild and short lived when it’s actually cold.
Oh, I’m certainly not suggesting that you bundled your horse up until he was a marshmallow and he couldn’t move and froze to death in his rugs! You brought up a good point that others might want to think of when considering how to structure their layering system in a horsemanlike way.
Not everyone is a freaking lunatic who has given it as much thought as I have.
No totally understand what you meant! And I get your last point…this time of year its just constant worrying about the hourly real feel and if he’s too hot or too cold!
My horses did fine with their layers! They looked to be laying down and getting up with ease at midnight checks.
My big horse has an aversion to cold water in cold weather so I tote hot water down overnight for him when it’s really cold.
Today it’s less cold but steady rain. Which is even worse.
The cold rained continued into the late evening accompanied by a cold north wind. My big horse was not impressed with continued confinement to his stall, but was mollified with a net of alfalfa.
At night check big horse still seemed cozy in his 100 gram. But I had to add another layer on Honcho Pony as he was not cozy despite being in a 250 gram medium. Honcho was also in his stall but I leave his door open so he can do as he pleases though he elects to hang out in the stall taking naps in the shavings and making faces at the big horse (and staying out of the wind)
At any rate, this morning at breakfast the real feel was 28 and big horse was still toasty in his 100 gram and Honcho was cozy in his layers equaling 300 grams (50 gram TO over 250 gram TO). I’m still sideyeing how cold Honcho runs as it seems a bit extreme.
Would liners or stable blankets underneath the turnout be an option vs layering turnouts? It wouldn’t be as bulky and as much weight.
I’ve got two Rambo Duos and really like them but sometimes I do find it easier to put a heavyweight or medium in vs dealing with liners. Honestly my riding horse has some mild neck issues so I’ve been using Wugs or the hoods and my BO seems to think I’m overdoing it. Since I do my own blanketing, I could care less what anyone thinks.
That’s for sure. It’s especially hard when your BO is anti blanketing (so don’t ask her to do anything) and temps fluctuate daytime and evening. Do I dress him for the day or the night? I don’t have any hard keepers so do tend to stick with 200-250 gm total unless it gets bitter cold and single digits. I feel like I’m running out to the barn constantly to make adjustments. And my guys are at two separate places opposite from each other. Makes for a lively day!
He does have a couple of liners, but not a super heavy one. I actually don’t know if Horseware makes a heavier liner for the pony cuts. I have the 100 and 200 already. Poor little guy gets super chilled very easily so I keep him bundled up. Especially since he’s having some digestive difficulties currently.
Yeah, i checked and do not see Horseware pony liners above 200g. That sucks. Idk if a nice warm stable blanket from another brand would work. That’s probably what i would do. I just don’t like the idea of layering turnouts due to the weight of them.
I seriously love all in ones and use them in the bitter cold. Horseware, Schneiders or WB are the only brands w detachable neck covers that I would use. My friend has Kensington and you need a manual to figure out all the straps.
I don’t usually love to layer other than a sheet w neck cover on top of a wug when it’s wet out, but I do have one stable blanket that I will use as a layer for my senior girl. It’s a 150g Mio and it’s so cozy I refer to it as her jammies. It’s nice and light so it doesn’t add a ton of weight. I also picked it up for some ridiculously cheap price - like $40. It’s actually a little short on her now because she went up a size since I adopted her and she gained some much needed weight. But it still works.