Colorado horse people chime in :)

[OverandOnward]

Blankets, blankets, light windbreak ones, medium ones, layers, heavy snow-proof outers (horse heat melts whatever is sticking, can soak through … if cold enough, it becomes iron-ice on the blanket.)

Places to hang and dry blankets. SUV or trunk space to ferry extra blankets with you, when you realize an extra layer is needed tonight – or for today’s turnout in 20 mph wind.

It’s important to turn-out even in bitter weather. So be ready to go -10 with 20mph wind for a few hours.

Drying from work or heated-water bath - irish knit, layer with ears-to-tail fleece. Have seconds of both to replace wet with dry for the second stage of drying. Have extra time to wait for horse to dry (and in the very dry air they will) so you can blanket properly before leaving.

Temp swings madly, especially in spring and autumn. From week to week. Up to 30+ degrees in a single 24-hour cycle is very normal. Intensely bitter week may be followed by several warm days with bitter nights.

Horse has more clothes than you. Repair and replace blankets as needed, they last as long as they last and it isn’t forever.

Generous blanket budget for happy horse. They do well in the climate if properly managed - but it is intense in winter!

[OverandOnward]

@Bobuddy;6013812

… There is nowhere to ride here …

And you’re moving to Colorado ???

For those of us from the sunny south, Colorado is fabulous from late May through autumn (especially if you can ride early during summer.) The rest is hard winter and indoor riding, unless it is a lucky year.

It depends on the winter and they can vary alot, depending on location. But there are years when the snow stays thick for weeks, even months.

Must have easy access to an indoor arena to ride regularly in winter. The arena being part of your barn is best to ride often. It isn’t just the snow, it’s the wind as well. Anything above 20F is fine with me, but … without wind !!! Winds of 15-25 mph are quite normal in CO in any temp. (And nights of hurricane-force wind pass without comment! )

Easy winter access to ride is key. If you must trailer to ride, and your trailer is buried to the fenders in snow accumulation, you won’t be riding off-property until the weather fates change. Some years that was all winter! Others it wasn’t much of an issue. Also, the country roads to/from your property and the other one must be passable with a trailer.

Some facilities give indoor schooling dressage shows during winter. And sometimes wonder why almost no one came - “there was no snow on our driveway!” Not realizing their hoped-for competitors had buried trailers and/or difficult dirt roads to contend with.

[Simkie]

@OverandOnward;6013829

Horse has more clothes than you. Repair and replace blankets as needed, they last as long as they last and it isn’t forever.

Generous blanket budget for happy horse. They do well in the climate if properly managed - but it is intense in winter!

Well…yes…for a clipped horse. I have an obscene amount of money sunk into my collection of Rambos. It’s really ridiculous.

But an unclipped horse does just fine naked in Colorado. Our weather isn’t THAT crazy.

[OverandOnward]

@Simkie;6013841

Well…yes…for a clipped horse. I have an obscene amount of money sunk into my collection of Rambos. It’s really ridiculous.

But an unclipped horse does just fine naked in Colorado. Our weather isn’t THAT crazy.

Yes it is that crazy. These are horses acclimating from KY. It will be at least 2 years before their winter skin & hair are ready for one of the colder CO winters. Nothing they’ve experienced so far has prepared them to be naked turnout horses in CO. It depends on the wind as much as the overnight lows … and sometimes the highs. There were weeks when the high was 10F. And, the altitude of the farm will have a lot to do with the temps - in CO it’s altitude, not latitude, that determines the relative severity of winter.

Naked turnout horses in CO are known to lose eartips to hypothermia. Horses do get cold in that climate.

[nightsong]

@Bobuddy;6000597

I know it is dry and no real grazing/grass compared to green KY.

Not true. You’re more likely to see horses (and other animals) living on just pasture than in Kentucky. Ranches are big business. You DO need more acreage per animal, though. It costs less per acre and is generally more available, also. And “not’green” pasture is very nutritious. It’s not “dead”; that’s just the different varieties of plants.

And “colorado” is a big state: VERY varied terrain and climate. 14,000+ feet high mountains, endless FLAT plains. Cold and snowy; hot and dry. Look what state(s) are on its southern border…

I lived for many years across the NORTHERN border of Colorado at an altitude of over 7,000 feet; horses on pasture all year; supplemental hay only in winter; no blankets ever; more pleasant outdoor weather than Virginia (summers cooler and dryer with NO BUGS; people don’t even have screens on their windows; winters dryer and pleasant so people played (skiing, skating, snowshoeing, riding, etc. etc. etc.) outside ever so much more). When I moved back to Va., I found the winter weather so miserable to be out in, no WONDER people stayed indoors all winter…

[Bobuddy]

I am mostly considering south of Denver at the moment - Parker, Elizabeth, all the way down to Colorado Springs area.

I do like KY - but I have some family in the Parker area, and the rest of my family are migrating that way (sister just got a job in Broomfield). Growing up, I spent lots of time in many areas of Colorado, so it also feels like “home” to me. Though, I do understand that visiting is much different than living there. I like to be active outdoors - hiking, etc. I miss that being in KY - our state is obese for a reason.

My main complaints with KY is the humidity in the summer where it is miserable to ride after 9am or before 8pm. Trail riding in the summer is also an issue. The ticks have gotten so bad around here that people come home covered in ticks starting in early April - bleh. The winters can be anywhere from mild with lots of cold rain or ice - or cold and snowy. I can take the cold and snowy part - but the cold rain for days and dreary winter skies for 4 months really gets to me. I usually start to panic about winter at the end of May. And I am used to not riding for weeks at a time due to weather.

I do have blankets - sheets, heavy ones, light ones, etc. With all of the cold rain we get - everything must be waterproof and sturdy enough to last through the boot sucking mud from November to April.

We most likely wont be ready to move too soon - but I want to get a realistic idea of caring for horses in Colorado because I know it will be different. I would prefer to have the horses at home like I do now, but would be open to boarding also. After bringing the horses home 7 years ago - there are really really good points to having them in outside my front window - but actually riding brings on a whole new set of issues. I mow 7 hours per week to keep the grass under control and the maintenance of the farm takes up all of my time.

Lots to think about, for sure. But I love all of the information you guys are coming up with - keep it all coming - good AND BAD!

[Simkie]

@OverandOnward;6013867

Yes it is that crazy. These are horses acclimating from KY. It will be at least 2 years before their winter skin & hair are ready for one of the colder CO winters. Nothing they’ve experienced so far has prepared them to be naked turnout horses in CO. It depends on the wind as much as the overnight lows … and sometimes the highs. There were weeks when the high was 10F. And, the altitude of the farm will have a lot to do with the temps - in CO it’s altitude, not latitude, that determines the relative severity of winter.

Naked turnout horses in CO are known to lose eartips to hypothermia. Horses do get cold in that climate.

And I’ve personally known plenty of horses that come up from Texas in the spring and do just fine turned out naked that same winter. Most horses are going to do FINE. Horses that lose eartips are usually the very young or the very old, or ones that are otherwise compromised.

Sure, watch your horses and have a blanket ready if they’re looking cold, but telling someone that they have to have a whole wardrobe and to expect to keep them bundled up from October to April is a little extreme.

[CosMonster]

[QUOTE=Simkie;6014343]
And I’ve personally known plenty of horses that come up from Texas in the spring and do just fine turned out naked that same winter. Most horses are going to do FINE. Horses that lose eartips are usually the very young or the very old, or ones that are otherwise compromised.

Sure, watch your horses and have a blanket ready if they’re looking cold, but telling someone that they have to have a whole wardrobe and to expect to keep them bundled up from October to April is a little extreme.[/QUOTE]

Shoot, in the fall of 2006 (2006/2007 was an awful winter where we got 3 feet of snow in December that stuck around until March) we had two boarders come in from Florida. They arrived around the beginning of September and still did fine all winter without blankets. It really depends on the horse.

It’s also not really true that there’s nowhere to ride during the winter. We were in northern Colorado (first on the plains and then in the foothills) and I never had an indoor and still managed to ride all winter. However, it is true that schooling all winter is difficult without an indoor, but if you don’t mind trail riding it is really fun to ride in the snow. And the first few years I was there, I was training at a breeding farm and even though we couldn’t really use the arena we still had the horses ready for the early spring shows. It takes some creativity but it’s definitely possible in most areas. High up in the mountains is probably a different story, though I know some people who manage it.

[Simkie]

@CosMonster;6015417

It’s also not really true that there’s nowhere to ride during the winter. We were in northern Colorado (first on the plains and then in the foothills) and I never had an indoor and still managed to ride all winter. However, it is true that schooling all winter is difficult without an indoor, but if you don’t mind trail riding it is really fun to ride in the snow. And the first few years I was there, I was training at a breeding farm and even though we couldn’t really use the arena we still had the horses ready for the early spring shows. It takes some creativity but it’s definitely possible in most areas. High up in the mountains is probably a different story, though I know some people who manage it.

Yep! I totally agree! I do think it would be tough to ride through the winter if you’re working 8 - 5, as you’re just never going to have the light, but if you can ride during the day, you can definitely get it done. We rode outside all winter when I was in the horse program in high school. Colder was sometimes BETTER, as the arena wouldn’t be muddy. We spent more time riding out in the fields when things started to melt. You learn to dress warmly and we went out bareback more.

[englishcowgirl]

There is a lot on here that is not adding up and much of it really does sound sort of… made up? I brought my appendix mare out from Pennsylvania last year to the front range. I did not have to blanket any differently than when we were home. Actually much less, it is not really that cold out here. She has a light weight turn out that she wheres when it snows. She still has her ears, they have not frozen off yet :lol:. I did not know Colorado was like Alaska now :lol:
The colic? Never heard of any issues other than folks pumping their horses full of alfalfa, or feeding grain out their ears. That was just the same on the east coast too.
We did have foot problems, but they were brought on by a bad farrier. It ended up being contracted heels. She is going barefoot now and we ride six days a week! The ground is hard but for some reason her feet have never been better! I really do not know any horses who have navicular, but at home I knew a whole bunch.

[RAyers]

[QUOTE=englishcowgirl;6016632]
There is a lot on here that is not adding up and much of it really does sound sort of… made up? I brought my appendix mare out from Pennsylvania last year to the front range. I did not have to blanket any differently than when we were home. Actually much less, it is not really that cold out here. She has a light weight turn out that she wheres when it snows. She still has her ears, they have not frozen off yet :lol:. I did not know Colorado was like Alaska now :lol:
The colic?[/QUOTE]

Regretfully, you moved here during one of the most dry and mild winters on record. Yes, on average we can be colder than Montana but with less snow. Still, our average snowfall is 40" along the Front Range. Obviously, it is much higher in parts of the mountains and in the plains. South of Denver, along the Palmer Divide (Sedalia, Parker moving South to Monument) has a much higher snowfall than Denver.

We usually will have 2 weeks or so below zero in January/February and 3 foot snows in March/April.

Colorado is a desert/semi-arid climate. Grass is a commodity. Water is worth more than land. The recommended acreage to keep animals without supplementation is 5-10 acres per animal but even that is not enough come the heat in July-August. There will be weeks and even months with no rain. Our pastures go totally dormant around then and we start feeding hay.

When I worked at Littleton Large they were the largest seller of isoxuprine west of the Mississippi due to the navicular issues. It is thought to be more to the altitude (reduced oxygen) than hard ground (ischemic bone resorption).

[tarynls]

Friends of mine moved from the NE to Loveland, CO (a bit south of Ft. Collins) during the summer. Although that area is farther north than you’re looking at, here’s some unexpected issues they ran into:

They were allowed to drill a well because they have over 40 acres. Had they purchased less acreage, they wouldn’t have been allowed to drill a well. And it was $$$$$.

Internet access was a HUGE issue. As is - it took them over 4 months just to get a satellite internet service to the house. They had to drive to town and either bring their laptop & find a coffee shop with Wi-Fi or sit in the parking lot while running errands & check email on their phones. Something to check out since you mentioned you work from home!

[Bobuddy]

[QUOTE=tarynls;6017072]
Friends of mine moved from the NE to Loveland, CO (a bit south of Ft. Collins) during the summer. Although that area is farther north than you’re looking at, here’s some unexpected issues they ran into:

They were allowed to drill a well because they have over 40 acres. Had they purchased less acreage, they wouldn’t have been allowed to drill a well. And it was $$$$$.

Internet access was a HUGE issue. As is - it took them over 4 months just to get a satellite internet service to the house. They had to drive to town and either bring their laptop & find a coffee shop with Wi-Fi or sit in the parking lot while running errands & check email on their phones. Something to check out since you mentioned you work from home![/QUOTE]

Yes, I agree - anywhere we move to MUST have good internet connection/cell reception. That could be a deal breaker with some properties. My husband is the one that works from home and needs high speed internet along with reasonable distance to an airport. I am a midlevel provider in Family Practice but I have also worked in Pediatrics and Cardiology and have the ability to move around to any other specialty.

I have been spending lots of time researching about wells and water rights - something we dont have to deal with in water logged KY. We will have to be very careful with the details about any well on the property and what it is (and is not) indicated for.

[Ride4Life]

[QUOTE=englishcowgirl;6016632]
There is a lot on here that is not adding up and much of it really does sound sort of… made up? I brought my appendix mare out from Pennsylvania last year to the front range. I did not have to blanket any differently than when we were home. Actually much less, it is not really that cold out here. She has a light weight turn out that she wheres when it snows. She still has her ears, they have not frozen off yet :lol:. I did not know Colorado was like Alaska now :lol:
The colic? Never heard of any issues other than folks pumping their horses full of alfalfa, or feeding grain out their ears. That was just the same on the east coast too.
We did have foot problems, but they were brought on by a bad farrier. It ended up being contracted heels. She is going barefoot now and we ride six days a week! The ground is hard but for some reason her feet have never been better! I really do not know any horses who have navicular, but at home I knew a whole bunch.[/QUOTE]

I think that in any state you’re going to get a mixed group of opinions on what the problems are in that area. In Colorado you will get even more because of the huge range of altitude and climate differences throughout the state. Also everything is subjective. When I was boarding my horse and had her in heavy training she was clipped and had a staggering array of clothing for every temperature like what some are saying. But now that I don’t have an indoor to ride in and only the weekends to ride due to my work hours and no daylight my horses are shaggy and I just feed a little extra when it’s cold. No need to blanket for me now except when it’s wet. And that does include the recent -10 weather we had. I’ve never heard of a horse losing its ears to cold here. I know lots of horses that live in Colorado and never get blanketed and do just fine outdoors all winter with a basic shelter.

To keep a horse in heavy jumping/dressage/reining, etc training through the winter you probably would need an indoor arena. But if you are just trail riding or light riding and have daylight hours to work with you can ride maybe 250 days a year outdoors. Again, all just depends on your needs.

As for the colic thing, I never thought we had an above average gas colic risk either until it happened to my horse. I went 15 years in Colorado with no problem except for the rare colic that a walk and banamine would fix. However, once my horse had to have surgery for gas colic that caused a displacement and twist I started researching and asking the vet. And from what I came up with we do seem to have a higher rate of gas colics. But your experience may vary - that’s just my .2¢. I think I am in a higher altitude region (Sedalia - in the foothills) that you are in the front range which may have something to do with it. There are a lot of other factors to the colic thing also. I never once had a problem with colic when my horse was out 24/7 and now that I am back to that I haven’t had any more trouble. (knock wood)

The original poster asked for opinions and she is getting them. It’s up to her to weed through and decide which ones to take into consideration.

[CosMonster]

[QUOTE=Ride4Life;6017697]

To keep a horse in heavy jumping/dressage/reining, etc training through the winter you probably would need an indoor arena. But if you are just trail riding or light riding and have daylight hours to work with you can ride maybe 250 days a year outdoors. Again, all just depends on your needs. [/QUOTE]

This is true. When I mentioned getting horses ready for early spring shows, I should clarify that those were breed shows where we were showing hunter pleasure, lower level dressage and western pleasure mostly. We did have some reiners and upper level dressage horses there, and we did have to back off their training a bit (particularly the reiners, because outdoor winter footing is not great for spins or slides). We also did only small jumps or none at all during the winter. We did train some very young horses though–in fact I love putting miles on young horses in at least a foot of snow, because they’re not much inclined to buck or spook and if they do throw you it’s a soft landing. :lol:

A big problem with the footing is that it does get above freezing during the day, but like most arid locations there is a huge temperature difference between night and day. Another poster mentioned 30 degree differences in 24 hours and that really is not an exaggeration. In fact, on sunny days it can be common for it to be nearing 50 during the day and drop down below freezing at night. This means that you get a lot of ice, because the snow melts during the day and freezes overnight, then takes awhile to melt again if you’re riding in the morning. That was always my biggest problem with general outdoor winter riding, but it’s not that big of a deal.

I can’t compare gas colics because I’ve always been at about a mile high…I just keep moving around along the Rockies. :lol:

Most of the horses you see missing ear tips or whatever are ranch horses. I’ve talked to ranchers who have lost horses and cattle due to weather and I know during the winter I mentioned in my last post there was a big problem with stock dying. However, these are livestock (horses or cattle) who are kept on pastures that can be hundreds or even thousands of acres. The big problem is a lack of feed and access to water, because after a really bad storm it can be impossible to access them. I remember them dropping hay from helicopters to areas where they spotted livestock because the snow was too deep for the animals to reach grass and there was no other way to get to them. A horse who is having to dig deep for food and eat snow for water is going to be a lot more prone to frostbite than one with a big bale of hay available and a heated trough. I’ve met lots of horses while working in the industry and I have never in my life heard of a horse who had plenty of food and water and even the most rudimentary shelter (even just a couple of trees to act as a windbreak) suffer from frostbite, perhaps excepting very young and very old ones. And even there, the very old ones tend to do okay. It’s just babies born mid-winter or right before a spring storm that you have to worry about.

[annikak]

Bumping this thread WAY up! 2018- lived in FtC 2 years ago and left for family and now considering the springs (quietly) as I have a job offer and I miss CO a lot.

First- I LOVE Colorado. Period. No need to sell me on that. I also love having my horses at home, but I cannot see anyplace near the springs that is affordable for me. I do want access to trails. So, it comes back to boarding. I cannot seem to find any good barns- one was mentioned but Hartenberg equestrian may now be in California? I left a message so we will see. Things I would love: Turn out, stalls that have enough bedding, good hay and clean water plus a ring. Pluses would be an indoor, jumps, meeting the farrier and or vet for routine things. Any ideas??