Foal blanket help urgently needed -- I'm losing the will to live!

[JER]

My '15 foal is imminent and the weather is not cooperating. Southern Pines is hovering at freezing or below.

I’ve never bought a foal blanket before but I think I should have one at the ready. I thought I’d just click away to Dover or Smartpak and order a ‘foal blanket’. However, when I did that, I discovered that ‘foal blankets’ come in sizes. Sizes like 30" and 42" which are measurements that, for me, have no relation to equines.

Thinking that it couldn’t be too difficult to figure out, I read the customer reviews. I learned that the Amigo foal blanket is (1) not a good fit for a mini because it doesn’t reach around its belly, (2) a fantastic choice for a Great Dane, (3) good for a mini-donk and (4) a PERFECT fit for an alpaca.

Because I seem to be the only person who’s tried to order this ‘foal blanket’ for an actual horse foal (imagine that!), I’m wondering if any of my fellow breeders could offer me guidance as to what size to buy for a average-sized, non-chunky horse foal.

So, what size should I order?

[K_2]

:lol: I bought two “foal blankets” that are both meant to be dog coats. here

[Texarkana]

A lot of places have “expandable” foal blankets, with velcro chest pieces that adjust.

Schneiders has a pretty good one:

http://www.sstack.com/Horse-Blankets-And-Sheets_Foal-Blankets/Expandable-Foal-Blanket/

They suggest the larger 38"-45" foal blanket for TB and WB foals.

[Highflyer]

I think this is the one we have: http://www.sstack.com/horse-blankets-and-sheets_foal-blankets/stormshield-expandable-foal-turnouts/ (in regular-- fits TB foals). You could always get multiple sizes and measure the foal when it comes and return the others after measuring your foal, too.

ETA: The weather here changes a lot, very quickly, so I don’t think anyone’s ever worn one for more than a couple of days-- you might want to err in favor of the larger size if you will actually need it for a month!

[quietann]

Yes, the Schneiders ones are nice, and expandable. Here’s my filly at her breeders, 11 days old. She outgrew the foal blanket quickly, but she’s a big-boned filly, and by the time she outgrew it, it was warm enough for her to go without it.

[Chall]

Some people places sell polar fleece blankets for $15. You could use that under whatever you buy to cover areas that don’t get covered or for extra warmth.

[_Tradewind]

Our two nine-month old Hanoverian foals are currently in 60" foal blankets.

Out of curiousity, if you do not buy blankets measured in inches, what is the metric used for blankets you have purchased previously? All blankets I have ever bought have been measured in inches (measures the length of the horse: middle of chest to middle of tail).

[Highflyer]

I’m guessing she was hoping they were one size fits all.

[JER]

[QUOTE=Highflyer;8027688]
I’m guessing she was hoping they were one size fits all. :)[/QUOTE]

As I said, I’ve never needed to buy one before. My foals have all been born in temperate-to-warm climates, including the last one in Southern Pines, but current temps there are stubbornly cold.

Thanks, all, for the info! I’m feeling better already.

[Kyzteke]

And if you can’t get any store bought blankets you can actually gerry-rig a man’s sweat shirt (you will have to cut it up).

If you are handy you can sew velcro tabs on it. If you are not, use a polo wrap to keep in closed.

And just to be clear, I’ve had a foal or two born in Feb. in North Idaho, 90 miles S. of Canada and never used a blanket. They DID stay in the stall for the first few days, but it was a pretty open stall with 3 windows & Dutch doors.

And it was heavily bedded in straw. But honestly, that little bugger was born with hair like a yak.

Two friends of mine have had foals born in the last 2-3 weeks and even though it IS unusually temperate here for this time of year (high 47, once even reached 50!) the lows at night are still running 24-34 degrees. Both breeders bring the foals in at night (as do I) this early in the game, but none of us have ever used blankets.

Just saying…

Both foals go without blankets…in fact one is at WSU because his mom coliced right after birth and they didn’t feel the need to blanket the foal either.

However, I will say with the weather being all weird the last few years (here in ID we actually had a pretty easy winter), it’s probably messing with Mother Nature in all sorts of ways.

[JER]

[QUOTE=Kyzteke;8027778]

And just to be clear, I’ve had a foal or two born in Feb. in North Idaho, 90 miles S. of Canada and never used a blanket. They DID stay in the stall for the first few days, but it was a pretty open stall with 3 windows & Dutch doors.

And it was heavily bedded in straw. But honestly, that little bugger was born with hair like a yak.[/QUOTE]

This foal is half-TB, half-Akhal Teke. I’ve had another foal by the same Teke stallion, out of a different TB mare, and she was the tiniest foal I’ve ever seen. About the size of a pygmy goat.

She matured to a towering 14.2hh, much shorter than either parent. She has the AT coat and skin (and ears!) and is the nicest horse I’ve bred, but she does like to be swaddled in blankets when it’s even a little cold.

[Kyzteke]

:lol: I bred Akhal Tekes for years and still have 2 – both over 90% Teke. Neither have ever worn blankets & don’t even come in the barn at night.

The foal I had that was born mid-Feb. (with the hair like a yak) was Teke/Hanoverian. I bred Teke crosses for ages for the endurance market & never had to blanket one.

Most of the Tekes here in the Pacific Northwest don’t wear blankets either. Trust me, if you let them, they WILL grow hair!

And I’m betting that tiny Teke cross was by Ginkarh (sp), right?

[_Tradewind]

[QUOTE=JER;8027788]
This foal is half-TB, half-Akhal Teke. I’ve had another foal by the same Teke stallion, out of a different TB mare, and she was the tiniest foal I’ve ever seen. About the size of a pygmy goat.

She matured to a towering 14.2hh, much shorter than either parent. She has the AT coat and skin (and ears!) and is the nicest horse I’ve bred, but she does like to be swaddled in blankets when it’s even a little cold.[/QUOTE]

Is this another Superstar foal, JER??

Ours are blanketed - we’ve even been double blanketing this winter - but they live out (with shelters). We’ve had plenty of nights this winter in the -30s © so we’re in a whole different category! :lol:

[stoicfish]

[QUOTE=Kyzteke;8027798]
:lol: I bred Akhal Tekes for years and still have 2 – both over 90% Teke. Neither have ever worn blankets & don’t even come in the barn at night.

The foal I had that was born mid-Feb. (with the hair like a yak) was Teke/Hanoverian. I bred Teke crosses for ages for the endurance market & never had to blanket one.

Most of the Tekes here in the Pacific Northwest don’t wear blankets either. Trust me, if you let them, they WILL grow hair!

And I’m betting that tiny Teke cross was by Ginkarh (sp), right?[/QUOTE]

Good point. If you are going to blanket, you do not want it tight, and you want to make sure the blanket is going to replace the natural “loft” that you are taking away.
I have those survival blankets (the metallic shinny ones), I would sew one of those to the inside of a foal blanket. Then you know you are actually adding warmth and just not making yourself feel better. The fleece is a good idea too.
And putting on anything tight, is never going to help in cold temps.

[JER]

[QUOTE=Tradewind;8027815]
Is this another Superstar foal, JER??[/QUOTE]

Yes!

This one will be a half-sibling (same dad) to this lovely, um, pony and also a half-sibling to my gorgeous now-2YO Misty (same mum, Misty is by the Holsteiner stallion Chairman who was mostly TB).

Hoping for another stellar, long-eared athlete. This is one-month old tiny Zizi. For comparison, here’s newborn Misty.

The TB mums are about the same size; Kiss is a little taller but not much. Also, despite the loads of white on both Kiss and Super Star, it seems – from Misty’s three white hairs – that Kiss is a white suppressor, just like Zizi’s mum. Not expecting socks or a blaze or even a tiny star, but I’m looking forward to another gleaming Akhal-Teke coat.

Also, Zizi and Misty lived together last fall so that Misty could see the life of the event horse. They got along very well, and were exactly the same size. I’m not sure when Misty figured out that Zizi (9YO) wasn’t a yearling. :lol:

[Winsock]

We can’t wait for the arrival of your foal, JER! We have two Super Star/TB crosses. One is 15h and the other is nearly 17h.

Both TB dams are 16.3h…

[enjoytheride]

My barn had an oops baby born in single degree temps. Very furry. Sstack has good blankets but have someone film you trying to put it on. The make excellent grab handles for little feral babies but attaching one is a two person job. We eventually gave up after baby removed and pooped on it. Several times.

[Kyzteke]

Well, if they are sired by Super Star DO be aware he is not a PB Akhal Teke…not that it really matters in terms of breeding half-bred. Neither was Kinor.

SS has lovely gaits, but he sure doesn’t look anything like an Akhal Teke.

But I’m glad to see there is a market. I am going to breed my one remaining Teke mare to a WB this year; we are going to try a local guy first who is by a DeNiro son & o/o a full sibling to Verdade (Florestan x Dutch Harness Horse).

If that looks nice, next year I think we’ll try some serious jumper or eventing blood. So wonderful to see at least afew Teke x out there.

[JER]

[QUOTE=Kyzteke;8027954]
Well, if they are sired by Super Star DO be aware he is not a PB Akhal Teke…not that it really matters in terms of breeding half-bred. Neither was Kinor.

SS has lovely gaits, but he sure doesn’t look anything like an Akhal Teke.[/QUOTE]

I disagree with you about looks. SS may have some other/TB blood but he has many AT attributes and passes them on to his offspring. My Zizi is evidence of that. Ears, head, coat, legs, neck are all very AT, and her mother and half-sisters look nothing like her. She’s also more of an intellectual than the rest of the family but I have no idea where that comes from.

I’m breeding eventers, not breeding breed horses, so those impurities don’t really matter to me, especially given what an outstanding eventer my first SS foal is.

[JER]

People on this BB are just the best.

Someone has offered to ship me a hand-me-down foal blanket! My will to live is back to full strength.

Foal is due on Tuesday, although the mare’s previous foal appeared one morning, unexpectedly, two weeks before the due date. That’s my favorite kind of foaling – the action is all over and the foal is standing and nursing before you even know it’s there.

But we are on high alert… :winkgrin: