Getting ready for our Feb/March pony foal. Heat lamp question.

[QM2]

Hi all,

So my last 2 pony foals have been April foals. So warm out that I haven’t even opened my bran new pony foal blanket that is in the back of my closet now.

Now, I have a Feb/March foal due and am starting to get everything together for the little ones arrival.

My barn is NOT warm. Buckets freeze in the winter, high ceilings.

I was thinking that I would need to get one or a couple heat lamps.
The stall that they will be in is 12x12 (mom is a small).

How many do you think I would need for that size stall and what kind do you like the best?

How high do I place them if mom is 12 hands?

What are your thoughts on foal blankets?

What are your thoughts on mom blankets? Mom has a light weight one on now but could go naked if best for the foal.

Thanks for your thoughts. I just haven’t needed to deal with this before.

[Ladybug_Hill]

I have had very cold weather foals, even all TB foals. I have never blanketed or used heat lamps. A pony foal should tolerate cold even better than a TB foal. What are your nighttime temps?

[QM2]

Night time temps outside are 10-12 degrees and I would say inside goes down to 20-22 degrees max.

[rosebudranch]

FIRE HAZARD!!! BUy a foal saver blanket from sstack.com. Amazing. My barn sounds just like yours, the foal will be fine as long as you keep the doors shut and dry it off and use the foal saver. I would NEVER put a heat lamp in my barn and leave it unattended. Especially if your thinking using several…

(My significant other is a firefighter and about went off on me when he saw one hanging in the wash rack at my barn that is only turned on after cold weather bath)

[Laurierace]

Agree 100% with the foal saver blanket and absolutely nothing else except lots of straw for the foal to snuggle down into if necessary. Chances are your foal will come out with a coat that will blow your mind and you won’t need anything for him after the first day or two.

[Lorelei_Welsh]

[QUOTE=rosebudranch;6801096]
FIRE HAZARD!!! BUy a foal saver blanket from sstack.com. Amazing. My barn sounds just like yours, the foal will be fine as long as you keep the doors shut and dry it off and use the foal saver. I would NEVER put a heat lamp in my barn and leave it unattended. Especially if your thinking using several…

(My significant other is a firefighter and about went off on me when he saw one hanging in the wash rack at my barn that is only turned on after cold weather bath)[/QUOTE]

Just piping in to say that I would NEVER again buy a blanket from SSTack.com - I bought two foal blankets recently that literally fell apart in days and have had the most horrible time getting someone from customer service to respond (calling, emailing, online chat, etc). I would recommend JustForPonies.com (fantastic customer service) if you decide to go the foal blanket route for your pony foal.

Best of luck to you and your coming arrival!

[Laurierace]

Sorry you had a bad experience with Schneiders. I don’t see myself buying from anywhere else. The prices can not be beat for what you get. My foal saver blanket is six years old and looks brand new even after doubling as a dog blanket and goat blanket in between foals. Just put my two year old filly in her big sister’s turnout from three years ago.

[rideagoldenpony]

I also have had some really bad experiences with my Schneiders blankets – with workmanship, and also the terrible fit of some of them. Sure they are cheap, but that does me no good when they fall apart the first day they are worn.

If a foal seems cold the first couple of days, I will blanket (places that sell mini horse sized tack/blankets are a good source of blankets that will fit a pony foal), but take off in the daytime, except during the first day.

Also make sure you have nice deep, clean, dry bedding and your foal should be fine. As stated above, the foal will more than likely arrive with a huge winter coat!!

[Laurierace]

If they fall apart the first day they are worn, send them back! I have some that are five years old and still look brand new. All I do is re-waterproof them each fall before I put them on.

[ise]

I wouldn’t have a heat lamp anywhere near my barns. We have foal blankets and have used them on some foals but if your stalls are bedded deep and you keep the door to the stall closed the foal should be fine without the blankets. If you get desperate just use a polar fleece vest and put the foals legs through the armholes and and put the zipper on the top. Works great and you can just wash it.

[rosebudranch]

Wow amazing to see that someone has had a bad experience with Schneiders… I along with Laurie LOVE them, I have blankets from them that I have had for years, most the horses at my barn have them, and I have never had one fall apart on me (except the thin mesh fly sheets that my paint mare destroyed… but that’s any soft mesh I have ever bought not schneiders). Their customers service has always been great for me as well, I had to return my dogs blanket cause it didn’t fit her and there was no problem. I buy blankets from them every year :-). I also buy the cheapest type they sell, and now that I have worked with some of the higher end of their brand I like them, and they fit those hard to fit horses better, I am just lucky to have horses who fit well in schneiders.

[eaconlee]

Way too many barns have burned down with traditional heat lamps. If you decide you absolutely have to have one, premier1supplies.com has high-tech lamps for under $30 each that stay absolutely cool to the touch and have a cage that catches the bulb if it breaks. I’ve never used them for a foal, but for goat newborns they have worked for me for years. There are also the infrared heaters to install above horse height (usually used over the washrack)…if you really want to warm up the stall and have money to spend.

[Lorelei_Welsh]

[QUOTE=Laurierace;6802308]
If they fall apart the first day they are worn, send them back! I have some that are five years old and still look brand new. All I do is re-waterproof them each fall before I put them on.[/QUOTE]

I would LOVE to send them back to Schneiders, but after repeated calls and emails to customer service (even asking to speak to a manager) I cannot get a response from anyone about returning them. I was asked to send photos of the damage (which I did) and still can’t get an answer from anyone about how to send them back or if they will even issue a refund. Very frustrating!

I am hopeful since some people have had good experiences, that this one “fell through the cracks” and they will get their act together and respond soon.