How do you blanket fuzzy horses in cold rainy weather?

[Gwyneth]

My miniatures grow such thick, yak-like coats that they really don’t need to wear a blanket to keep them warm. But we live in such a rainy area that if I don’t blanket them they’ll stay wet for days, and that makes me worry about them developing a fungal infection.

I’ve just been putting a no-fill rainsheet on them, even when the temp gets to freezing (but its still raining). However, I heard that if you just put a rainsheet on, it will flatten their hair and make them cold, so you have to put a heavier blanket on so that they’ll stay the same temp/ as warm as if their natural coat was allowed to fluff up and provide insulation. Is this true? Should I be putting heavier blankets on them? (they don’t seem cold. If their ears get cold then I do put on a heavier blanket).

What does everyone here do? How do you blanket your mega-hairy minis and ponies?

[Amy3996]

I don’t think a 0g rain sheet would compromise a thick coat that much. There are a million and one schools of thought about how and when to blanket, and a lot of overblanketed horses IMO.

I always go by how my individual horse feels. If your primary concern is keeping them dry, use the lightest waterproof turnout you have. If they feel warm enough, aren’t shivering or standing tails tucked/heads down against the wind, they’re likely fine.

[scislandsprite]

The newer blankets don’t flatten the hair as much as the older ones with heavier material. I like the 100g turnouts for when it’s colder rainy weather if the 0g isn’t enough and I don’t have a run-in shed/shelter. FWIW, my horse fluffs back up within a couple hours of having her blanket off so it’s not going to ruin their coat or anything for the rest of the season.

[SMF11]

The “flatten coats so they are cold” is often the received wisdom, but I have seen zero evidence supporting that theory, either with the many horses I’ve had on my farm over the years, or in any kind of study. If anyone has any proof that this is actually true I would love to see it.

Hairy minis? No fill rain sheet all the way!

[S1969]

@Gwyneth

My miniatures grow such thick, yak-like coats that they really don’t need to wear a blanket to keep them warm. But we live in such a rainy area that if I don’t blanket them they’ll stay wet for days, and that makes me worry about them developing a fungal infection.

Their coats are designed to be weather proof. I personally never blanket horses from the rain unless they seem cold. Or, if they have no dry place to stand. If you have a run-in, I wouldn’t blanket them.

But I definitely wouldn’t worry about flattening their coats. A heavy blanket might just make them sweaty underneath which is definitely worse.

[Kyrabee]

I err on the side of cooler than warmer. I would think with the mini’s yak like hair, the rain sheet would be sufficient. I do think a dry horse is a happier horse.

Susan

[Janet]

@Gwyneth

if I don’t blanket them they’ll stay wet for days, and that makes me worry about them developing a fungal infection.

Is it the outer hairs of the coat that are wet? Or are they wet down to the skin?
I think they are only in danger of developing a fungal infection if the skin is staying wet.

[wildlifer]

I think the flattening mantra is mostly outdated, from when blanket materials were very different. Blankets are not shrink wrap, so hair on at least half their body doesn’t have any weight on it. Current fabrics are extremely breathable, so horses dry under blankets now (mine often do). I often use sheets to protect against wind/rain even when it’s not super cold. Horses have a shelter but they still seem to appreciate it.

[2DogsFarm]

I only blanket - plushy-coated horse & pony, Wooly Mammoth mini - when we get a heavy enough snow so it has melted on their backs & they are wet to the skin.
Note: even then, bellies are warm & dry

Like @scislandsprite said, the hair is flat when blankets come off (just as soon as their backs are dry), but is fluffed again ASAP.

I’d use the unlined rainsheet only if the back is wet.
That said: I sold the rainsheets I got for each after a single use, as they just seemed like Make Work for me.
Haircoat grows in a way that naturally channels water off.

I want them to dry under the blanket, which happens quickly, then take the blanket off so they can re-fluff & insulate with the airspace between haircoat & skin.

[Renn_aissance]

I have an Irish Yak and I put a sheet on him in cold rainy weather for exactly this reason, even if he is unclipped and in his full double-coated glory. We had a Dartmoor in full native coat who got soaked down to the skin after several days out in the rain and some truly glorious rolls in the mud- to our credit we tried to bring him in but he went feral- and we did have trouble with skin funk after that episode.

[candyappy]

Are they cold? Unless they have no choice but to stand in the rain and get drenched, then their hair coat will provide the protection they need. “Most” horses/ ponies with access to some shelter will seek it when they need it( as long as they feel safe doing so).

If they really have the thick coat you describe, It may be wet on top but if you move the hair you will see it dry by the skin.

[2DogsFarm]

Agreed.
My 3 can go into their stalls if they want.
They rarely “want”, no matter the weather.
Right now it’s in the mid-50s here with drizzling rain.
My 2¢ says when I go out to feed they’ll come in from pasture.
They may fool me & be gathered in a single stall.
Their choice.

[Scribbler]

@Gwyneth

My miniatures grow such thick, yak-like coats that they really don’t need to wear a blanket to keep them warm. But we live in such a rainy area that if I don’t blanket them they’ll stay wet for days, and that makes me worry about them developing a fungal infection.

I’ve just been putting a no-fill rainsheet on them, even when the temp gets to freezing (but its still raining). However, I heard that if you just put a rainsheet on, it will flatten their hair and make them cold, so you have to put a heavier blanket on so that they’ll stay the same temp/ as warm as if their natural coat was allowed to fluff up and provide insulation. Is this true? Should I be putting heavier blankets on them? (they don’t seem cold. If their ears get cold then I do put on a heavier blanket).

What does everyone here do? How do you blanket your mega-hairy minis and ponies?

Horses winter hair horripilates (lofts) when they are cold and goes smooth and flat when they are warm. That’s why it looks flat when you take the blanket off.

I am in the PNW where we get persistent torrential rain in the range of say 2 to 10 Celsius, that’s from just about freezing to about 40 Fahrenheit. Rainrot and shivering horses can be a big problem.

I’m looking after a mare that will be shivering in rain, when my own mare doesn’t care. My own mare likes a 100 gram blanket when it’s below 5 C and Raining even in her stall with runout. I had her on a field one winter with just a rainsheet. She stayed warm.

I don’t think the modern blankets reduce loft so a rain sheet that fits would be fine. But Rainrot can also occur under a sheet or blanket. It’s an opportunistic bacteria or fungal infection that likes damp but isn’t caused by rain per se. It’s often an indication of nutrition gaps and feeding copper zinc and flax can help make them more resistant.

[tabula_rashah]

If it’s pouring and above freezing but still cold and bone-soaking type rain (which we get PLENTY of in the mid-Atlantic) then I’ll do a zero fill on my Fjord. If it’s like gross, rain/snow stuff, going to rain and then freeze or get super windy, etc- I’ll put a 100g on her. She has a crazy thick coat but she definitely gets cold when she’s soaked (and yes she has hay all of the time and shelter)

[PaddockWood]

That’s funny you say that because I feel the same way. If I blanket my guys due to a nasty spell and then wait til we get a sunny reasonable day, pull them off…VOILA that hair all stands back up just fine.

[jvanrens]

@candyappy

Are they cold? Unless they have no choice but to stand in the rain and get drenched, then their hair coat will provide the protection they need. “Most” horses/ ponies with access to some shelter will seek it when they need it( as long as they feel safe doing so).

If they really have the thick coat you describe, It may be wet on top but if you move the hair you will see it dry by the skin.

The fluffy bodies I had when I was younger would stand outside with a wall to their backsides and have 6" of snow on them with multiple options to go in. They were fine with the accommodations, just preferred to be outside. Rainy days, they would be slightly more prone to going in, but not for long.

[PeteyPie]

My two cents: if you are using a rain sheet it’s because the temps are above freezing which means it’s not very cold out, and for a horse that has been acclimated, even temperatures in the twenties are not cold. Whether or not there is any creedence to the smashed coat thing, If you are keeping them dry, it won’t matter because they will be plenty warm in rainy weather. This is especially true with your furry minis.

Generally, large mammals struggle more to keep cool than to keep warm.

[pony_baloney]

My woolly pony only has 0 fill turnout sheets, mostly for the rainy days below 50 and snow. It also helps to keep him easy to groom, since he’s in steady work and it’s a hassle trying to clean a wet long coat for a ride.

Most turnout sheets aren’t very snug-fitting so I think their coats could fluff up if needed. Ugh, remember the old days when all we had were those awful New Zealand rugs?!! Heavy and stiff and impossible to keep clean. Modern fabrics are such an improvement.

[blob99]

My fuzzy ponies are naked unless it’s heavy rain and below 50, then they get 0 fill rain sheet. If they had a run in/shed I’d leave them naked.

[FjordBCRF]

I have a Fjord yak that I previously have not used any blankets/sheets on. The last two winters we boarded at a trail haven, but had no indoor, so riding and intensity both slowed down.

Now that we have an indoor and are (and will be) in regular year round work, I have started using a sheet when it rains so I don’t have a soggy yak to saddle up when I get there. I have always done a generous trace clip on him in the fall and let it grow back in over the winter. With keeping in regular work, I may be keeping up more with the clip and will likely need at least the sheet on cold/snowy days.

This is a trial and error year with this for us.