Recently we have been getting a lot of rain where I live and it hasn’t been too cold (40-50 degrees Fahrenheit) so my horses don’t mind staying out in it. They actually prefer it rather than being in a stall. Usually when it’s wet and cold outside, I put my horses in the stalls but I can’t now because yet stall are being fixed. (It’s not safe for them to be in their stall she right now because they are under construction) It rained through the night therefore, in the morning their coats were completely wet. It stopped raining during the day and it’s been in the upper 30s and they have been slightly shivering. I haven’t giving them constant hay to help them stay warm. I’m worried about them now and I’m also worried because it’s going to get down into the lower 30s tonight and be raining. I don’t know what to do. Please give me any advice, it would be greatly appreciated. I have 2 horses and I have 2 medium weight blanket, a show sheet, and a cooler. None are water proof but the blanket do repel a bit of water for a couple of hours. We don’t normally get rain like this therefore, it’s fairly simple to keep them warm.
Thank You
Absolutely do not put nonwaterproof blankets on horses standing outside in the rain.
Definitely give more hay.
generally speaking horses are fine outside unblanketed, and hay adds heat.
Long story short, don’t worry about it when you are only talking about temperatures in the 30’s. Your horses might shiver a bit when the weather first starts to get cold, but they will grow winter coat very quickly.
Horses tolerate cold weather MUCH better than humans. That’s not to say I would want my horses soaking wet when the temperature is below freezing. But at the temperatures you are talking about? I wouldn’t get too concerned unless you have strong winds and very cold windchills.
Lower thirties is not cold for a horse. Where I live, temperatures routinely go below 0 in January. As long as they can get shelter from wind, they do just fine with no blankets.
As ladyj79 said, give them hay. It does help keep them warm. But at the same time, don’t let them blow up like balloons. If you overfeed and let them get fat, it will only cause health problems in the future.
Unless you have waterproof blankets, the horses are better off without them. For the future, it would be a good idea to have one lightweight (zero insulation) turnout sheet for each horse. In the 30s/40s, unclipped dry horses will be comfortable overnight.
A horse that is shivering is cold. I would blanket them; some slight shivering is not the end of the world, though.
Non-waterproof blankets should never be used in the rain.
Get waterproof turnout blankets, and throw a lot of extra hay.
It shouldnt be getting any colder than the lower 30s for a while. Could you please recommend some waterproof sheets? I would like to have one with medium fill and one with no fill for both horses. Thanks!
I would not personally allow horses to shiver in the rain.
In this circumstance I would dry off with towels, put a wool cooler on the horse, and hand walk in shelter even up and down the barn aisle until fairly dry. A plain bed blanket will work well.
Then I would put on a waterproof rsin sheet. There are many adequate brands, buy whatever your local tack store has. Make sure it fits. Blankets too large can be dangerous and too small can cause pain.
The only sheets I recommend are Rambo’s. They are expensive but washed properly they last forever.
And with a plain sheet, they sell different weight liners.
Rambo wugs are wonderful. They breath really well and last forever. They are guaranteed waterproof for three years after which you may have to waterproof them which is about $25. All my rugs are Rambo. The Wugs keep the shoulders dry so they don’t get rubs. To save $$ you can buy a zero fill sheet v and then buy liners to add fill. Amigo liners with surcingles work well cuz they don’t need to be attached to the sheet. I usually clip the liner at the tail strap and they stay well. I have a sheet, 100gm liners, a med weight and heavy weight for each horse. But we can get down to single digits. They live in mid weights from 40 down to 20 degrees.
I leave the horses naked until it gets into the mid to low 30s at night, which is generally until the end of Nov so they grow a coat. During that time I’ll use a sheet when it rains but I use a liner to keep the sheet clean. Then, I’ll give them a bath with microtek shampoo after which they always have some kind of covering on so they don’t get dirty. There liners get washed. The horses never have skin problems from blankets because they are clean and their high quality blankets breath. They are so clean and shiney under their sheets.
Dover international brand has served me well.
For Mid 30s with rain I’d go waterproof sheet, not their insulated waterproof blankets. Until you’ve got some of those, though, don’t put on the non-waterproof blankets if there’s rain in teh forecast. That will make them even colder, not to mention the blankets will weigh about 500lb when you try to get the off :lol: Just give lots of extra hay, they’ll be ok.
Ok, thank you to everyone. I’ll definitely be buying some of the recommended sheets.
My Weatherbeeta Genero’s have lasted quite a long time, and are still going strong.
Do your horses have any form of shelter other than the stalls that they can’t access right now? I leave my horses outside in most weather (some blanketed, some not, depending on their needs) but I have run-in sheds where they can get out of the rain or wind if they choose. I agree with everyone that healthy horses with decent coats should be okay in the 30s but if they were mine, I would be concerned if they didn’t have the option of getting out of the rain in those temps. Especially if they’re already shivering. You’re on the right track with feeding lots of hay and buying some waterproof sheets!
If they are not soaked through < hair can be wet as long as skin on back is dry - the hair coat should sluice off water & they will stay warm enough unblanketed.
Shivering is concerning - are they looking miserable as well - heads down, tails tucked?
Do your horses have access to any shelter? Run-In? Stand of trees, etc?
DEFINITELY agree that non-waterproof blankets will only make them colder.
I have gotten Kodiak brand waterproof sheets from Horseloverz & a Tough-1 for my mini.
But they haven’t been worn except for one night, so I cannot attest to their longevity.
I did use the mini’s sheet when I trailered him yesterday & it seemed to do a good job of keeping him comfortable in my stock trailer. Of course, his Wooly Mammoth coat helped too 
I am in South Texas and I have two horses. The way the weather runs here is this: It will be warm and humid. A cold front comes through and the temp can drop 30-40 degrees over a few hours. It also starts to rain while the wind is blowing and it is getting colder. I probably have the only two horses in Tyler County that have blankets on while this is going on…but so be it. I will not have my horses standing outside in the cold while it is raining. They have a good amount of hay and they ar blanketed in waterproof blankets. You can get them on Amazon. Wet horses are cold horses and and maybe I am wrong, but I won’t have my guys standing outside in the wind and rain in low 30’s I also think they use less energy keeping themselves warm with their waterproof blankets on. I have put my hand under the blankets and they are not hot or sweating it just feels warm. Maybe it just makes me feel good to see them comfortable. Each to their own…
Agree with this. At minimum, get waterproof turnout sheets for them to help them stay dry. Medium weight water proof blankets are good for when it gets colder.
I agree horses handle cold better than we do, but cold and wet is different. It’s been dry and cold here and in the low 20s and in teens at night. My older guy is furry and I still blanket him and he had a medium-heavy on just because I have a Rambo w/ liners. He was toasty warm but not hot or sweating underneath it when I checked today. I do change blankets as needed for when the temps vary.
Please invest in some good waterproof outerwear while your stalls are under constructions. Feed extra hay as well.
Perfect plan!
Good brands: Horseware (Rambo, Rhino, Amigo), Weatherbeeta, Bucas, Dover Riders International, Smartpak brand (but they are running behind on shipping right now so beware), and some people swear by Schneiders (sstack.com). What kind of horses do you have and what is their build? That may help with recommendations for what would fit them best.
Lots of good blanketing info here: https://www.smartpakequine.com/content/blanketingClipping?utm_source=cpc&utm_medium=msn&utm_content=br_horse%20products_blankets_new_bmm&msclkid=1eea462154e6138287bf1a2e4659b48d
Thank You for the help everyone! The weather is warm here again so I’m not concerned anymore. The stalls are available to them again but I’ll still be looking into different blankets that you all suggested. They were barely shivering and it was only at the coldest time of the day although they didn’t look uncomfortable. They were still being their goofy selves. :lol:@TWH Girl One is a QH and the other is a Rocky Mountain. The QH is very stocky and the RMH is a medium build. They are both are 15hh. Thanks again.
It is really not normal for healthy and comfortable horses to shiver.
