[QUOTE=jtkorth;8021379]My family and I have recently moved to Tracy, California. I used to live up in Washington, but my stepdad got a promotion that required us moving down south. Up in WA I rode my grandparents’ horses, Buzz and Comet. That was good, but both of them were Jack-of-all-Trades, Master-of-Nothing. I’m looking to excel in my jumping skills, so I’m going to adopt an OTTB from CANTER.
Now to the actual question. I know that most- if not all -TB’s have thin skin, and in WA it would have been absolutely necessary to blanket one for the winter. But do I still need to blanket the horse in the CA winter? I don’t know much about how cold it gets down here, so I was hoping someone else from CA could help me out.
Also, if I do need a blanket, what density/weight do I need?[/QUOTE]
Definitely not all! I have had some on my farm that are yaks in the winter (even one that supposedly didn’t grow a thick coat – you do have to let them grow the coat, that is, don’t start blanketing early in the fall when the temps are in the 30’s-40’s).
Absolutely it depends on the horse (age, health, thickness of coat).
It also depends on the facilities you’ll have – is there shelter from wind and rain? If yes, blanketing may not be necessary. (It also depends on the horse’s personality too – is he sensible, and willing to go into the run-in, or does he stand outside it in the rain, shivering?).
Finally, remember that horses do better in the cold than in the heat. In an otherwise healthy horse with a good coat of fur, I would not blanket at all (assuming the lowest temp you have is in the 30’s).
If you were to buy anything, I’d buy just a waterproof sheet. That will keep the horse dry and be a windbreak.