So my boy with KS is in a run in stall, runs hot and would prefer to be naked as the day he was born which I would be more than happy to agree to IF he could agree to NOT stand out in the windy wet cooler (50s-60s too warm for a sheet if it is dry out but too cold for naked if it is raining) weather sending his back into spasm. Literally he stood out in a torrential down pour complete with lightening eating hay despite me shaking a bucket of grain 150 feet away in his deeply bedded dry stall where he could have seen and sniffed his neighbors, ate hay, played with toys etc. And half the time the supposedly water proof/resistant turn out sheets (even brand new ones) get soaked through any way. Can anyone else commiserate or offer advice on dressing him for success (vet treatment is all set, thanks for thinking about it though)?? Locking him in is not an option as he hates it and winds up with a sore back from being mad and circling and there are only so many times you can ask a BM to change a horse. TIA
If he was content standing in the cold and rain and ignored the grain that would bring him inside, then he had no desire or need for a blanket.
Leaving him turned out will probably make his back more comfortable in the long run; forcing him inside a stall in a blanket with less ability to naturally warm/stretch muscles through body movement is likely to make him even more tense and create more back spasms.
I commiserate - I also have a gelding with KS who prefers to be nekkid.
The best thing for him is being outside 24/7. It is such a huge difference in his back.
Anyway, if he isn’t coming in, he’s comfortable outside. Mine do the same thing.
FWIW the best blankets I’ve found for him have been Rambos. Everything else seems too pressurized on the shoulders for him and makes him sore.
The problem is if he stands out there getting wet and chilled he ends up very uncomfortable after…like I am going to pout and bite my tongue, touch my crampy back and I buck, gotta take a funny stance and grimacing when passing manure and barely want to eat hay…so needs to be warmed up, rubbed down, walked out and some banamine w a side of gastroguard. I have tried leaving him au naturale and every time we both regret it later, he just has no common sense about getting out of the weather, figures the other horse with out a back issue goes in after like 5 rain drops. I don’t want to shut him in, but he needs to wear something to keep him dry but not too warm and so far (4 years) I have not found any breathable turn out sheet that works. Typical TB build if any one wants to suggest brands that fit that type well.
Thanks Beowulf!!! S-pak blankets and sheets have NOT worked at all…does your guy also seem sensitive to the blanket/sheet over his SI area??
My gelding doesn’t act girthy or ‘blankety’ and doesn’t mind any area of him being touched except his ears which have aural plaques, but i have noticed in other blankets he is much stiffer starting out when he was ridden. A few ‘tests’ done just in case it was fluke showed that he was much better consistently in the Rambo than he was in other blankets. The BOT blanket especially made his shoulders quite sore.
Try to find a blanket that is either a Wug or a blanket that has a high wither profile. Those seem to be the cuts that help.
The theory is that horses know not to shelter during lightning. Cattle do not know this and you can lose the whole herd when a tree is hit by lightning.
he definitely missed that memo about lightening…it was BAD a few weeks ago and he was just like Laaaaa Laaaa laaaa laaaa…
Get a heated throw or electric blanket. During the winter the trainer and I throw it on the 2 cold backed horses while we pull out tack and groom. It works better under a cooler or blanket. I seems to help.
Good idea…in the winter with his BOT he is ok…just this sttooooopid 50-60s rainy weather is when we really have a problem
The V-Tek Schneiders Saddlery blankets always worked well on my TB mare who had chronic back issues. They also have their own line of items comparable to BOT.
He did get the memo. He was out in the rain and not under his shelter which equals a tree.
So my boy is a unique genius:applause:…every other horse came in and hung out in there own actual run in stall. How blessed am I:ambivalence:
LOL Aus the horses use the shelters for shade not rain. It is the horses that are kept in stables usually that run to them.
We used to put a hessian bag under a rug when wet. It kind of dries them and falls out afterwards. You could do that with a breathable rug for him. It might help keep him warm for a bit.
