LOL it’s not -20F in Kentucky very often. My horses don’t get blanketed in 34F and light snow either.
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As long as your horse is healthy and capable of producing a full winter coat, they are just fine outside 24/7 with access to windbreak, food, and water.
I live in North Dakota. I have never even owned a blanket. My horses live outside 24/7, even during blizzards. They do not have any shelter to go into, but we do have natural windbreaks (tree rows) for them. We usually keep a round bale out 24/7 for them. They weather just fine.
Last winter was a doozy. We had a blizzard every week for about a month. Actually had trouble with the horses escaping the pasture by simply walking over the fences, because they were buried and the snow was so packed. They seemed to quite enjoy going “exploring”. Stinkers…
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Well according to the above poster horses do just fine with round bales water and a wind break. There horses have no shelter other than a tree line. Weathered blizzards and all and did just fine no blankets either. Mine own horses use the tree line for wind break. So having them in a shelter with hay/water inside is totally unnecessary. There horses their built to be outside, not living in a shelter/ barn 24/7 because it cold windy out. Give me a break!
It’s a human thing not a horse thing to have a barn.
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Well, I totally baby my guy, he loves his blankets and hates to be cold. He grows hair like a yak and has hay 24/7 but shivers around 30* F and around 60* F if its wet. He prefers to sleep in his stall with tons of shavings. He’s out 16 hours a day and gets plenty of movement playing with his herd mates, running around like a fool.
Just because they can survive like that doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy the finer comforts life can bring them.
Some horses might do “fine.” Some might not. And some treelines might be adequate windblocks, but others might not…that would also depend on climate and terrain.
In general, once you start talking about subzero windchills, you need at least a windblock for most horses. For many others you’ll need a lot more. It’s a human thing to breed horses for specialized performance events. You can’t have a horse that’s been changed over generations to race, for example and compare it to a highland pony. They are simply not the same anymore.
Not to mention - no one has suggested that horses should live in a shelter 24/7. I think most of the responses suggest that with an adequate windblock, there really isn’t a “too cold” temperature…so at minimum, you should provide them one.
I’ll go one further to say that hay and water should be reasonably near the windblock in subzero wind chill temperatures so that horses don’t have to choose adequate shelter OR adequate food & water.
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We will have to disagree.
My horses put themselves in and I feed accordingly. Just because they can weather it doesn’t mean I will make them stay out when they would rather be in. I don’t have stalls and they have always come and went as they please.
When you domesticate them and take them out of their natural environment, you then have to provide for the things you took away. Food , water and a place to get out of the elements. A windbreak does nothing to stop a cold rain.
A blanket is a “human” thing but I see you use one on your horse with no problems.
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Well having water near wind block is next to impossible. Being its no where near a power source, no where near the hydrant either… Running extension cords isn’t even an option. Wind block is a stand of pine trees. They have a round bale out at all times never without. They come up once a day to drink & get fed grain. There not being left hungry when bales down to not much new bale is put out. Yes they have to walk a fairly good distance to water but there is no other way. If snow gets too deep a path is plowed so horses can get to water and back to hay with ease.
I take care of my horses they are not starving and suffering,there happy and in good weight. I just don’t pamper them… [ATTACH=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“small”,“data-attachmentid”:9962827}[/ATTACH]
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Whatever. You were the one who said:
My horse’s are out 24/7 no matter how cold it is.30 below zero or 50 below zero wind chills. Outside with shelter they never use in winter months
And my point was that I doubted very much that your horses “didn’t mind.” -50F wind chill is not a comfortable temperature for any horse with no shelter. The fact that they didn’t use the shelter probably had more to do with it not being where their hay was.
I rarely have temperatures below -20F, but believe me, my horses choose to stand inside when it is subzero with wind - so I feed them there.
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Can horses survive in ND, etc w/ out a barn and only a tree line for a wind break - sure. Are they perfectly happy and wouldn’t prefer a barn? I have a story…
Back a few years - when I had an old shetland pony keeping a two yr old TB company in a paddock w/ free choice hay, a run-in shed and water tank. Perfect for some. It was one of those snow storms where it’s first warm and snowing/raining and then the temps plunge and the winds roar. The gate snaps freeze and gates freeze down. Lovely. It was evening and all the other horses were in the barn. Snow was knee deep and the wind cut through everything. My eye lashes were freezing up from my breath. I took pity on the baby and the pony and decided to try to bring them in. I had to chip the gate out and then, with bare hands, try to defrost the snap. It took both hands alternating to defrost the snap. Finally I got the gate open and started to halter the baby TB. The gate swings open a tiny bit. The pony - old foundered pony w/ a coat like a yak, who never did anything faster than a meander - BOLTS for the barn -leaving me trying to hang on to baby horse as we wade through drifts. Baby was good. Pony, w/ a 4 inch coat - knew where life was good and it absolutely was in the barn.
Survive yes. Not miserable… hmmm
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Then give your horses what they need. Many of us don’t use your program but still ARE giving our horses what they NEED.
G.
I would like to make the distinction between “survival” and “comfort.” Sure, a dog will survive chained to a doghouse in subzero temperatures, but we all know he is going to be miserable. Same with horses. They can survive weather extremes, but are they comfortable doing so? Many are, many are not.
I pride myself on developing a working relationship with my horses, and part of that is seeing to their individual needs. Isn’t that how man and horse bonded in the first place, with us providing food, safety, and protection from predators, and in exchange they allow us to climb on their backs, stick needles into them, get into claustrophobic metal boxes and jostle down the road, jump fences, dance in place, etc. etc.?
To that end, I enjoy providing my horses with what they need to be comfortable. As I posted earlier, most of my horses have never needed to be blanketed, but now I have a TB who does. Would he survive without one? Of course, but then I’d be buying another round of ulcer meds in short order.
To each his own when it comes to horse management. I just object to people issuing definitive statements like “Horses don’t need blankets.” Perhaps that’s literally true, but some horses really do need them to live a comfortable, happy life.
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They choose to be outside in -50 that’s there problem, they weren’t shaking so must of been just fine. Wasn’t snowing so horses were dry, if they want to be outside that’s there choice. Hay near shelter or not doesn’t make them use the shelter,they still stand outside. Only time they might use shelter is when bugs are bad in summer.
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I prefer my horses to have a choice to be in or out and I monitor them daily. They are miniatures - a mare, a gelding and a mule. They are extra fuzzy and fluffy but I also have blankets for each of them.
I do not blanket them unless they require it. The mare will sometimes get cold. My gelding is IR and once became hyperlipidemic. He needed that blanket. They all have access to complete shelter if they need it. I have a 12 x 12 stall and a 14 x 16 stall-like area and I can close all the doors, if needed.
I generally keep the barn doors open so they may choose.
In looking at these minis you’d think they’d survive the ice age - but they wouldn’t. The little appaloosa in the photo is now deceased. He had neurological issues that eventually affected his ability to eat. He frequently needed blanketing because his temperature would sometimes drop.
I’m content with my friends having the option to be in or out.
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Maunder your minis are wonderful!
Regarding too cold, people may not have remembered the early blizzard in 2013 that killed a lot of horses and livestock …in South Dakota.
Weather kills and we all know this. We do the best we can to provide for the animals that share our lives as is evidenced here by the many posts. We also live in different climates and conditions, our horses all have individual preference and needs. Clearly the posters here are very caring and diligent in their care.
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Mine live outside on the plains of Colorado. They have a 3 sided shed for shelter, free choice grass hay, and a heated water tank.
I only blanket for prolonged temps around or below zero Fahrenheit. My TB also gets a waterproof sheet when it’s 30-40 and raining because he’ll just stand outside and shiver.
I have stalls and tried stalling them last winter when it was -40 Fahrenheit. They just paced until I put them back out.
My 24 year old WB. He spent most of his life in coastal SC but grows a wonderful coat
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10214929595782148&set=a.2298608473432.2142243.1495740009&type=3
Horses grow very thick winter coats. Certain breeds, like the Yakutsk Pony, grow coats up to eight inches long. This enables them to survive winter temperatures as low as −70 °C (−94 °F). So long as the coat stays dry, which allows body heat to remain trapped, the horse will stay warm. Horses are also very good at finding shelter. If there are no trees, they’ll huddle at the bottom of a hill that forms a windbreak. If there are no hills, they’ll group together with their hind ends towards the wind.
Yeah, I’ve seen a lot of Yakutsk ponies at local shows. Not the rated ones, just things like 4H. I think they must make great 4H ponies… Kids get judged for braiding the coat, as well as the mane.
I’m not sure that making fun of children is an acceptable way to advance a discussion.
4H kids are in a youth development program, not a “qualify for indoors” program. Their pony is their project, they keep records and do all the work themselves. They do their own bathing and grooming and braiding. They don’t have grooms and their ponies are not prepped and tuned up by adults. They may not be as polished as the ponies you see at the rated shows, but they work just as hard and deserve just as much respect and encouragement as the kids and ponies you see at rated shows.
Let me just comment on what made that blizzard different.
It was indeed EARLY. Therefore, cattle and horses were still in summer pastures that were not adequate for winter conditions (no heated water source, no windbreaks or shelters, miles away from home, etc). Plus, most of the animals did not yet have their full winter coats. It was those combinations that led to most of the deaths.
Yes, blizzards are dangerous. I don’t think anyone can argue that (or is arguing that). But just wanted to comment on the particular Atlas blizzard mentioned.
We were not affected quite as badly (I live in south central North Dakota) as our neighbors to the south, but I very specifically remember those few days. My horses too were not in their normal winter pasture so we had to do some switching around. They WERE cold, but we got it taken care of. We did not have as much snow so fortunately we could still get around to do so, but that wind was nasty.
When you are in white out blizzard conditions, you simply cannot get to your animals, without risking your own safety. Hence why so many animals were lost. It’s not that they did not care for their animals; it’s that the blizzard happened so suddenly, there was just no time to prepare and get livestock home.
LOL I’m not making fun of 4H - I’m making fun of the inclusion of the Yakutsk Pony in any conversation about general horse keeping. Since the majority of riders don’t keep a Yakutsk Pony or Przewalkski’s horse for riding…the fact that they can survive in extreme weather is hardly relevant.
The only horse I have blanketed right now is my 22 year old TB mare. If she could grow an 8" coat that would be different…but she can’t.
PS my kids rode in 4H and never in rated shows.
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