Anyone know of a place that sells these? Something like summer fly bonnets but fleece and lined for additional warmth. Ideally I would like to get some for our donkey because he truly hates the winter and his ears always feel cold, even though he is well rugged up. If I had any sewing skills I would attempt to make some but in my case the outcome would be both comedic and highly ineffective.
[QUOTE=Frostbitten;7951422]
Anyone know of a place that sells these? Something like summer fly bonnets but fleece and lined for additional warmth. Ideally I would like to get some for our donkey because he truly hates the winter and his ears always feel cold, even though he is well rugged up. If I had any sewing skills I would attempt to make some but in my case the outcome would be both comedic and highly ineffective.[/QUOTE]
In any case I think they would be both comedic and ineffective.
I have been thinking about cold-weather equine ear covers too.
I got a Back on Track poll cap for the horses I ride at one stable, it does not cover the ears unfortunately. The horses seem to LIKE having it on when there is a cold breeze. That is why I started considering their poor ears!
It never occurred to me before that horses might like having a winter “hat” and ear muffs before I got the poll cap, live and learn.
There are people on Etsy who make custom bonnets for horses. Maybe one of them could do something for you in fleece?
At a barn I managed, we’d touch their ears when they were out in inclement weather. If their ears were painfully cold or the horse acted like touching it was some offense, we’d bring them in. Sometimes even in blizzard weather their ears would be fine - not icy cold, not warm. Funny, I know, but the BO was sure that the warmth of their ears indicated the warmth of the rest of their body. I don’t think she was THAT far off - I consistently noticed a correlation between icy-ears and miserable ponies :winkgrin:
I feel that way about their pasterns and ankles when snow accumulates - how could they not be cold?
I think an ear-muff for horses would be cute indeed… but may be difficult. You could try taking an old donkey flymask and lining it with fleece? You would need the outside layer to be something besides fleece - fleece by itself is not very warm and offers no windchill protection whatsoever.
Definitely an interesting idea. I know a few donkeys who really hate winter, maybe I should mention it to their owners.
I’ve never considered it as I don’t clip my horses heads in the colder months, but I could still see a market for them.
We do a full clip on all the horses that leave for Florida, which means that some have to be on limited turnout for up to a week before they’re shipped. Similarly, some come home as early as Feb with a full clip.
http://www.mcbethshorthorns.com/cozycaps.html
There are these for calves (pretty darn cute) but they wouldn’t work for horses. Our Haflinger and mini horse have very furry ears and don’t feel the cold but the poor donkey sure does. Good idea to contact someone on etsy - thanks for the suggestion. There is certainly a market for these if they are truly warm and will stay put - the next iteration of summer fly bonnets.
I worry a little that when the large snowballs/ice balls form that they pull at the hair a bit, but I don’t worry too much about the legs being cold. They can stand in snow for months at a time without getting any frostbite on the legs/feet.
[QUOTE=saultgirl;7951696]
I worry a little that when the large snowballs/ice balls form that they pull at the hair a bit, but I don’t worry too much about the legs being cold. They can stand in snow for months at a time without getting any frostbite on the legs/feet.[/QUOTE]
Not me - I get one hand in the snow when I slip/fall and I’m shrieking like a girl from cold. :lol: It’s amusing how different they are in their tolerance for cold… After I ride my gelding always has ‘snow-drifts’ up his ankle and hanging off his boots - but it doesn’t seem to mind him.
On topic - the cozy hat ad is quite… amusing… But the idea is cute enough. I wonder if it actually stays though? Horses need their ears for communication, so I don’t know how quick I’d jump to use something that flattens their ears down.
That is how their body helps to preserve warmth. Things like a horse’s lower legs and ears don’t have muscle, so they don’t need as much blood circulation to keep functional.
Try polarfleece tube socks over the ears. Ok…quit laughing…I used this for “funnies” with old horse. He didn’t mind.
Actually saw somebody on the do key and mule connection FB page who had done this.
It’s actually not uncommon to see horses here with the tips of their ears missing who have come from the colder parts up north. You would have to be careful the earmuffs did not stay wet if you went that route.
[QUOTE=Foxtrot’s;7951829]
It’s actually not uncommon to see horses here with the tips of their ears missing who have come from the colder parts up north. You would have to be careful the earmuffs did not stay wet if you went that route.[/QUOTE]
I have only seen one, and his ears were frozen when he was a foal. Have you known mature horses who developed frostbite?
saultgirl, I’ve seen several mature horses with missing ear tips, sometimes almost half the ear is gone. It’s a bit of a shock the first time. I think extreme cold is even harder on donkeys because they have more ear surface and tend to prefer the hotter end of temp extremes.
I may have a go adapting tube socks over the crown piece of a flymask (thinking of cutting off the lower/eye cover area). I would try to line them with something fuzzy. Don’t care about the goofiness factor, just want to make the donkey warmer. Have also contacted someone on etsy.
[QUOTE=Frostbitten;7952012]
saultgirl, I’ve seen several mature horses with missing ear tips, sometimes almost half the ear is gone. It’s a bit of a shock the first time. I think extreme cold is even harder on donkeys because they have more ear surface and tend to prefer the hotter end of temp extremes.
I may have a go adapting tube socks over the crown piece of a flymask (thinking of cutting off the lower/eye cover area). I would try to line them with something fuzzy. Don’t care about the goofiness factor, just want to make the donkey warmer. Have also contacted someone on etsy.[/QUOTE]
whichever route you go, share the warm pics for comic factor! :lol:
I actually cannot verify WHEN these horses lost their eartips - as foals or adults, can’t say…never thought to ask.
I actually found a site that had a diy for this idea. I just never got around to making them for my pony. http://www.shadowridgedonkeys.com/#!instructions-donkey-ear-muffs/c47l
luvmyhackney, WOW, that is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks so much. The sub-zero model would be perfect.
If you can’t get that, we use Kensington masks with ears for one of the horses in winter. The ears are lined so it is harder for the wind to blow through. The lining isn’t fleece, but it works okay for the horse in question.
