From: Roanne
Hi Jessica
Thank you for your newsletter. It`s great to see how much you can do for so many people, including myself. I have gotten a lot out of it and the archives.
First some history, I am 14 and have been riding since I was 8. For most of this time I have been lucky enough to have my own horse, this is largely because we can keep them at home which makes it more affordable. Also, partly because of finances and partly due to ignorance, the horses we have gotten (7, in 5 years) have had their problems.
Now , after about 3 years of fear problems and lack of appropriate horse, I have someone to ride with, an appropriate horse, and a good instructor.
Now my question, it is almost winter and I would like to keep riding Mariah as long as possible. Should she be blanketed? The horses are turned out 24/7 with a run in shelter. I have heard that sweating with a winter coat can get them chilled and it can take a much longer time to dry off. I would like to do whatever is best for her. Any advice would be appreciated.
TIA , Roanne
First, congratulations on having someone to ride with, an appropriate horse, and a good instructor. It must be a great relief to have everything come together for you at last.
You didn't say how cold it gets where you live, but if the horses are out 24/7 with a run-in shed, they should be fine as long as they have free-choice grass hay and (unfrozen) water, no matter how cold the temperature gets.
Riding in winter means making some compromises. That is, the RIDER has to make compromises - not the horse! It's true that a heavy winter coat takes a long time to dry. If you ride your horse into a sweat, it's your responsibility to see to it that she's dry before she goes out again. There are basically four ways of dealing with this issue:
1) Don't ride in winter (many people would prefer not to ride in the cold anyway)
2) Ride, but ride gently, so that you keep your horse in shape but don't get her sweaty. You can work at a walk all winter long; it's good for the horse and good for you. Some of my students take advantage of winter walk-work to ride without stirrups for a few months.
3) Ride as you normally would (but with a much longer warm-up), go ahead and get the horse sweaty, then take the time it takes to get her completely dry - that's dry TO THE SKIN - before putting her back out. Warning: even with a wool or polarfleece cooler, it can take several hours of walking and standing out of a draught before a horse with a thick coat will be truly dry.
4) Clip the horse's long winter coat, so that you can ride normally (again, always with a longer warmup). This means that your horse will get less sweaty from exercise, and that you'll be able to get her cool and dry more quickly and easily. But it also means that you will have to use blankets to make up for the natural protection you've removed. If you do clip, do it in stages so that you don't end up with a full clip on a horse that needed only a low trace clip. If I'm planning to clip a horse for winter work, I'll generally start with a pony clip (underneath the neck and chest), then if that's not enough, go to a low trace clip, then to a high trace clip, then to a hunter clip. Remember, the more you clip, the protection you remove, and the more complicated your blanketing system will become. You may need to provide your mare with a light blanket during the day, and a heavier one (or an added liner layer) at night or in extreme weather conditions.
One of the worst things you can do to a horse is to put a heavy blanket on it "to keep it warm" and then to assume that the horse can wear the blanket all night and all day. The extra warmth may be welcome at night, but during the day, when the sun provides warmth, the horse may get sweaty under the blanket. If that happens, by the time night comes you'll have an unhappy, uncomfortable, WET horse that can get badly chilled - and that's precisely the situation you wanted to avoid.
Life is easier these days, because we have blankets that "breathe" -- they don't allow rain or sleet to reach the horse, but they DO allow sweat vapour to pass through the fabric. They're not cheap, though, so plan to invest wisely. Be sure that your blanket actually FITS the horse, not only when it's standing with its head up looking into the distance, but when it's lying down, rolling, and standing with its nose on the ground, waiting for grass to grow. Check the blanket adjustment and fit at least twice a day, and check the condition of the horse's coat and body temperature under the blanket. Remove the blanket at least once a day and check the horse's coat for rubbed areas - a blanket that creates enough pressure to rub the hair off can also create a sore. Keep the blankets brushed and as clean as possible.
If you can do all this, you'll probably be able to ride through the winter, keep your mare comfortable and healthy, and have a great time doing it. Good luck, and have fun!
Jessica
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