Measuring for Horse Blankets

1. Using a string, have a helper hold the end in the center of your horse's chest where his neck and chest meet. Pull the string around the side (covering the largest parts of the shoulder and stomach) and end in the center of the horse's rump area.
   
   
2. Mark the length of the string with a marker (or cut it if you don't mind sacrificing your string). We'll measure this in the next step.
   
   
3. Lay the string flat and use a tape measure to find the length. The length in inches is the size of horse sheet or blanket your horse will need. If the measurement falls between two sizes, round up to the larger size for the best fit.
   
   NOTE: if you own a fabric style tape measure that is long enough for this task, skip the string and use the flexible tape measure! But don't cut it... that would be bad!

Winter-Time Blanketing

Choosing the Best Blanket for your Horse

Here in the Midwest, the winter season has found its way onto our calendars and across our pastures. Blankets provide extra protection to keep your horse warm, dry, and clean during cold, snowy days.

WHEN TO BLANKET

Mom Nature has adequately planned to keep horses warm by providing them with thick, comfy winter coats; however, sometimes blanketing can provide a little more comfort to take the edge off the cold. Blanketing is not necessary for every horse and is dependent upon several factors such as climate, body condition, health, age, coat thickness, and shelter. If your horse is a healthy easy keeper, you may not need to blanket but, if your horse is not in the best body condition (skinny) with a thin coat, a blanket would be greatly appreciated.

TYPES OF BLANKETS

There are many different types and weights of blankets that are constructed to provide different levels of comfort for your horse. The thread count in a blanket is measured in “deniers”. The most durable and tear-resistant blankets will have higher denier counts. The insulation of a blanket is called the “fill”, which is measured in grams. A light/medium fill blanket will have between 100-200 grams and a 300 gram fill is the heavyweight blanket.

Stable blankets, which are lightweight and constructed of nylon and a light insulation layer, can be used to keep your stalled horse warm and clean on a cold night; although, you should not turn your horse out in the pasture wearing it since it is not water proof, unless you place a waterproof sheet under it.

The most durable blankets are the turnout blankets. These blankets are constructed to provide optimal warmth and dryness for your pastured horse. Turn-out blankets are breathable, which means they will not let cold air in but will allow sweat to evaporate from under the blanket. Many features in turn-out blankets allow for more freedom of movement with shoulder gussets and wear pads at the withers to prevent rubbing when your horse frolics around the pasture.

BLANKETING TIPS

You must be responsible when you blanket your horse and check his coat under the blanket often to make sure he remains dry. If he gets wet underneath the blanket, he will become chilled. Remove the blanket and rough up his coat with a dry towel and place a fleece cooler on him, which will expedite the drying of his coat.

Keep an eye on the weather and remove the blanket if temperatures rise above 45 degrees. Prior to removing the blanket, wipe a dryer fabric softener sheet over it to prevent static shock to your horse when you take the blanket off. Trust me, he will appreciate you doing this! After removing the blanket, you can use this time as an opportunity to wash the blanket to remove any dirt and gunk that may have accumulated on it. After removing the blanket, lightly groom your horse to brush off any dirt that may found its way under the blanket.

When spring finally arrives and the blanket comes off for the season, inspect it for wear and tear to determine if it can be cleaned and packed away for the next winter season or if it needs to be replaced.

Happy Trails!

By: Darlene M. Cox (kyhomeagain@gmail.com)

Winterizing Your Horse Trailer

With the riding and camping season coming to an end, now is the time to winterize your living quarters horse trailer.

1. Remove items from your cabinets and drawers that may freeze and burst during freezing temperatures.
2. Mice love to snuggle in for the winter and live comfortably in your trailer; therefore, you should take out all food items, paper products, blankets, etc. A lack of food or nest building materials will have them looking elsewhere for their winter accommodations.
3. If you have a refrigerator in your trailer, you should clean it out and leave the door propped open to prevent mildew.
4. Drain residual water from the hot water heater by opening the relief valve and removing the drain plug. Attach a small hose and flush the water tank with clean water to remove any silt build up in the tank.
5. Drain water from the fresh water holding tank.
6. Remove and drain all holding tanks, both gray and black water.
7. Purchase RV-rated (pink) anti-freeze and circulate it through the water pipes and pour it into sink and shower drains, as well as into the toilet bowl and tank.
8. Remove batteries from any appliance that may remain in the trailer, as well as the smoke detector.
9. Remove fire extinguisher to prevent it from freezing.
10. Remove floor mats from the horse box for cleaning and deodorizing. Allow them to dry thoroughly before returning them to the box.
11. Clean and scrub the box floor after removing the mats. Allow the floor to dry completely before returning the mats.
12. Check the flooring for any weak or rotting boards and replace as needed. Also check the underneath side of the flooring and floor supports for weakness and rotting.
13. If you park your trailer on grass or dirt surfaces, roll the tires onto treated lumber that is wider than the width of your tires. This will prevent your tires from dry-rotting.
14. Make sure that propane tanks are turned off.
15. Turn the Power Main to off.
16. Remove and recharge (if needed) the breakaway brake battery and the main cabin battery. Store them in a warm, dry place.
17. Clean and/or replace furnace and air conditioner filters.
18. Use WD-40 on all hinges and locks to prevent them from corroding or locking up.

With the winterization of your horse trailer, you will be ready to hit the road for another season of riding with the arrival of spring.

Happy trails!

By: Darlene M. Cox (kyhomeagain@gmail.com)

Is Your Horse Ready for Winter?

Like it or not, winter is just around the corner. Is your horse ready? Extended cold weather takes its toll on horses given the greater amount of energy required to deal with the cold and a more difficult weather environment.

You may want to have your vet conduct a well horse visit to assess his health prior to winter’s arrival. Have a fecal egg count done on his manure to examine what kind of parasite load he may be carrying and be ready to act if the load is heavy. Parasites will negatively affect your horse’s health at a time when he needs to be in good condition. It is also important to have his teeth checked for any problems that may inhibit eating or digestion. Assess body condition to make sure your horse is carrying an adequate amount of weight. A horse that is too thin will have a difficult time generating energy to keep warm and healthy.

Have your farrier visit to trim feet and assess if anything needs to be addressed with regard to hoof health. If possible, shoes should be pulled to prevent snowball and mud build up that may stress the foot and legs.

Nutritional needs vary depending upon age, health, activity level, and weather conditions. Grazing will be limited during winter months; therefore, it is important that quality hay is provided throughout the day. Horses prefer hay that is clean, fresh, and palatable. Hay should be mold and dust free to protect your horse against illness. Grain, supplements, or ration balancers may also be required based upon the nutritional needs of your horse and his body condition going into winter. Horses drink less water in the winter months, most likely because they do not like to drink ice cold water. Placing a submerged heater in a trough or using a heated bucket will keep water at a more palatable and desirable temperature. Feeding free choice minerals or a mineral block will also encourage your horse to drink.

Covered shelter will allow your horse added comfort from winter elements such as freezing rain, but turnout time is very important to allow for exercise and fresh air. Stalls should be kept clean to prevent ammonia build-up in soiled bedding from causing breathing problems for our horses.

Exercise is required during the winter to keep your horse in a good toned body condition. While we may not like the cold much either, we need to make an effort to keep some semblance or a working routine for our horses. Even during inclimate weather, we can provide exercise even if it is as simple as walking our horse up and down the barn aisle.

A healthy horse going into winter will be a healthy horse come spring when you are ready to hit the trails again.

Happy trails!

By: Darlene M. Cox (kyhomeagain@gmail.com)