Re: Blanketing Question

["Mike and Kathy Kelly" <reallykk@infomagic.com>]

Hi Ed,

No blankets!  As my vet just recently told a group he was speaking to,
horses are able to keep themselves quite warm if left to themselves. They
have tons of tiny muscles to move hair follicles, direct air flow etc.  When
they are blanketed much, they lose alot of this ability.  So if you do
blanket, you are taking a big responsibility to continue blanketing, since
you've messed with their natural ability to insulate.

It isn't very cold where you are.  As long as the horse has shelter from
wind/rain, it should be fine.

BTW my vet also said that horses are supposed to be most comfortable at 18
degrees. Who would of thought.  The best thing to keep a horse warm in cold
weather is extra hay to eat.

Kathy Kelly

----- Original Message -----
From: <guest@endurance.net>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2001 3:09 AM
Subject: RC: Blanketing Question


> Ed Roley
> My daughter and I have not been "horse people" long.
>  In the last 6 years of having a few horses we have
> not blanketed during the winter. None of our horses
> and been ill. Never really even seen a runny nose.
> We live in the mountains of North Carolina and
> occasionally it gets pretty cold. Usually coldest is
> about 10 degrees but rarely stays cold like that for
> any extended period of time.
> My daughter is now keeping her horse at someones barn
> who always blankets her horses when it is a little
> cold. She did recently when it got down to the 30's.
> She is asking us to blanket my daughters horse now.
> I supppose it is no big deal to do so but I am not
> anxious to do it. I have no real problem with it if
> it is real cold(say less then 20 degrees for extended
> periods) but not if it is just our normal "cold" weather.
> My mindset is somewhat "Horses have lived outside for
> thousands of years without blankets, why do they need
> one now?". Give me some good reasons...Thank you.
>
> Ed Roley....
>
>
>
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