Re: Blankets

["Drin Becker" <rainbow@montana.com>]

" But, heck, I understand, in some parts of Idaho,
horses are turned out in the snow all winter, no shelter and do just fine.
Karen "

We live at 6500 ft. and have about 15 head of assorted horses from foals to
30+ that are never ever in a barn , stall or lean to in the winter , they
are all kept in a crick bottom with lots of willow bushes . We get an
average of 2 feet of snow most the winter and temps that dip below 30 below
at times and hang on like that for days . When it gets below 0 we let them
free feed on hay until the temps come back up above 0 but otherwise they are
fed grass hay once a day and nothing else . We do keep loose rock salt out
for them at all times and then a heated water trough so they can choose
between the crick or the trough . Since we started with the rock salt we
have had no more winter colic episodes .
                                                Drin Becker
                                                Montana