NOW, how would you feel if you had to sleep under bright lights all
winter? I've been dealing with this with my G/F about her show
horsie. My Siberian husky gets his winter coat before winter and you can
tell how cold the winter will be by how thick his coat is. It's different
every year and I and he predicts the weather. light might have some
bearing on it but I think the temps play into it more. Also my G/F has
blankets on her horse all winter, I can't see the lights going through
those to stunt the hair growth. I sure would like to see a scientific
study done on the subject. what happens if your horse doesn't get a winter
coat because of you fooling them, the the winter hits bad and your barn blows
down? Your horse is going to freeze to death out in Mother Natures World
that you have fooled. animals are fragile. Take just this last
Summer, in Ohio it got so hot that corn started popping off the ears as they
were still on the cob and stalks. The damn cows thought it was snowing and
froze to death. don't mess with Mother
Nature. G.Affleck
I put my horses under lights this time of year (at least the
ones I want to keep slick hair coats). The length of daylight is nature's
way of signalling hair growth. By providing artifical lights you trick
mother nature that it isn't time yet to grow hair.
You need to light
up your stall bright enough to read a newspaper in the farthest corner. I
have temporary (if you call 3 years temporary) lighting set up by using
construction halagon lights on a tripod. I turn the lights on at dusk and
off at 9/10 pm depeding the length of daylight. I blanket when it gets
below 55 degrees. If you horse has all ready developed a hair coat you
can leave the blanket one to induce shedding.
I've used this system on
both 3 sided stalls and pipe pens successfuly for years.
Good
luck. ~Nat~ Buckeye, AZ
RC] Winter Hair - Jim & Drin
Becker
I am fighting to keep the winter hair off of my
mare for an upcoming desert ride , this will be my mares first 100 miler
and our weather here is in the low 30's in the mornings with highs into
the 60's during the days . I have a heavy winter blanket on her with a
hood 24/7 except for when I ride . I am debating on shaving parts of her
as last year when I went to a ride in the same area and about the same
time the weather was in the high 80's and 90's . Problem is that I could
come home to snow and weather in the teens so I don't want to get into
having to keep her blanketed most of the winter . Does anybody else live
in cold regions and go through this same scenario ? If so what do you
do beside pray for a cold front to come in the day of the ride :-)
? I have never shaved a horse before . I will be riding for completion
only but this is a fast course
Drin
Becker
Mtn Region
