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Re: [RC] Cold Weather Riding - abigail MaddenHi,
Here in No. CA we went from 95 F last week to 55 F this week. Cold, wet, windy, so I know how you feel. Do you have a sheet or a cooler you can put on your boy until he's dried out? I trailered to a covered arena to work Magic the other night. Cold enough to see your breath. Got him working pretty good and he ended up drenched in sweat. We did some walking to cool down until he was not actively sweating anymore. I layered two Walmart fleece blankets over him and then his fleece sheet. Left him munching hay at the trailer while I cleaned up the arena. Before I put him in the trailer, I pulled the blanket closest to his skin out from under the sheet. It had soaked up a lot of sweat. Trailered home and gave him some of his complete feed and a little hay with hot/warm water poured over it. While he ate that, I pulled off the next blanket. It had also soaked up a lot of sweat. Then I just left the
fleece sheet on for the night and put him away (stall, open to pasture) with a flake of grass hay.
I'm not sure what you mean when you say you put him up (closed stall, paddock, pasture). You might want to consider the layering technique I just mentioned when you are putting him away still damp from a work out. You can even use an old wool arm blanket and towels. Just keep pulling the layers out from underneath, next to the skin. Don't uncover to remove the layers, that would get drafty. Also, give him something to eat while he's still drying. This will help keep his body heat going enough to dry him out. If you can, take blankets/sheets/coolers of different weights to the ride with you. That way, you don't get caught off guard with the weather and can layer appropriately.
Good luck,
abigail
Chico, CA
Tshuck64@xxxxxxx wrote: Hi, It has cooled down a lot here in the last week,way colder than usual for this time of year. We have had a lot of rain and some snow. I took my gelding out for a nice ride yesterday, it was damp out and in the low 40's with a slight breeze. We probably went about 10 miles with a lot of steep hills and mud, so it was a different and difficult ride since we havent seen mud for about 7 months. Anyway he worked up a good sweat, drank from puddles and seemed fine. When I got home I rode him in the field at a walk for about 1/2 hr. (took the pup, shes learning about horses). Put him up. Came out to feed about 2 hrs. later (4:30) and he was still a little wet with sweat and was shivering in the hind end. His muscles were not hard but he just seemed to have a little chill. As soon as he started eating he seemed to quit shivering. My question is how do I handle this. I really dont want to blanket him. I have one more ride I wanted to attend and dont know how to handle the cold. Thanks
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