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RE: [RC] to blanket or not - heidi

???  I have never in my life seen "sickness, colds, or illnesses" related to wet thick coats.  My own horses (nearly 50 of 'em) are out 24/7 in all weather, and do sometimes get wet from the weather--and in over 30 years, I've never had any sickness related to soaked horses.  Nor have I ever in 2 decades of veterinary practice seen a horse sick from sweating and getting its winter coat wet.  Nor have I ever heard any other vets mention illness from same.
 
I DID see a lot of "sickness, colds, and illnesses" associated with being stalled in cold weather, though--and confinement with limited ventilation is a good recipe for problems.  I've also treated my fair share of horses that have been injured by getting hung up in their blankets.
 
You do make a valid point that horses should LEARN to be blanketed, and that the fussing is good training.  But that's about the only positive I can see to your scenario.  Clipping and having to check and maintain blankets is FAR more "maintenance-intensive" in my book than leaving horses in their winter coats.  Are all five of yours ridden and/or driven daily?  That's the only scenario in which I can even imagine clipping and blanketing being "labor-saving," and even then, it's about a toss-up.  My unblanketed horses require ZERO coat maintenance in winter, unless they are ridden--and even when ridden, it is just a matter of a little extra cool-out time.  Not sure how you can beat that by clipping and blanketing...
 
Heidi


 
Never had the sickness, colds, or illnesses related to wet thick coats.  All of mine are excellent about being blanketed, even as babies, and its wonderful for them to be fussed over every day.  They become so used to hands-on, and the blanketing becomes so routine that they just start taking everything else in their education -- riding and driving -- in stride.
 
 
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