...this weekend

make the most of the good weather....
...and ride the good ride.
 Sunday was great weather, it occured to me there may not be many of those left....

 
...though I do like crispy cold frosty mornings too.

So I got out and about.

TCJpart100 Natural Insulation

HEALTHY COATS:

...and why it's very important to make certain it's not just your horses' internal health and fitness that are functioning well going into the cold weather, his coat needs to be in prime condition too.  






For thousands of years before humans 'persuaded' horses to work alongside them, long before horses got stored indoors (for our benefit not theirs), or had blankets and rugs on, horses managed to survive extreme weathers with just their natural hair insulation to keep them warm or cool.

This is an observation I made watching Henry during the very hot few days we had in August, his coat was standing you can see in the photos John has taken.  It is  exactly as it's does when he is cold and needs to trap the warm air from his body for insulation.  

This time he was protecting his body from the heat and cooling himself down.  

I noticed it because Henry's Trakehner brand was visible, and you can hardly ever see it, Tom's yes, but never Henry's.  So I wondered why, and that's when I noticed his hair all standing to attention, releasing the warm air and keeping his body at a comfortable temperature. Fascinating.

TCJp28 Weather, it's nippy

IT GOT COLD!!!

Tom and Henry are still not in for the night.  Their coats are fluffy and are the perfect insulation for any cold weather.  Monday was minus 4 according to my yard thermometer, and the boys were munching hay all happy as usual, coats brushed from the night before:  I keep them brushed so their coats can stand up for warmth.  I put my face against their bodies and felt they were warm.

I used to pack them up in great thick rugs, shut them in doors, just like everyone does.  But this year, of doing things differently, I am very pleased to be treating them like horses, and they are noticeably happier.

They can move about, and are free to go out into the field if they want to.

Diets?  We are sticking to our current regime, and very slowly but definitely they are losing weight.

The forecast is for a short snap of cold and little rainfall.  if it gets nasty, I will bring them indoors, but now this is a last resort after rugging them and keeping them out.

got to remember they are horses.....

So Tom and Henry are naked, clean and fluffy,  happy and munching.  they have lots of hay, and eating constantly should also help keep them warm.  I must remember the story of the Trakehners 'The Trek',  where Trakehners braved ice and snow, hardship and little food just to survive the war....Trakehners are tough...and gorgeous...

...me?  I'm happy in a warm house with the fire going and a cup of tea....not tough at all!!

Shelley

TCJpart21 Rugging Horses

TO RUG OR NOT TO RUG...THAT IS THE QUESTION:
...and one we ask ourselves everyday once we've checked the local weather...it's tricky, but there are some checks you can make to be more...'scientific' about your choices...

Tom & Henry rock the snowsuits in FALPRO silver interactive well-fitting rugs.  They cost me a fortune, but they're so worth it.

I strongly believe in keeping my horses as naturally as possible, I don’t trim them at all except their tails but only because they get so long the boys tread on them getting up and down!

Horses are designed to be outdoors with only natural shelter from sun and rain. Obviously if your horse was designed for arid dessert environment and you keep him in the UK, or your horse is clipped, rugs are a very useful tool.

Mine are happy rugless, they cope with extreme cold as their natural temperature control is better than any rug can provide.  

They grow good hairy coats and provided I keep the mud roughly brushed off so the hair can stand up they have a brilliant personal heating system, there is hardly ever any need to rug them.

Having said all that their are certain 'triggers' in the weather, which mean I can  be flexible with rugs, since I would much rather them be out with a good rug on, than shut away indoors where space is restricted.  If there is one important lesson I have learned keeping T&H, is that being outdoors, with freedom to roam in safety is the most important thing to a horse.

**I keep their stable doors open all year round full of clean bedding and fresh haylage, the only times they consistently choose to use the shelter of their boxes is in hot and sunny weather.  They never go inside in the rain.  They might stand together with their bums toward the rain or wind backs against the hedge of their boundary looking, we believe, miserable, but this is extreme anthropomorphising - they are not us - we'd rather have a hot bath, get into jamies and sit by the fire with a cuppa - horses want to be outside...end of story.

Tom and Henry looking all snugly in the cold.  rain was forecast overnight, hence the rugs.

Triggers:

I spent a lot of time analysing my horses at different times of the year.  Measuring their temperatures, noting their behaviour during a variety of weathers.  And I learned to my surprise that I had been rugging them far too much, and the effect of this ultimately meant their natural defences (their coats) were never fully winter ready. Now they are.

I do however rug them when certain markers are reached, triggers in the combination of elements.  With a temperature + rain + wind strategy, it’s easy to work out the rug situation.

Spend time outdoors with your horse in lots of weathers and understand what his needs are. I set temperature goals for certain scenarios and stick by them. I have a thermometer in the feed room which I check twice a day, and I keep a careful watch on the local weather forecast too, find one that is as accurate as possible for your area.

The triggers I have decided to use to decide whether rugs go on or not are:

Temperature.

Rain/Snow/Sleet,

Wind

...and combinations of all those.

I know for example at what air temperature Tom and Henry begin to get cold (put your face up against your horses body, feel the warmth coming through the hair...or not - this  also means you don't need to take your gloves off either). 

It's very rare that I will rug against cold only. 

It's 2 degrees today, sunny dry mid December morning, they are naked.

When I do, it's because it's dropped below a certain marker/temperature.  You can find this out about your own horse by noticing how cold it needs to get before he is cold. It's really worth doing this groundwork, because you might be surprised like I was how few times they actually need rugs on - we like them to be snugly when we leave them at night in the winter...but that may not be what they need, and in certain cases, might also be unhealthy. 

 In the rain too, as long as its not below 4degrees I keep them naked. When I do rug is if the combination of wet + cold happens, when the rain is heavy and prolonged: IE, it’s unlikely there will be time to get dry and warm before another downpour, or if it's very windy. This will mean the moisture will evaporate off their bodies and keep them at a lower temperature,

IE: rain + wind, means cold = rugs. The wind changes everything, because if they’re wet, wind can make a happy horse very cold, very quickly.

wet + cold = rugs

If its just prolonged wet, a lightweight sheet goes on, well fitted of course so it doesn’t hinder their natural movement (and for T&H that’s means galloping about like mad things).

Cold/wet/windy they have a medium turnout for that extra snugly quality.

And in the snow, they have a heavyweight, because I don’t want them freezing in combination with the wetness of the snow, and they roll about in it, gallop about in it and eat it too!

Tom & Henry xxx

Consider the long-term effects of deep mud - not just for mud fever. Wet mud is very cold in winter, and your horse might be standing in it all day, getting cold from the feet up. This is another trigger for me bringing Tom & Henry in at night. Their feet get a chance to be clean, dry and warm.

When the weather always has my fields wet and muddy, and it’s cold and windy too, they come in at night. Above 5degrees they remain rugless

Neck covers: I buy rugs with them because I like the options of being able to be flexible with my weather protection, but rarely use them. Tom & Henry LOVE to roll and the neck covers just seem to lessen their enjoyment of getting as filthy as possible!

ahhhhh...Henry xxx

I sometimes rug indoors too, because the restricted room disallows them to move about and get themselves warm as they would do whilst out.

So indoors + extreme cold (minus2 degrees for eg (you decide what your own level is for your horse)) = rugs. 

Choosing rugs can be tricky.  I have found a brand that fits my boys perfectly so I buy all their outfits from that brand.  They don’t rub, they never slip, are fully, easily and quickly adjustable, marvellously waterproof, modern and lightweight and have silver interactive linings, which to my surprise really do make cuts and knocks heal quickly!

Be fussy when you buy rugs, assume you'll spend a fortune for a good one, it'll be worth it - I have had mine for years, and only needed to buy more because the boys grew!!  check they fit your horses body shape well - there are so many shapes and fits - because they will be spending all day in them, they have got to perform.

happy rugging.......or not! xx

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