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Post by cardicorgi on Aug 18, 2008 11:31:08 GMT -5
FYI, Statelinetack.com has a heavy weight Rambo turnout on sale for only $159 - that's about half what I've seen it for before - a really good deal! (plus you can use iGive to buy it and a percentage can go to SAFE or another charity of your choice). If you're looking for a super high quality blanket that holds up well to PNW weather (and horses) - I highly recommend Rambos! They fit TBs really well, I've never had a problem with slips or rubs, and sheesh, they should pay me to be their spokesperson. www.statelinetack.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=SLT721491%2069
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Post by jodycat on Aug 18, 2008 12:58:49 GMT -5
FYI, Statelinetack.com has a heavy weight Rambo turnout on sale for only $159 - that's about half what I've seen it for before - a really good deal! (plus you can use iGive to buy it and a percentage can go to SAFE or another charity of your choice). If you're looking for a super high quality blanket that holds up well to PNW weather (and horses) - I highly recommend Rambos! They fit TBs really well, I've never had a problem with slips or rubs, and sheesh, they should pay me to be their spokesperson. www.statelinetack.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=SLT721491%2069Thanks for this. But I have a question: what horses need blankets? I know people who own horses who do not believe in blanketing, and found this one link (in a 5-minute search): debrsc.blogspot.com/2007/12/to-blanket-or-not.htmlObviously I would think underweight horses in rehab or with rainrot would need protection. I am wondering about Fred, who will be coming to a cooler climate in mid-September. Are there rules of thumb regarding blanketing that people rely on? Thx, met
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Post by oneidea on Aug 18, 2008 13:21:36 GMT -5
I blanket my horses when the day temps drop below 60F. I have a variety of weights from light sheets to mediumweight (~200 g fill) blankets. I don't find I need a heavyweight blanket very often in W. Washington, so when the temps drop low enough to need some extra warmth, I slip a light cooler under the med. wt blanket.
I know people that don't believe in blanketing and unless the horse is underweight or having a hard time maintaining in colder weather, that's fine. I don't "believe" in winter woolies... so I choose to blanket... :-D
My most used blanket has been a Weathabeeta Orican - waterproof, medium weight so it's pretty versatile, well made, and it fits even my tubby mare pretty well. I also have some Rambos, Big D and Schneider blankets that have held up fairly well.
ETA: I just looked at SLT and it looks like they have a med. wt. Rambo with neckrug for $129... that's a good deal too!
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Post by cat67 on Aug 18, 2008 13:24:46 GMT -5
I don't believe in not blanketing. Not in this climate with all of the rain. Most horses, let's face it, are too dumb to come in out of the rain and they wind up standing out there soaked to the skin and shivering unless you have waterproof blankets on them. That leads to weight loss.
It's not cold that bothers horses, it's cold + wet. We have that combination here, so blankets are a must. When I lived in Wisconsin, I would actually blanket in the fall and spring because of the rain, but could leave them without when it was dry and cold in midwinter. You could walk out to see them on a 20 degree day and their coats would be hot from the sun and the reflection off the snow.
Reber Ranch has some darn good waterproof blankets for under $100 that have held up well for me. They're like a blue-green plaid.
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Post by TashGaia on Aug 18, 2008 13:36:01 GMT -5
I don't blanket my healthy horses at all. The skinny/sick/whatever rescues all get blankets if they need it and any time I get a horse in mid-winter and it hasn't had a chance to grow a long coat, they get a blanket too. One really important thing to remember if you decide to not blanket your horses is that you MUST still go out and groom them very often so that their winter woolies stay fluffy and able to keep them warm because if they get muddy or whatever then their long coat is worse then useless because they will not stay warm and they will get rain rot. And most importantly that above all else you monitor them closely to make sure they are not losing much weight.
My half-draft Tarkh has never worn a blanket (other then to try one on). Last year I actually only had one mare that needed a blanket and that was a thin-coated and skinny TB-Appy mare that I got in January. All the rest of the horses from the drafts to the appys to the babies did fine without... but you cannot just throw them out without blankets and forget about them until Spring. You must be diligent and pay extra attention to make sure they are doing well and be prepared with extra blankets on hand in case you end up needing to blanket.
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Post by schwung on Aug 18, 2008 13:43:37 GMT -5
I concur with Cat. Unless your horse never goes out in the rain or always stays under shelter when it rains, they should have at the very least a waterproof sheet. One or two rainy days aren't going to hurt them, but day after day of having a soaked coat is asking for rain rot. And wet+ cold is a deadly combination. Horses coats are designed to fluff up to keep them warm - which is why many people don't like to blanket, as you flatten the coat and - supposedly - make them colder. But wet coats don't fluff either, and they can get far more cold when wet than dry with a flattened coat under a blanket. I don't care if my horses have winter coats - in fact I want them to, unless they are in serious work over the winter (and then the issue is just the amount of time it takes for them to cool out after a ride), but I still blanket. Heavier blankets for the TBs that don't grow much coat and rain sheets for the fuzzy horses.
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Post by TashGaia on Aug 18, 2008 13:49:09 GMT -5
I guess I must just get lucky since I have never had even a single case of rain rot
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Buena
SAFE Volunteer
No horse will ever teach you as much as your first horse.
Posts: 1,929
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Post by Buena on Aug 18, 2008 14:01:14 GMT -5
Healthy horses don't seem to have rain rot problems in my experience. Ones with compromised immune systems seem to be more prone to it. But that is my purely anecdotal experience. I don't blanket unless I am going on a trip from a mild climate to one that the horse isn't used to or unless I am in a situation where the horse can't move around to generate heat in muscles (like on a camping trip where high lined or tied to the trailer at night). I do bring in my horses if they aren't smart enough to get out of the nasty weather themselves in the winter.
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Post by cardicorgi on Aug 18, 2008 14:05:23 GMT -5
I'm with Cat and Jaime on this one, in the PNW wet wonderland of winter. I am pretty obsessive about checking turnout sheets/blankets to ensure the waterproofing has stayed that way (and for fit/rubs, too).
I've found that the waterproofing on Rambos lasts much longer than other brands of blankets (but you have to wash them according to Horsewares' directions, otherwise you lose their guarantee).
Like oneidea, I also layer my horse (who now lives outside 24/7) on *cold* rainy days with a medium weight blanket, and a light rainsheet on top (a lightweight Rambo Supreme with a neckcover is really worth the cost), but last winter I wished I'd had a heavyweight for a couple of weeks there! If you add a neckcover, the blanket truly acts like a portable shelter IMO.
Another great thing about Rambos are the reflective strips - easy to find your horse in the dark!
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Post by ecaitlynn on Aug 18, 2008 14:13:38 GMT -5
Okay, I'm just learning about this blanketing thing. For those who don't know, I have inherited a four year old quarter horse gelding recently and I've got a steep learning curve here to learn how to care for him! He is in a full board care facility in Lake Tapps.
My question is -- if you are boarding your horse and can't see him everyday, how do you handle the blanket thing? Do you give instructions to the facility owner? How pushy can you be about blanketing?
Dixon has a stall with turnout paddock. In nice weather, he will be turned out in a pasture during the day, but not if it's muddy and rainy. So, he will have shelter available, but will also be able to step outside to a fairly large turnout area.
All thoughts are much appreciated.
Beth Thompson
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Post by oneidea on Aug 18, 2008 14:28:56 GMT -5
Beth, it depends on your facility and boarding agreement. Sometimes blanketing/blanket changes are included in your board, sometimes you pay extra for the service.
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Post by jodycat on Aug 18, 2008 14:38:00 GMT -5
I concur with Cat. Unless your horse never goes out in the rain or always stays under shelter when it rains, they should have at the very least a waterproof sheet. One or two rainy days aren't going to hurt them, but day after day of having a soaked coat is asking for rain rot. And wet+ cold is a deadly combination. Horses coats are designed to fluff up to keep them warm - which is why many people don't like to blanket, as you flatten the coat and - supposedly - make them colder. But wet coats don't fluff either, and they can get far more cold when wet than dry with a flattened coat under a blanket. Okay. So does this apply to horses (like Fred) who will be in a nice dry stall in a barn all night every night (and getting groomed every single morning)? (My problem is that my instinct is probably to over-baby Fred, and I don't want to make any of those kinds of mistakes, either......)
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Post by ecaitlynn on Aug 18, 2008 14:53:33 GMT -5
Thanks -- blanketing is included and several of the other boarders do blanket. The owner isn't a big fan of blanketing -- I can tell from how she talks about it. She doesn't blanket her own horses.
I am definitely leaning toward blanketing at this point.
Beth Thompson
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Post by schwung on Aug 18, 2008 15:51:00 GMT -5
I have never paid for blanketing when I used to board - usually I use a rain sheet in fall and switch to a warmer blanket by November, and that is the blanket that my horses wear all winter, day and night. There is in my mind no need to switch between a turnout blanket and a stable blanket, but some people enjoy having different "outfits" to change their horse into.
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Post by schwung on Aug 18, 2008 15:54:54 GMT -5
I will agree that healthy horses are less susceptible to rain rot, just as they are less susceptible to lice or scratches. But, they are not immune to it, and some horses are just more skin-sensitive than others (typically the thinner-skinned horses like TBs are especially prone to skin issues of any kind).
And part of it for me is that *I* feel better knowing my horse is outside warm and dry than cold and wet. But, rain rot can be a real pain in the butt to get rid of once you have it, not to mention painful for them, so my preference is not to take the risk.
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