(Written in the summer of 2008)
I got up this morning, August 17, and stumbled over my cold feet to the coffee. It took only a few swigs before I became aware of the furnace kicking in and the thick, cold mist coming down the mountains. Through a break in the clouds I could see that nature had been busy dealing out meteorological love-hate: Several inches of snow covered the peaks, close enough to get a person really excited or equally pissed off. Did I mention it was August 17?
Breckenridge cannot exist as it is without snow. If we get enough of the stuff early, and if it gets played out on, say, a Broncos game, the phones ring and our fine skiers start booking their time in Paradise.
Yada yada blah blah. Don’t tell that to my horse, my short-haired, thin-skinned critter who at a “5” body scale does not have the luxury of insulation. He does not care about business at Central Reservations or about base depth or if wearing neon ski clothing should carry a $100 fine.
This morning he is more concerned with food and his shrinking world, which amounts to the 8 X 12 dry area beneath his roof. Outside, rain and hail have blown sideways and the temperature is expected to hit a high of 43. The past few nights it’s been below freezing. With bits of ice blowing sideways. The uncovered area in his pen is a mélange of mud and puddles and horse apples that are freezing and thawing into a very unmanageable consistency. Did I mention it was August 17?
He pokes his head out from his hood. I felt like an idiot putting it on the night before, along with the midweight winter rug, but the horse has no hair, and I really did not think he would be able to grow a suitable coat in a matter of hours. I run my hand under the blanket, wondering if I should take it off for a bit, but the horse is comfortably cool. As dumb as I felt about using winter blankets on August 16, it was the right call.
So what are the general guidelines for blanketing? I’ve done some research and the following appears to make sense. May I add, though, that if you board your horse and someone else is responsible for blanketing your animal, that you make the process as efficient as possible. Complete changeouts of blankets twice a day take huge amounts of time if they involve several horses. This is the stuff that increases the costs of boarding, makes barn workers crabby, and contributes mightily to barns' decisions to stop taking boarders.
That said, you may want to opt for waterproof, breathable turnout rugs that offer protection against the elements and are comfortable enough to be used in the barn. Some people put a lightweight rug over a stable blanket during turnout, which means the rug goes on and off but there isn’t a complete switch-out of blankets. Make sure that if you plan to blanket your horse that you have a back-up blanket in the event of laundering or repairs.
Also, cool is better than hot. You don’t want your horse sweating in a blanket.
If your horse is stabled and clipped (and clipped horses ABSOLUTELY MUST wear winter blankets in cold climates):
50 degrees: Stable sheet
40 degrees: Lightweight blanket
30 degrees: Midweight blanket
20 degrees: Midweight blanket
0 to 10 degrees: Heavyweight blanket and hood
Major cold: Double blanket plus hood
If your unclipped horses do well without blankets, inside or out, consider the adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." If you decide to commit to blanketing (don't back out of the program in January), here are guidelines for unclipped outdoors horses:
40 degrees: Lightweight turnout rug
30 degrees: Midweight turnout rug
20 degrees: Midweight turnout rug
0 to 10 degrees: Mid-to heavyweight turnout, a hood is appropriate with winds
Below 0: Heavyweight turnout with hood. A fleece liner is appropriate for older or more sensitive horses, as long as they don’t sweat.
There are tons of decent blanket companies out there, but I have found over the years that Schneiders (SStack.com) consistently delivers the best bang for the buck. The midweight turnout I use on Obi is going into its sixth season. It’s no longer pretty, but it stays on well, doesn’t rub in the shoulders thanks to well-placed gussets, and it remains waterproof. It has suffered two small tears that I have patched successfully.
Obi & me