Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's Couple Pony pics...

Our outside horses have a three sided run-in that they use. back wall is north so it breaks the wind and keeps them dry. Always have a round bale available and trough heater in the trough for them. They do just fine with that. The other horses(inside) are blanketed because of age, arthritis, or not easy keepers. If we struggle to keep the weight on them in the winter, they are blanketed. These just happen to be the old and show horses. The trail horses are the ones that stay outside without a problem.
When I say show horses, I mean local shows. We don't do the big time shows that you have to travel to attend.

Douge, I'm probably not far from you, I am up near Syracuse NY

I'm in North central Pa right next to rt 80.Syracuse isn't too far.Have you ever been to the elk range in Pa?If not,it's a nice weekend trip.There's several campgrounds where you can camp with horses and ride for days.We only live about 20 minutes from there and usually make a day trip out of it a couple times a year.Once in a while we camp for a couple days.

I like to say we have all around horses lol.They run barrels most weekends and ride trails the rest of the time.We do a lot of local stuff that's within an 1.5 hour drive.My daughter also runs barrels and poles in rodeos.She was really into the high school rodeo for a while but the traveling and two day rodeos start to wear on her old man after a while.She does pretty good.She has a good pole horse that she's won two state championships on but she's only a 3D barrel horse at best.I bought her a nice well bred mare last year that has a big motor but we had to work some bugs out of her.The mare is an absolute sweetheart.She's gentle easy to work with,goes through anything but it turned into an all out bronc fest when you pushed her too hard.We have that worked out for the most part and now she's running pretty good.Hopefully by spring,she'll be in the money with her.I just hope the weather holds out so she doesn't stand around all winter.

By feeding extra in cold, that should be hay, not grain. Horses get body heat by fermentation of hay in the gut. Extra grain does not add to any of that. Horses out on pasture can do well with less water if snow is available, but if they are kept up in pens a person better make sure there is plenty of water without ice. If not, that is the number one cause of colic in the winter.

Wind and wet cause a lot more problems than cold. In the east, its usually a lot more humid than in the western states which is why as long as the horses can get out of the wind and stay reasonably dry they get along in the west. That doesn't always workout in the east where it might rain for a week without stopping

A lot of things we do for our critters make us humans feel better. More so than what it actually helps the equine.

When up hunting, my mules get blanketed in adverse weather. Not so much as for keeping warm, but it is darn sight easier to keep them clean and saddle up at 4 AM than spend another 1/2 hour getting the mud off. Especially in muzzle loader season when we have lot more rain than cold. I have seen my mules standing out there shivering in the rain. If so, I put blankets on them. They usually have not had the time to grow winter hair yet.
There are no absolutes of do's and don'ts, but common sense sure helps you out a lot.

Three very good points Saddlesore. As long as they caan stay dry and out of the wind, They can handle a lot ANd when it gets cold, we up their hay.

Douge, sounds like were only about an hour and a half apart or so. No I have not seen the elk yet. I was going to amp out there in September, but I just go too busy and couldn't get away. It is on my short term bucket list though.

Oh man we hardly if ever grain. Maybe if we had one loose weight, bad worms, bad teeth what ever the case may be... but when I say feed heavy... (like to night it's gonna be -15 or so...) I threw enough for them to chew all night if they so choose... the act of chewing alone stimulates "the gut" to do stuff... there in alleviating many issues whit a less than ideal digestive system.

SS, I bet 90+ % of what we do for the equus makes us feel better not them...

I don't blanket mine except if I trailer them some were on a cold damp day. I believe they are most comfortable when the temps hit freezing.

If you ever decide to head down,look me up.I'm always up for a day of riding.

Heck yea!! I'll definitely do that. If you ever want to come up and check out Otter Creek on the western edge of the Adirondacks, let me know.

Very good advice...