"Prairie flowers"



'lil B&W


"Alone time"

Very nice Ric.

WOW.....just WOW!!

Beautiful, Cocadori

Very creative shots.

Laffin at the prairie flowers.

Thanks!

You've got a knack for sure. Very nice.

Fantastic shots...

Thanks!

Very nice work.

The third photo is especially nice.

Thanks bud!

Cool pictures.It's amazing how horses out west don't need barns. Around here,we treat them like dogs.We don't even let ours out when it's raining lol.Last year I picked up a mare that came from a ranch out west and she can't stand to be in a stall.She'll come in to eat but then bangs on her stall gate non stop until I let her back out.

Horses are amazingly tough. People get anthropomorphic with them and end up causing more problems.

The only thing they need is a wind block.

We have had stretches of -20* to -30* for a week at a time.

feed em heavy when it gets cold so they have calories to burn. They are built to handle it.

This was taken this morning the temperature is 13*

They all look pretty darn good to me...

some thawed water can't hurt, either......

Unless they're Indian ponies getting by for 3 months lickin' snow.

Horses are tough.

I have five horses that haven't seen the inside of a barn in about two years. And they wouldn't know what a blanket is for either. Now my 30 year old paint, my wife's retired arthritic quarter horse, and my wife and daughters show horses go in every night.

Ain't nobody got time for that!!!

Another great pic Corcadori

What state are you in Douge??

I've got 600 gallons of "thawed" water and when it snows they hardly, if ever touch it. They take in more than you think by grazing in snow covered pasture. Like Sam said I've watched em lick snow instead of make the walk to the watering trough. The ponies on the Pryors or in the McCullough Peaks get snowcones for 3-4 months... tough sumbitches. 1/2 the horse's in the Peaks used to be domestic until some of the A$$munch owners long ago turned em loose and said good luck.

I've got a pony off the peak's with a brand run on the neck and she has 1/2 her ears gone from frostbite...best [bleep] pack horse I have and tough as a railroad spike.

Only ones I even blanket are maybe the geriatrics if it'll be below zero for too long. Of my personal horses I only ever blanketed the show ponies if we were going to events throughout the winter. But since I left all the political bullschit ego stroking circle jerking stuff behind I don't worry much about it.

Simply, like Sam said, horses are tough.

I'm in Pa.I've had horses most of my life and I realize that they're tough.We work ours hard,really don't baby them but they do go in the barn when it's really wet or really cold and windy.I was out west several years ago and just took notice that there weren't many barns lol.It's not a criticism on how people in different parts of the country care for their animals.My kids bring them in every night after they get worked,brush them down,check their hooves and make sure everything is ok.My wife and I went away for a week this past summer and left the kids at home with the MIL.They fed them,road them etc but just left them at out 24 hrs/day.When we got back,the one started to get a bad case of scratches.Our horses are pets but they're ridden hard in rodeos and barrel races.I just like to keep their feet picked out and make sure nothing is starting to go in the wrong direction as well as monitor how much feed they get.I know people who's horses never see the light of day unless it's inside of an arena.To me that's ridiculous and actually cruel.I also have a thing about hairy hocks and beards lol.I make the kids keep them trimmed.

Only ones I even blanket are maybe the geriatrics if it'll be below zero for too long. Of my personal horses I only ever blanketed the show ponies if we were going to events throughout the winter. But since I left all the political bullschit ego stroking circle jerking stuff behind I don't worry much about it.

Simply, like Sam said, horses are tough.

I don't like to blanket horses unless it's really cold or there's a bunch of mud.I like mine to grow hair for the winter.To me,blankets in the pasture are just something for them to get hung up on.

I also agree that leaving behind the egotistical know it alls makes it more enjoyable.I've met some good people in the horse business but have also come across more liars,cheats and just pinheads than anywhere else.

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...