tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2113210295764288330.post8924909412844656637..comments2024-01-27T06:46:56.744-06:00Comments on Paradigm Farms Horse Retirement: Thoughts on BlanketingMelissa-ParadigmFarmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14274830693649851658noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2113210295764288330.post-50910359312016207732010-01-08T20:07:36.154-06:002010-01-08T20:07:36.154-06:00I agree with many different parts of your philosop...I agree with many different parts of your philosophy. I "suffer" from some ideas that I'm not sure are right, and we have longer freezing temps, but my two cents:<br /> <br />I am from a colder climate, and I believe if you start blanketing (several days or a week, not just one night), you keep blanketing through the rest of the season. If you change the horse's natural defenses, they get dependent on the blanket pretty quickly. You explained how you bundle up for near freezing... us wacky people a little farther up north wouldn't put that much on unless we're just standing for hours and it's below zero.<br /><br />A blanketed horse is equivalent IMO to our comfort on a pleasant day in the summer. It's not fair to put a horse into "summer" one day, and switch them back to winter or late fall like temps the next day when you don't blanket. <br /><br />For me, if I start blanketing, I do it to moderate the horse to about 60 or 65 degrees, using heavy, medium, light or rain sheet as needed; so they may go without during the day if it's overcast at 60/65 or sunny and a just little cooler, but until the temperatures consistently stay up there, I blanket continuously if I start.<br /><br />I SO agree with the mobile shelter idea, and that a rugged horse is happier on those crummy mid 30s to low 40s rainy days... but I don't want to blanket, and I don't groom down to the skin as much in winter if the horse doesn't work. I may do a really through curry, or brush well, but seldom do both on the same day, unless it's during a warm spell... A blanketed horse would get a good to the skin grooming with both pretty much every day.Bifhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07648037666735227722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2113210295764288330.post-67032393073349365082010-01-04T19:32:19.330-06:002010-01-04T19:32:19.330-06:00I love you guys. I really can't imagine that ...I love you guys. I really can't imagine that any other retirement farm is this thoughtful and thorough. First the feed blog, then the worming blog, then the blanket blog! I definitely believe in blanketing, especially if its windy (and it's been plenty windy on Long Island). I can only imagine that horses get cold, and perhaps they don't understand that if they go in the shed they will be warmer. I can't imagine anything more heartbreaking than a shivering horse.<br /><br />I left Sebastian unclipped and unblanketed one winter, but he grows a coat like its going out of style. And he was in the barn at night. Right now Henry is not clipped but has a pretty thin coat, so I go with 1-2 blankets at night depending on the temp.<br /><br />The one thing that drives me completely nuts is over-blanketing. The people who have the sheet, middle blanket and stable blanket, none of which fit properly, leaving the horse bald on his shoulders. That to me would just be uncomfortable. <br /><br />I say, Blanket away, Melissa!AliFromNYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16084861185418766804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2113210295764288330.post-2183890618187321872010-01-04T17:39:17.639-06:002010-01-04T17:39:17.639-06:00You're easily romanticized, Lytha !
Goats an...You're easily romanticized, Lytha ! <br /><br />Goats and sheep are indeed pickier eaters than any horse !Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09092424684260339977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2113210295764288330.post-57817414203448083192010-01-04T16:04:35.947-06:002010-01-04T16:04:35.947-06:00I always like to read about people who are thought...I always like to read about people who are thoughtful in their horse care. <br /><br />Me, I do tend to agree that young, fit, healthy, unclipped, unworked, acclimated horses that have plenty to eat and lots of room to move around in an area with natural wind breaks, really don't need rugs. <br /><br />However, change even one of those parameters, and it's a different story.<br /><br />Particularly with horses that are groomed / and or ridden regularly, because that does strip the waterproofing from their coats and then they get wet to the skin and consequently chilled. <br /><br />It drove me mad when I ran livery stables, because every now and then, there'd be a client that after I told them they needed to supply us with a rug / heavier rug because their horse was cold, would reply: "Oh that's ok, they're meant to shiver when it's cold, it'll warm him/her up. It's natural!"<br /><br />Grrr. Mostly they quietly bought them the damn rug after I started charging them extra for the extra hard feed I was having to pump into their horse in order to maintain their bodyweight. Shivering is very calorie-expensive. Rugs are a much cheaper longterm investment than hard feed. Not to mention healthier, metabolically speaking. <br /><br />The other thing that drives me nuts about hard-core 'natural' types is that horses retired to grass are generally older than wild horses ever get. The skin often produces less oil to waterproof their coat, they have less muscle tissue to generate heat, they move around less because they're stiffer and their digestive efficiency is often impaired too.FDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01485030894416936129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2113210295764288330.post-638559031057018482010-01-04T14:29:49.489-06:002010-01-04T14:29:49.489-06:00melissa, i just went thru some older posts and fou...melissa, i just went thru some older posts and found your comment that your goats are more finicky than your horses.<br /><br />and i read people often saying that goats will trim what your horses won't eat.<br /><br />and then from my experience, our goat wouldn't eat a single blackberry bramble.<br /><br />and these sheep on our field are exactly as finicky as the horses. even ignoring nettles and thistles, what should be healthy.<br /><br /><br />so....<br /><br />what is it?<br /><br />what is the truth?<br /><br />i mean, specifically, do goats/sheep help with weeds, or not?<br /><br />or am i easily romanced by the sweet eyes of a lamb?<br /><br />~lytha, new farm ownerlythahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01719586193059362084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2113210295764288330.post-74397064417496627292010-01-03T21:30:29.566-06:002010-01-03T21:30:29.566-06:00I always notice your parents house in the backgrou...I always notice your parents house in the background of pictures. :) I think it is just gorgeous.<br /><br />I am along the same lines as you as far as blanketing. We have not had to worry about it for the most part, but are getting hit with the same arctic air that you guys are getting. On nights this cold all of our horses stay in the barn with lots of hay and warm water (we don't have heaters in the troughs). We dont ever have to worry about Hanna the Fjord- she has the thickest coat I have ever seen! :)<br /><br />Stay warm!ZionFarmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09153703930637178562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2113210295764288330.post-33239071717933520102010-01-03T21:10:08.923-06:002010-01-03T21:10:08.923-06:00I'm a blanket when it's needed sort of per...I'm a blanket when it's needed sort of person. We have no shelters or windbreaks, so we do sheet and blanket, but some horses don't need them as much as others - Dawn and Noble are the two who are most sensitive to cold, with Joe close behind. I think Maisie is part yak and that applies to Lily as well - Norman can be more sensitive as his exterior surface to interior mass ratio is higher. There's nothing worse than a wet shivering horse - horses do get wet, and cold and wet is a bad combination. I like your approach of doing what's needed but no more.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com