My Thoroughbred cross horse and his apparent reaction to sudden temperature drop

After four solid days of pouring rain, a swimming pool instead of a riding arena, watching Cruz roar around the field, rearing and spinning for lack of other exercise, and a missed horse show on Sunday as a result, the sun came out. Hurray! By late afternoon the arena was rideable.

As I groomed Cruz I noticed two things. One, his winter coat has suddenly sprouted and two, he is no longer sensitive about being brushed. He's been enormously antsy while having his stomach and even his back cleaned, and has several times tried to cow-kick me: that's not Cruz at all! I was very much hoping this new sensitivity was down to the change in season, and it looks as if it was. This is the first year it's happened. Maybe because of the rapid drop in temperature and his body's attempt to compensate fast. Now his coat is thicker he's back to enjoying being groomed.

After the second day of rain, which my British born horses usually don't mind, I brought them all in for a few hours to dry off. I didn't want them getting rain rot/scratches. They have the option of coming out of the weather any time they want, as I've set up the stables to act as run-in sheds as well, but they weren't taking advantage of this shelter.

Kinley and CD were fine, but Cruz was shivering. I put a net blanket on him and covered that with a light wool rug. He was immediately more comfortable, and soon warm and dry. The three horses then wore New Zealands until the temperature rose and they were happier without them.

Anyway, that's taught me that when the weather suddenly and dramatically cools down, the Thoroughbred part of Cruz has a tough time with it. Luckily for them, the Irish Draft in the other two overrides the sensitivity of their Thoroughbred side.

This is different from usual: Cruz is normally the horse wanting to be out in the rain, snow, ice, you name it. I always thought this was his one quarter Welsh Cob coming through - the rugged pony part of him. In Virginia he used to open his stable door so he could be out in some terrible weather conditions. So once again I put his atypical body reaction down to the suddenness of the temperature drop.

One has never learned everything when it comes to horses. That's why they never get boring!