Horses in winter

This weather is a real downer, isn't it? I'm in Maryland, and we've had tons of rain, which then turned into snow over the weekend.

I was supposed to go to a tack sale as a vendor on Sunday, and had cleared out an embarrassing number of bridle parts, stirrup irons, spare reins, interesting bits, and two saddles I never use. I was cleaning the lot as I watched the snow flakes come down, gently at first, then more violently until the 'there won't be any accumulation' forecast turned out to be a bald-faced lie!

My first concern as always, was the horses. Would they mind the snow? Luckily we'd been warned it might come, so I'd brought them in that afternoon out of the rain to dry off under light stable blankets while munching hay.

I then winterized the barn: filling up and plugging in each electric water bucket and performing ditto on the outside water trough. I put blankets on the now dry horses and opened up the stalls so they could go outside if they so chose.

They responded by galloping to the far side of their huge field and not bothering to come in until the next morning when they saw me poke my head out of the house to admire the winter wonderland. So much for being concerned about the weather!

It never ceases to amaze me how hardy horses are, and how little bothered by adverse weather as long as they have access to shelter. My guys now have full winter coats, too, so when it's dry I take the blankets off. They stay out all night regardless of how cold it is: the hay I carefully place in their stalls, in case they want to come in, is untouched.

I need reminding every year that horses do not want to be as snug and warm as we think they do!

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!