Make it and Bake it instructions?
First of all there is absolutely no proof that a horses immune system is damaged by blanketingNor does a horse become reliant on the blanketNor is it that once you blanket a horse you must always blanket a horseThese are just a bunch of old wives tailsI live in central georgiaWe have fairly mild winters here but one of my horses does shiver when the temp drops below 40 degreesSo that is my target tempWhen the forecast calls for overnight temps in the 30's or below I blanketA horse that has to shiver to keep warm has more chance of getting sick than a horse that is kept warm by a blanketNow one thing that you need to know is that a horses hair has naturally insulating properties when it stands out from his body, the blanket pushes the hair flat and dampens the insulating properties of the hair so the blanket must be heavy enough to make up for thatThe one thing you want to avoid is blanketing you horse when it is not cold enough and then having him sweat under his blanketThis can be dangerous.
For a start, rugging a horse (or blanketing as you term it - blanketing in UK means putting on blankets and stable rugs), does not cause a deficiency in the immune systemThis is a mythThe can get colds from airborne viruses and chills from getting wet/hot and then being rugged while still damp I would look at your horses and blanket them when the base of their ears are cold and not warm to the touch, when their hair seems to be sticking up or if they are shivering and clamping their tails into their buttocksI would definitely rug them up now, but make sure they are clean and dry firstRemove the rugs daily to check for rubs and sores and dampness, give them a quick flick over with a brush to lay the fur and then replace, unless they are damp, and continue feeding for warmth - soaked sugar beet, plenty of bran, maize but not oats as this will make them fizzyAnd hay ad libYou might do well to invest in a spare rug, heavier duty for each of themSome turn out rugs come with removeable layersAnd hopefully you have some form of shelter in which they can stand out of the wind and the rain if they so choose.
Before I turn mine out for the day I check what the weather is like or what it will be like that day, and if it will be windy or raining, I blanket themIf it's just cold with no wind or rain, they are usually fineYes, I know that their hair puffs out when there's moisture to keep their skin from getting wet, but that's usually not enough for long periods of time with a soaking rain( I stall them anyway though when it's pouring or snowing heavily) When they wear a blanket, their hair is pressed down, but they are not getting wetThe blanket is extra insulationSome people say 'but look at the wild horses' yeah, well our horses are domesticated, and they aren't as rugged as the wild ones areAnd we care for them, so we might as well make sure they are dry and warm! ) Sorry, got a little off the subject but I get tired of the people who think our spoiled horses are tough like ones in the wildwhen they depend on us for food, water and shelterOk, so if it's windy and cold, or wet and cold, blanket themIf it's so cold that you can't be out for very long until you are absolutely freezing, you could blanket them then too, unless they don't seem as concerned :)
I asked the same question about 2 weeks ago.and I got many different answersGranite I live around a bunch of cowboys and they are all for the no blankets because they think the horse's coats are enough to keep them warmI personally think that it depends on your horse's coatI have a paint filly and her winter coat is almost all in.the last few nights it has reached about 24 degrees and I have not blanketed her yet (although I do have one)I plan on blanketing her when it reached about 20 degrees.that is insane cold and I would definatly want one if I was the horse in the snow! LoL! So really it is up to youGood luck!
