blanketing in florida tonight? 20 degrees !!

[suz]

I'm in Ft. Myers, FL and am torn as to whether I should blanket my guy or not? It is supposed to get down into the 20's tonight.

He does have a thick coat.

However, he can't have hay over night to eat as he is on a special IR diet.

He is stalled around other big horses.

What are others in Fla doing regarding blanketing?

Thanks much

Suz and Mocko

 

[Jill]

I'm not in Florida but so long as he will stay dry, given that he has a thick coat, I would not blanket him. That can take the loft out of his coat which is a big part of how they keep warm.

 

[Eagle]

I have seen a couple in Florida on Marestare with rugs on this week. Has the temp dropped rapidly?

 

[suz]

I have seen a couple in Florida on Marestare with rugs on this week. Has the temp dropped rapidly?

yes, it was in the 70's yesterday, 50's today (actually 40's now). this morning it was in the 50's, but tomorrow morning reported to be in the 20's....

I board him so I can't keep an eye on him to see if he shivers.

 

[jacks'thunder]

I have no advice for ya but I just wanted to say that I had no idea you guys got that cold down there!

Thats Michigan weather! LOL! Good luck & dress warm!

 

[LittleRibbie]

Well Suz, first of all Im happy to read you and the rock star are still in the area!! how is he these days?? I am in agreement with Diane...Im sure he will be just fine....however...check out my guys on Marestare tonight....blankets for all except Peanut and Cam....only b/c Cam is a little rascal and will hang himself by morning!!! but after the trouble he gave me today I may hang him by morning anyway!!

Stay Warm and Happy New Year to you both!!

heidi

 

[Carolyn R]

Holy cow! We just got back from Disney World. Came back on new years eve to daytime temps of high twenties here in PA. The weather was so nice there last week, two days were in the high seventies, almost eighty. I would say that if it is that much of the extreme difference at night, keep them in, if their ears and legs are cold I would consider blanketing them overnight. They are some extreme temp changes you are talking about.

 

[LindaL]

I would not blanket. Horses even in Florida get winter coats "just in case" and as long as they have not been clipped they will be fine. Sounds like he is stalled at night, so will stay out of the wind (altho the wind won't be what it was last night) and stay warm enough.

Mine are outside, have winter coats and will not be blanketed. I did give them extra beetpulp and hay tonight for extra "heaters" in their tummies.

BTW, I moved here from Oregon and it was colder here in Florida than it was there today...and they all laugh at me when I tell them how cold it is...BUT, MOST of the time I am laughing at them...I can deal with a few days of this cold...just glad it doesn't snow...

 

[jegray21]

We are in Ga and its going to be just as cold! Crazy it was so beautiful this weekend. My furry ones do not have blankets on, some of mine were trace clipped they have several blankets

and warm mash at night to be sure they are getting enough water

Everyone has been fine so far!

 

[shelterwood]

-20 degrees below zero here tonight with wind chills in the -35 range, so mine got blankets, even though they are accustomed to really cold temps. My rule is 20+ degrees below what they are used to AND with wind, snow or sleet, they get blanketed, extra hay, and a later night check in. We'll be thinking of your WARM temps tomorrow morning!!

 

[wingnut]

We're having similar weather here in Maryland. I was just outside feeding my girls and the thermometer was a 17 degrees. The only one with a blanket on tonight is my hard keeper because she doesn't have that extra layer of fat everyone else does. She has a pretty good coat this year compared to last but she's the one I'll find shivering before anyone else. They have access to stalls to get out of the wind. 4-5 of the 6 will bunch into one stall! None of them seemed uncomfortable at all.

 

[Riverdance]

I must have brought the cold weather down with me when I moved here, but then perhaps I wished it would be cold for a couple of nights, great sleeping weather.

My horses have never been blanketed unless they were shaved in the Minnesota winters. If they were shaved, they were in a heated barn. Here, I have shaved some heads and necks as well as some chests and bellies, but they still have body, leg and ear coats. (it was really hot here for horses that were trying to grow MN winter coats)

 

[HGFarm]

Winters here in Arizona vary also. I am in the desert but this year (for the first time I remember EVER) we had a few freezing nights in November. The last couple of weeks it's been down in the upper 20's for the low at night, however this week is much warmer and it's supposed to hit 80 in the valley tomorrow (just a bit cooler here at the farm) but our overnight lows out here have been in the upper 30's - this morning it was 40.

My horses run out year round- they have good coats, and I dont blanket. They seem to adapt to the weather changes just fine. I agree with Castle Rock and with Jill- and Jill you brought up about the fact that blanketing makes their coats not be able to work correctly for their own insulation when needed.

 

[Sandee]

We just came to Florida a couple of days ago. Hope we didn't bring the cold with us! Be here for a couple of months but left my horses are up at the trainers in Illinois. Don't know who had the colder night last night us or them! We certainly aren't using the whirlpool. It's supposed to go back up soon and I certainly hope so as we didn't pack for this type of weather.

 

[alongman]

It got down to 27 here tonight with expected highs in the uppper 40's to low 50's......a Minnesota winter.

 

[LindaL]

We just came to Florida a couple of days ago. Hope we didn't bring the cold with us! Be here for a couple of months but left my horses are up at the trainers in Illinois. Don't know who had the colder night last night us or them! We certainly aren't using the whirlpool. It's supposed to go back up soon and I certainly hope so as we didn't pack for this type of weather.

What part of Florida are you in???

I must have brought the cold weather down with me when I moved here, but then perhaps I wished it would be cold for a couple of nights, great sleeping weather.

My horses have never been blanketed unless they were shaved in the Minnesota winters. If they were shaved, they were in a heated barn. Here, I have shaved some heads and necks as well as some chests and bellies, but they still have body, leg and ear coats. (it was really hot here for horses that were trying to grow MN winter coats)

Ah HA! Now I know who to blame for this weather here! LOL!

 

[Sandee]

What part of Florida are you in???

Ah HA! Now I know who to blame for this weather here! LOL!

We're staying near Orlando. A small community called Davenport.

 

[LittleRibbie]

Amen to that!!

 

[Marty]

I think the individual location in Florida and condition of the horse is important to consider. I was located right on the ocean and in the winter the cold fronts would chill you to the bone. Its a different kind of cold right there, hard to explain but its a frigid wet cold. My ponies were old so yes, they most definately wore winter blankets, sometimes doubled and also with hoods. If they were young, super hairy and inland, I probably would not have added a thing. Just depends.

 

[HGFarm]

You mean in the central desert at my house, I have already had Minnesota weather?!!!

Thank heavens we've had a beautiful week in the 70's but it's cooling off again- was 38 at my house this morning when I left for work.