Feeling Guilty!

[misty'smom]

I felt so bad today.......It was cold and rainy here in Va this morning so I did not turn Misty and Josie out right after I fed them like I usually do. I needed to go out for a couple of hours and when I left according to the weatherman it was suppose to let up for most of the daytime so I turned them out. Well it didn't let up and when I came home late afternoon my poor babies were soaked!!!!

I do have an area in front of my barn that is under roof and I left their stall door open for them but I guess they didn't go in. Maybe because they are both so young 7 & 8 months?? I felt so guilty I brought them right in, fed them early and even cut up a sweet potato for an extra treat!!

What do you all do on cold rainy days?? They both are very woolly but is that enough? Could they get sick because I left them out in the elements? They were used to being out at the breeder's 24/7 but that was spring/summer. I bring them in every night at dusk let them out in the morning. Not sure when I should keep them in???

 

[Matt73]

They'll be fine

. Just get them dry. As long as they're fed well and have access to water, they should be fine. I'm like you,too, though; mine don't go out in nasty weather (I don't have shelter in their paddock). Mine have been in as long as two weeks in really nasty weather, but they have big stalls. And I also will spend more time with them if they need to be in. I'd rather have dry, warm horses than have them out in nasty weather, and I know they feel the same (when it starts to rain or freezing rain etc. they are at the gate calling and pacing lol).

 

[Rhondaalaska]

My diva insists on saying out in the rain. It has been freezing rain all week and she gets coated in ice. She does get cold and has shivered when she is soaked to the skin. I put her blanket on to try to dry her out but it takes days. She hasn't gotten sick so far, but she is way older than your babies. So I don't know how they will do. I am sure you got them warm and dry so that is what is important. We can't control the weather so don't feel to bad. You are doing the best you can. So here is a " hug" for you.

 

[Danielleee]

They'll be fine. If it really bothered them they would have gone in so no worries

 

[Lil Eowyn]

They'll be alright =) Think about those wild mustangs out there that are outside 24/7. My horses are out 24/7 (unless its a really cold night or really hot day)--they do have a shed in the pasture though. I'd dry them--especially if its cold out. I was gone on vacation last week for 8 days and my sister and her husband took care of the farm while we were gone, and I heard that it got up to 40 degrees F (which is REALLY warm for a MN January) and then there was freezing rain, then it dropped back to below 0 F. I felt horrible because there was nothing I could do! But thankfully we have a shed so hopefully they didn't get icy coats!

 

[shalakominiatureshowhorses]

Mine are kept in when it is raining, snowing, sleeting, or when it's cold out and the sun doesn't come out. Bentley hates the rain and comes in. My 3 yr olds on the other hand will keep playing! My boys are shaved from October, so they are kept in when it isn't sunny. They are in right now since it isn't supposed to remotely be warmer until tomorrow! Poor things. Just dry them off, and they will be fine!

 

[MindyLee]

Dont!

You can have a million $ barn painted in gold, and they still would rather stand in the rain. LOL

I have really nice 4 sided lean toos in every pasture.... They ALWAYS look like drounded rats when I check on them. Usally standing next to the door to the lean-too. If they shiver badly, I pull them in and dry them off. Blanket for a couple hrs, give them grain and warm beet-pulp and toss them back out after the rain ends.

I feel bad too but like you and everyone else here, cause their our babies!

 

[wingnut]

The only time I stall my girls due to weather is when we're in the midst of a significant storm (i.e., snow storm/blizzard or hurricane like last October). Otherwise, it's their choice whether to be in or out. We've had similar weather here in Maryland as you in Virginia. All of my girls spent the morning on the pasture and have come up to the barns to dry a bit I guess. To look at them, you'd think they were soaked to be bone, but they aren't. No one has gotten sick from being wet.

You can check to see if anyone is showing visible signs of being cold. If you find that to be the case, then stalling them until they dry is a good idea. I have "wicking" blankets for this which actually helps to pull the moisture away from them as they dry...adding some additional warmth at the same time. I've only had to do this with my hard keeper though as she has only minimal fat build up in her body. The others have a nice layer that keeps them warm. Even in very low temps, like the upper 20's we saw in the a.m. a couple of weeks ago.

These kids of ours can be fragile in some ways, but for the most part, they are sturdy beasts who can handle just about anything.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Mine are all out all the time and I can tell you the only place they will not be standing is in their shed. They stand with their backs up to the tree line or back themselves into the hedge and there they stay. It is snowing at the moment, they are in the hedge!!!

 

[Boss Mare]

Give then an extra hug and they are fine!

Mine much prefer to be outside and will be outside soaked or inches of snow on their backs. Lots of hay and optional shelter.

 

[Barnmother]

My philosophy has been they are designed to be outside, that said in the winter I bring them in every night and allow them time to dry completely overnight and eat their own food (no sharing). Once inside their body temperature actually dries them pretty quickly. By the morning they are ready to be outside again. They have trees to stand under

I don't allow them free access to the barn during the day as I have one mare who will corner the others and kick the stuffing out of them if they have free access and she things the space should be hers.All is well in the pasture but she seems to deem the barn to be hers and hers alone.

 

[misty'smom]

Thank you for all your replies and words of experience!!! My babies were fine this morning, they were pretty much all dry and had eaten most of their hay! After they had their feed this morning I let them out to run and play it wasn't raining only cold and cloudy. When that miserable rain came back late this afternoon I brought them in gave then their feed, hay and a bucket of nice warm water for the night! So they were OK but I am sure I will worry again next time they get soaked in the cold!!!

Wingnut were did you get your "wicking" blankets?? That sounds like a good idea if they get too wet and a good alternative to a heavy winter blanket!

 

[Marty]

I keep my horses dry in the barn and out of all nasty weather. I'm totally with Matt on that. I paid a bunch of money for a barn to use for that very purpose and it is very well used for sure. But guess what? This very thing happened to me just today. The ice cold rain was finally letting up so I turned everyone out for a good run. Ten minutes into it, the rain came back pouring down hard like crazy and got everyone soaked before I could round them up again. I should have checked the radar. .

NOTE: Please do not ever put a blanket on a wet horse and leave it there. That's a recipe for pneumonia. Try to towel dry best you can with beach towels and get her in the dry. And also if your horse is shivering, that's cause for concern so if that happens around here and it has, I get the warm beep pulp going and get them started on hay quickly which should help. Good luck to you! I never trust the darn weatherman.

 

[Rhondaalaska]

That is something I will have to remember, if only diva would not insist on being out side in bad weather when she has a dry run in barn to go to. I guess I will have to bring her in the house if I shouldn't put her blanket on her to help warm her up. She does have free access it her hay. So eats when ever she wants.

 

[wingnut]

My blankets are the Kensington Waterproof Roustabout brand. I bought them from Ozark Mountain a couple of years ago. If my hard keeper gets wet and then cold, I will put one on her for about an hour and stall her with a big pile of hay. Then I go back out about an hour late and swap blankets. After an hour I find she's actually dried out quite a bit. I'll put the first blanket in the dryer on low and check her again in another hour. By then, she's usually nearly completely dry. Depending on what the weather is doing at that point, she will either get the dry blanket back or left unblanketed.

My three younger horses would probably be okay being stalled during wet weather as long as enough hay was put in front of them. The hard keeper though will stop eating and drinking if I stall her. I can't risk that with her so she only gets stalled in extreme situations.

 

[AngC]

Mine stay out all the year with free access to stalls and with shelter available under trees. Lotta’ rain here in Washington so frequently they are very soaked. They have thick coats (not quite dreadlocks like some I see, but thick and long) and no shaving; not even bridle path.

The baby, now 7.5 months old, has been out full-time since about a month old. I was keeping her locked up at night with the mare; I would let them out during the day when it wasn’t raining. Within a few weeks I was letting her out even in the rain if temperatures were warm (above 60-65F.) Then at about 4-5 weeks of age, I was checking the temperature one afternoon (no rain that day) and debating whether to lock them up since it was about 55F when I noticed that Baby was totally soaked from splashing in the water dish. That’s about when I started leaving her out full time.

I’ve tried to dry them. They don’t like me messing with the wet part. For example, I can reach underneath on the belly or between the front legs and rub where it’s somewhat dry but not on their upper bodies where hair is soaked. I kind of wonder if that isn’t because the coat is designed with oils, air layer etc. for insulation and if I try to towel it I’m mussing up nature’s insulation method.