Winter weather

[Marsha Cassada]

We are expecting the worst Blue Norther since 1920. In southwest Oklahoma, we're used to a few days of winter at a time, but this is a sustained 10 days below freezing. Sunday evening is supposed to be 50 mph wind and -0. 15" of snow???!!! Unheard of.
Midnight has never kept a blanket on. Within 15 minutes she usually has it off and stomped into the mud. She is keeping it on! And, improvident me, I should have ordered new blankets earlier. Mine are resewn, and held together with baling twine and Walmart velcro. But, they are working so far and staying on. If I have to, I can wrap duct tape around them to keep them on. Shelter, blankets, hay, heated water--I don't know what else I can do.

 

[chandab]

A couple places have been having sales lately, if you need to order new blankets. I can't think of where all I've seen the good sales, but I think: Jeffer's, Chick's Saddlery, Horseloverz, and maybe Big Dee. You might check others. Early on I got a couple new blankets on sale, one was $33 and one was $41; plus shipping of course.
We've been below zero for the last week and it's not expected to break til Monday, now. 25-30 below overnight much of that time. I know we are typically colder than many others, so we are "used" to it in comparison. I have 16 head of minis here; only 3 or 4 have been wearing blankets during the last week. My thinnest mare has worn one the whole time, her companion half the time, another for a couple days and my little stallion was shivering the other day, so he got his put on. So far, the donkey isn't showing signs of being cold, but she's the first to run for cover when the weather is bad, so has been hanging in her shelter the whole time.

 

[Abby P]

It's been unusually cold here too. I haven't blanketed Rowan, he has a good shelter and a ridiculous coat, but I definitely notice his hay consumption just about doubles when the temps are down in the single digits overnight. He really commits to hay-eating as a full-time job.

 

[Maryann at MiniV]

Yep. The MOST IMPORTANT thing to help keep horses warm is increasing their hay. We just got hit with a cold snap..... 4 inches of snow and more coming this evening. Temps down close to single digits at night. AND our ATV has come down with the flu, which is what we use to pull the hay trailer around with. UGH. So, it means piling hay on the bed of the pickup. Larry drives and I open gates and we both throw hay out.........But this after I've fed the chickens and grained the horses that need it.......... Somehow, I'm not sure if I'm not getting the short end of the stick? LOL.

 

[MerMaeve]

That's all they need: food, unfrozen water, and shelter! We have been hitting around 5*F over night with a high of about 25* during the day for almost a week now and the horses don't care. In fact, one is starting to shed a little! We have about 10" of snow on the ground.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I agree their coats are generally thick enough for winter weather. But my horses are not used to this. Dapper Dan has a nice thick coat, but he is coming on 25. Midnight has a fine coat and not much long hair on her legs. Though they were not shivering, I could tell they were feeling the cold. They are much happier with blankets at the moment. If the sun comes out, that would help but every day has been overcast with flurries or ice. I think we need to evaluate each horse and situation.

 

[Abby P]

Definitely agree - they are all individuals! Rowan's neighbor, a 17h Dutch Warmblood from Canada, grows almost no coat and even with free choice hay and two blankets he's still angry when it's this cold. Also if you have wind or wet then all bets are off, I found with my Arab when he got older, he just appreciated a rain sheet to keep him dry - his buddies didn't always let him all the way into the shed and he was just happier if he was waterproof even though he had a good coat and lots of hay.

 

[Willow Flats]

I agree their coats are generally thick enough for winter weather. But my horses are not used to this. Dapper Dan has a nice thick coat, but he is coming on 25. Midnight has a fine coat and not much long hair on her legs. Though they were not shivering, I could tell they were feeling the cold. They are much happier with blankets at the moment. If the sun comes out, that would help but every day has been overcast with flurries or ice. I think we need to evaluate each horse and situation.

Marsha, Im hoping your horses sail right through this extreem weather!
We have dreamt of leaving California for years, but the weather always keeps us here. I won't tell you what the temp is currently.
You live in a beautiful place and Spring is up ahead!

 

[Abby P]

Rowan with his hay tower. This was last Sunday - I had to give him another bale today. Normally that net would have lasted him 7-10 days. (The stuff on the ground is the end of the prior bale, I usually just dump out the last bit for him.)

 

[Taz]

We're having some cold here too. Just got back from thawing out the water line....again. The horses will probably stay in today to try to keep it up to 0* in the barn and maybe keep the water working. Maryann, don't feel too bad about your sick ATV, my old tractor doesn't like the really cold days so I'm probably going to be pushing a round bale out to one of the paddocks with outdoor horses later. I'm trying to think of it as how to stay warm and fit, LOL. Spring is coming, just hold on til then

 

[Maryann at MiniV]

I feel for you, Taz! I keep thinking that I should buy a Toboggan as a backup for when we have to push the hay cart around IN THE SNOW. People who don't live in snow country don't understand how hard it is.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Rowan with his hay tower. This was last Sunday - I had to give him another bale today. Normally that net would have lasted him 7-10 days. (The stuff on the ground is the end of the prior bale, I usually just dump out the last bit for him.)View attachment 42856

He's so clean!!

 

[Abby P]

Not sure how it happens since when there isn't snow on the ground it's pretty muddy and he's a champion roller, and I barely groom him. But it all just seems to fall right off him! I've never had a horse with so much white before and thought he'd just be a pigpen all the time with my lax grooming habits so it's a nice surprise. I certainly can't take any credit for it.

 

[MaryFlora]

Rowan looks very content! We (Minnesota) are in our 10th straight day of hard polar temperatures. Every night it has dropped to around (minus 24) with day time highs somewhere between 0 and 7 above. Tonight is adding insult to injury with extra cold temps, the windchill is already at (-50) in some parts. The forecast is for the hard cold to continue into the coming week.

Our minis have handled each day with far more grace than I have! They have heated waterers, a barn, senior feed twice a day, and all the hay they can eat, plus salt blocks. I don’t blanket them as it flattens their coat, and I think they lose more insulation than gain from the blankets. Plus, they are wizards at shimmying out of the blankets and leaving them frozen to the ground. I don‘t begrudge them their laugh but it is hard on the wardrobe! At the least hint, however, of snow, sleet, etc. the barn doors are closed so they stay dry.

I sympathize with every word you all have shared - frozen equipment, frozen ground, frozen fingers, fuzzy ponies that keep us awake at night worrying.

We may all be nuttier than a fruitcake, but gosh.....do we have stories!

Warm thoughts to all!

Mary Flora

 

[Pitter Patter]

I feel for you, Taz! I keep thinking that I should buy a Toboggan as a backup for when we have to push the hay cart around IN THE SNOW. People who don't live in snow country don't understand how hard it is.

My weather is almost the same as Mermaeve's as we are only about 2 1/2 hrs apart or so. About the same, maybe a bit more snow, but usually a little colder. Everyone except my two llamas and goat have coats on. (Goat keeps removing his even though he shivers!) All my equines have on blankets right now, about medium weight. One is very old, Volt has lost some weight from the whole acorn mess, Pepper shivers, Snickers to conserve calories for her foal, and Patches. She is a nightmare to catch right now so it's just staying on. February is the worst. Last week I took blankets off for a couple of days. I hate how blankets rub in some places leaving bald spots! I either carry hay in my arms or use a toboggin (which is currently missing due to high winds and snow I am not sure where it ended up!). Seem to be going through a lot of hay this year even though it is mild compared to most winters.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Checked the animals mid day. The snow is blowing and drifting into the shelter, which opens on the south. Not sure what's with that. Chickens okay, but they haven't come out of their house, even to drink. Horses have not been to drink either. Drifts around the water tank so will take the snow shovel out later and move the drifts. Horses seem fine. Dapper Dan looks as though he's trying to catch snow flakes on his tongue. Blankets holding up, so far. The new blankets are due Wednesday, but might get held up due to weather. By then, I hope the horses won't need one any more.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

What is the best way to get the frozen snow balls off hooves? I took a bucket of warm water out and had them stand in it an was able to get some off. But I couldn't get all of it off. And that doesn't seem like a good idea because they walk in the snow again with wet hooves. It is -6 this morning. Sun is out at least! But just for a little while.

 

[Minimor]

Use a hammer to knock them off.

 

[Maryann at MiniV]

If you do the warm water method again, dry their hooves off with a towel, then spray the bottoms/inside the hoof with cooking spray. You'll probably have to do it once a day AT LEAST.

 

[Pitter Patter]

Mine usually only have this problem when their hooves are growing out (just before farrier visit). If kept trimmed regularly it will still happen, just not as much. I've used warm water too. Never thought of the cooking spray! Great idea! Too chicken to use a hammer, but have dug them out with strong hoof pick. It's just tedious and not much fun if the horse isn't thrilled with the process! (I HATE winter!)