Baker training session 37 - blanketing!
Wow! It has been a while since I have had the chance to work with Baker. Things are just so crazy busy around here. The good news is that horses this young don't need a lot of work at this point, unless problems arise. Baker has been coasting along, staying under the radar and behaving himself. So, even though I have felt a little guilty for not having time to spend with him, I know that he is just fine on his own.
However, yesterday presented us with the first time this fall that the horses have required blankets due to the weather. Everyone has different blanketing philosophies, so I will share mine. All of our horses live outside 24/7. They do have access to shelter and most of them have their natural winter coats. We also strive to keep their body condition scores at about 5-6 at all times, but especially in the winter. And, most of them, except the fat ponies, have 24/7 access to high quality hay (the act of chewing hay generates heat and helps keep horses warm). It is generally better if a horse is too cold rather than too hot, so we only blanket if absolutely necessary. If a horse overheats, they can be at a higher risk of getting sick or colicking. That being said, we always blanket if it will be below freezing, and we also blanket if it will be less than about 55 degrees in addition to rainy or windy conditions. We typically use medium weight blankets for everyone, and I prefer the blankets with a high neck. Of course, there are always exceptions to these rules. Butch, who happens to be almost fully body clipped, has a few extra blanketing requirements since he does not have his natural winter coat to keep him warm, and another horse on the property actually gets too hot with our usual parameters, so you might see her without a blanket, even when everyone else is wearing one. These parameters are a good starting point for any horse, but it's very important to watch your own horse's behavior and use common sense - if they are shivering, they are too cold and need higher blanketing requirements, if they are sweating, they are too hot and need lower blanketing requirements.
So, Baker had to be donned in his first ever blanket. This can be a scary prospect for a young horse who has never had anything on his body. This is definitely something that requires two people. For the first few times, if I don't have anyone to help me blanket him, then he will go without. Yesterday, Ashleigh was available to give me a hand. We started out with her haltering Baker and holding his leadline. Once she had him, I approached him with the blanket in my hands. He did startle slightly at first, but only once. I let him check it out and smell it and touch it. Once he was satisfied that it didn't pose any harm, I started touching him with it on his neck and back and rump. He didn't move a muscle the entire time. So, I placed it gently and slowly over his back, being careful not to let the straps slap his sides or legs. I quickly but calmly straightened the blanket and buckled the front straps. When putting a blanket on, ALWAYS start by buckling the front straps, then the middle straps, then the leg straps. When take a blanket off, ALWAYS go in reverse order. If you have the leg straps fastened, but not the front straps, and the horse bolts away, suddenly the blanket is getting tangled around their legs, which only makes the horse panic more and run faster and create a general hot mess. Once I had the front straps buckled, I proceeded to buckle the middle straps and then the leg straps, adjusting for fit as I went. You don't want the straps too tight, but you also don't want them too loose and hanging too low where they can get a leg caught. Baker stood perfectly still the entire time. Next, it was time to turn him loose. Sometimes when a horse starts moving with a blanket on, they feel all these new sensations, and start panicking and running around. So, you want to make sure to stand clear when you turn them loose. Baker, as par for the course, just turned his head to see what was on him, and then calmly walked away - no drama, no fireworks. Even though he was quite good about his first blanketing, I will still have someone help me, and keep him on a leadline, for the next few times that I have to take it off or put it on. Although, I'm not really expecting any drama, you just never know what a horse will do ...
However, yesterday presented us with the first time this fall that the horses have required blankets due to the weather. Everyone has different blanketing philosophies, so I will share mine. All of our horses live outside 24/7. They do have access to shelter and most of them have their natural winter coats. We also strive to keep their body condition scores at about 5-6 at all times, but especially in the winter. And, most of them, except the fat ponies, have 24/7 access to high quality hay (the act of chewing hay generates heat and helps keep horses warm). It is generally better if a horse is too cold rather than too hot, so we only blanket if absolutely necessary. If a horse overheats, they can be at a higher risk of getting sick or colicking. That being said, we always blanket if it will be below freezing, and we also blanket if it will be less than about 55 degrees in addition to rainy or windy conditions. We typically use medium weight blankets for everyone, and I prefer the blankets with a high neck. Of course, there are always exceptions to these rules. Butch, who happens to be almost fully body clipped, has a few extra blanketing requirements since he does not have his natural winter coat to keep him warm, and another horse on the property actually gets too hot with our usual parameters, so you might see her without a blanket, even when everyone else is wearing one. These parameters are a good starting point for any horse, but it's very important to watch your own horse's behavior and use common sense - if they are shivering, they are too cold and need higher blanketing requirements, if they are sweating, they are too hot and need lower blanketing requirements.
So, Baker had to be donned in his first ever blanket. This can be a scary prospect for a young horse who has never had anything on his body. This is definitely something that requires two people. For the first few times, if I don't have anyone to help me blanket him, then he will go without. Yesterday, Ashleigh was available to give me a hand. We started out with her haltering Baker and holding his leadline. Once she had him, I approached him with the blanket in my hands. He did startle slightly at first, but only once. I let him check it out and smell it and touch it. Once he was satisfied that it didn't pose any harm, I started touching him with it on his neck and back and rump. He didn't move a muscle the entire time. So, I placed it gently and slowly over his back, being careful not to let the straps slap his sides or legs. I quickly but calmly straightened the blanket and buckled the front straps. When putting a blanket on, ALWAYS start by buckling the front straps, then the middle straps, then the leg straps. When take a blanket off, ALWAYS go in reverse order. If you have the leg straps fastened, but not the front straps, and the horse bolts away, suddenly the blanket is getting tangled around their legs, which only makes the horse panic more and run faster and create a general hot mess. Once I had the front straps buckled, I proceeded to buckle the middle straps and then the leg straps, adjusting for fit as I went. You don't want the straps too tight, but you also don't want them too loose and hanging too low where they can get a leg caught. Baker stood perfectly still the entire time. Next, it was time to turn him loose. Sometimes when a horse starts moving with a blanket on, they feel all these new sensations, and start panicking and running around. So, you want to make sure to stand clear when you turn them loose. Baker, as par for the course, just turned his head to see what was on him, and then calmly walked away - no drama, no fireworks. Even though he was quite good about his first blanketing, I will still have someone help me, and keep him on a leadline, for the next few times that I have to take it off or put it on. Although, I'm not really expecting any drama, you just never know what a horse will do ...
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