This message is from: Robin Churchill <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I agree with Teressa. If you are going to blanket, make sure you get ones with at least 1000 or even higher denier shells and good hardware which are usually more expensive. The cheaper ones get torn up easily and even if they can be repaired you end up needing to wash them and take them somewhere and sometimes then your horse is without a blanket unless you have an extra. Buying a quality blanket/sheet is really money well spent because they last longer and are less trouble. That doesn't mean they don't tear them up sometimes too, just not with the same frequency. It seems like somedays my horses are on a mission to tear up anything on them or any of their pasturemates.
Robin ----- Original Message ---- From: Teressa Kandianis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 4:40:12 PM Subject: RE: blanketing in winter This message is from: "Teressa Kandianis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I clip my mare who is stalled and with paddock turnout in the winter - though this year, her winter coat came on in August and I clipped her in early September - I clipped a total close body clip except for a patch under the saddle and it has already grown out quite a bit. My fjords at home won't get clipped unless they are working and we usually start with chest and neck and work from there depending on the level of work. They are in an open stall with a paddock at home and often stand out in the rain or snow instead of going in. Or are finally getting to graze once the grass loses its potency in late fall. The difficulty with not clipping is that it takes forever for them to cool off and dry out in cold, wet, windy weather as you can't just put a blanket on them with them still soaking wet. Mine keep their blankets on pretty well - they are no more hard on them than the other breeds at my training barn. But the winter blankets always need a good repair job when they get cleaned - I've found the inexpensive ones end up costing more as the hardware pulls out and they rip more easily than the higher priced ones. We're lucky though with fjords that unless we change the climate for them (as in moving to Florida or clipping them for our convenience), they do just fine with their own coats. Teressa in Ferndale, WA -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Ellen Barry Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 6:58 AM To: fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com Subject: Re: blanketing in winter This message is from: Ellen Barry <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Robin, should I do the same here in TN? If so; which parts do you clip, how short do you clip it? (Like down to the skin or do you leave some) Perhaps you have a picture of what they look like clipped? Thanks, Ellen. ----- Original Message ---- From: Robin Churchill <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 7:49:19 AM Subject: Re: blanketing in winter This message is from: Robin Churchill <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> If you are going to work him significantly in the winter then he will sweat and you will have to spend time every day getting him dry after you ride if that is even possible with a heavy fjord coat or clip him. If you clip him then you have to blanket him to protect him from the weather. I have always ridden in the winter even when I lived up north and was lucky enough to have access to an indoor arena so I have always clipped my horses in winter and blanketed them. If you are not going to work him enough to make him sweat, then I have read all you have to provide is plenty of hay and a shelter that shields from rain and wind. If you are clipping and blanketing, it is better to blanket a little too lightly than too heavily. Down here, there is no choice, horses must be clipped in the fall because they get a coat much sooner than the weather gets cold and usually it doesn't get below 40 at night and gets as high as 80s during the day so they are miserable in a winter coat! and cannot be ridden without clipping. I have already clipped my fjord gelding 3 times since August and my warmblood once. Robin in Florida, still in the high 80s to 90 in the afternoon The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
