This message is from: "Teressa Kandianis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Mine appear to be mostly Weatherbeetas of different models and styles. I also just buy at the end of the season and usually just use a medium weight blanket or rain sheet. I also sometimes use a cooler under to absorb the sweat. I didn't like the high necked blankets I've bought as they just crushed the lower part of the mane. I bought a couple on sale a few years ago and ended up having them cut down to a normal neckline. I have a couple of heavy blankets for the really cold, wet, blowing snow weather we have for a couple of weeks every winter. The only time I've blanketed the horses at home in the pasture that aren't clipped is if the weather is icky and they are going to be ridden the next day - and that is just for my convenience, not their comfort. The first couple of rainsheets I bought, I bought cheap ones and they needed lots of repair to be reused and then didn't last another season. The Weatherbeetas rarely need a repair and clean up nicely. I also wash my coolers in my home washing machine (also my saddle pads which means I need to wash another load or two of water after to get rid of all the hair) but the blankets go out for washing. My little 13.3 mare wears a 72 but her 15 hh brother needs a 75 in some brands. As an aside, the Canadian tack shop, Greenhawk, has a very reasonable line of blankets that have fab colors and are lined with a cooler like material - I haven't used mine heavily as I save it for shows. But its like a durable rain sheet material with an extra layer for warmth and for absorption of sweat. The rust color is great on my little mare. Teressa -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, October 13, 2006 8:48 AM To: fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com Subject: RE: blanketing in winter This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I also have some interest in this issue, and I wonder if Teressa and others who do blanket could suggest some brands that actually FIT Fjord bodies? The standard blankets I've tried are just not broad enough across the chest to accommodate my boy's big neck and shoulders. The larger sizes that are broad enough are just too long in the body... Thanks for any suggestions! Cindy Kalamazoo, MI -------------- Original message -------------- From: "Teressa Kandianis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > This message is from: "Teressa Kandianis" > > 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 > > 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 > 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 > > 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 The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
