Back in the day only high-dollar horses had blankets. If they were for sale to the mainstream, I did not know where I would purchase one. Fast forward to now and practically every horse has a blanket. They come in patterns (zebra-stripe, peace signs, plaids, etc.) and a rainbow of colors. Even 'safety-orange' for hunting season.
Skip is a hard keeper. Six months out of the year I give him 'weight-builder' to keep some meat on his bones. It was suggested to us while we were still at the boarding barn to blanket him to help keep his weight up. Shivering uses calories.
We got blankets for the boys. Skip was ok with wearing his, but he'd rather not have anything on. KC had never seen one in his short life and was spooked by the sight of them hanging in the racks in the barn aisles. And at first KC didn't know he could roll or lie down in his, so for weeks it was pristine clean. Eventually he figured it out. He was leery about having it put on him, though, for a quite a while. The barn help needed help putting it on him.
The last year we were at the boarding barn we had to replace their coats because they were shredded in the continually shrinking 'big' field.
We like to let the boys grow their winter coats before we begin blanketing for the season. I watch the weather, as I always do, to make sure they have enough hay to eat overnight. If the low temp is significant I bring them in to spend the night instead of blanketing.
This year we had one night in early October that had a decent frost; the buckets were skimmed over with ice, and the pasture looked like it had a dusting of snow. They both spent the night inside with no blankets.
By late October the nights were getting to be too chilly, and I didn't want them to stay inside every night. I pulled out the blankets and shock them out. Stink Bugs had invaded the coats! Ugh!
As I was flapping and shaking the coats out, Stink Bugs flying, Lil Fred was his usual freaked-out self, and was bolting this way and that in the dry paddock. Sprite was totally unconcerned.
These coats are heavy, I have trouble carrying both at the same time. I really can't afford to blow out my elbows again. The straps are flapping around, too. I hate getting smacked with those!
I flung the coats over the fence rail near the gate where the boys were standing. I put KC's on first; I was amazed at what a good boy he was! He stood stock-still while I swung it over his back, continuing to brush off the Stink Bugs.
Skip was another issue; I had to retrieve a rope to tie him to the gate - he tried untying the rope and kept biting the air around my head. He never actually bit me, but he does let you know that he could positively do this. I used my elbow, over and over, to catch him in the face, and he kept smacking his lips, over and over.
I got the coat on him and he seemed happy about it, in the end.
Now I have to watch the weather to make sure they have them on or off, depending on the high temps for the day, the wind speed, low temps, freeze warnings and rain fall. It really is all about the weather.
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