# Coat or No Coat? Kind of Urgent.



## rodriguezpoultry (Nov 24, 2010)

Tonight a cold front is coming through. It's supposed to drop heavy rain, severe lightning and drop the temp by 50* to the mid 20s. , Sleet and freezing rain after the front moves through. I was going to put the coat on him tomorrow when I go feed, but should I go ahead and do it tonight? 

Tomorrow the high is supposed to be the mid 30s so I was going to leave the coat on him all day since my original plan was to put the coat on him tomorrow after feeding.

I have to work VERY early on Black Friday and won't be able to take his coat off until 4:30PM on Friday. The high is "supposed" to be around 49*F.

Should I forgo the blanket altogether? Put it on tonight or put it on tomorrow?


ETA: It's 68* at the moment.


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## michickenwrangler (Nov 24, 2010)

Does he have a winter coat? Have you had other weather like this? Does he have shelter? Is your blanket a turnout blanket and waterproof?

If he has shelter that he goes in (not all horses will), I would leave it off him. 

My horse has experienced far worse, but she has afluffy winter coat and is used to cold MI winters.


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## rodriguezpoultry (Nov 24, 2010)

It's not "quite" fluffy but it's definitely thicker than his summer coat. I've seen his coat much thicker, but that was the year of ice storm Hades.

He has a shed that's covered on 3 sides, but I doubt he'll go in it (hard-headed oaf...)

Yes, the coat is waterproof and is 600D, so it's not too heavy. I suppose I'm just worried about the high wind and rain that's gonna be coming with the front.


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## rodriguezpoultry (Nov 24, 2010)

I've got some photos uploaded of him last week..I don't know if you can tell how thick his hair is or not?

















The yellow on his face is about as long as the rest of his body hair.


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## freemotion (Nov 24, 2010)

He is a bulky horse, so that is in his favor for being left without the blanket.  I'd leave the blanket off as he will be sweating during the day and that will be worse for him....make sure he has lots of extra hay for tonight and tomorrow morning...that is what creates heat in the horse, as the hay ferments in the gut.

He'll be fine!  I took care of horses in Northern Maine for many years, so I know cold!  We had Arabians who lived in a run-in shed all winter and did just fine, better in many ways than the ones who lived inside and were blanketed.


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## michickenwrangler (Nov 25, 2010)

If he gets cold and wet enough, he'll go in!

If he's got a bit of a coat this early in the cold season and has access to shelter, I would leave it off. Like freemotion said, plenty pf hay and he should be fine.


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## patandchickens (Nov 25, 2010)

Unless he is a known weather-colicker, and you've never mentioned anything like that so I'll assume he's not, or his turnout has no shelter to speak of, I would not worry about it.

I could see putting his jammies on (well not jammies, more like a windbreaker jacket ) if it is breezy near-or-below-freezing rather suddenly for Florida; but you don't want him standing around clothed when it is in the fifties or higher. You especially don't want him or his blankie getting wet and sweaty, and THEN it gets cold.

Really though this is more an issue of his aesthetic comfort than of health per se. (Again, unless he has known colic issues). So whatever you decide, he will survive fine 

(e.t.a. - boy, that last photo finally loaded for me [dialup] and it took me like a minute or more to figure out what the heck it WAS  Cool pic, I like that kind, that are of things you see all the time but don't really SEE with your full attention, you know? )

Good luck, have fun,

Pat


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## LauraM (Nov 26, 2010)

Horses are much more built for cold weather than for warm weather.  They are actually at their most comfortable at around 40 degrees and are fine down to well below zero, so long as they are in good physical condition with a good body-fat ratio and plenty to eat.  As a matter of fact, horses are MUCH more prone to heat/humidity problems than they are cold problems!

Horses increase body metabolism through various physiological mechanisms. Bacterial fermentation of forage in the hind gut of the horse can generate a tremendous amount of heat. As a result, horses can tolerate much colder weather than humans.   Adding fiber to the diet will increase heat of fermentation, so horses should have free choice hay during really cold weather. 

Endocrine systems perform other essential physiological functions a horse needs to stay warm. To conserve central body core temperatures, the thyroid gland produces the hormone thyroxin to increase metabolic rate and provide warmth.

You will know when horses exhibit cold stress,...... certain behavior is expressed, such as huddling together and seeking shelter from wind.  Shivering is also a sign of cold sensitivity. The inability to tolerate cold usually happens when a horse might not have enough body fat or energy to keep warm, or has no shelter from high winds (which ruffle the coat) or from freezing rain/sleet, etc.

So, for a horse in good health and weight, all he needs is plenty to eat and a shelter of some sort (even just a three-sided shed) and he will be fine.


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