Best way to warm up a cold horse?

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now_loves_mares

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The other night, for the first time all winter (despite snow and -15 temps), my TB was cold. She was in her stable wearing a Rambo Duo with the 300g liner. During the day she wears the full neck (in the field) but I take it off at night as she is unclipped and gets very itchy.

She wasn't shivering, but her ears were like ice and she was quite grumpy. It was a horrid windy night; albeit her stable has it's back to the wind. In the end I put a fleece on her under the Duo and that did the trick. But just wondered what the first thing you reach for would be? Fleece? Another outer rug? Neck hood? Bandages/leg wraps? Warm feed?

Worth mentioning she has ad lib haylage from the moment she comes in at 3.30; they also have haylage in the field if it's particularly nasty, but not every day as my other horse is too fat. But there is plenty of grass if she wants it during the day. I also know horses shouldn't be "toasty" - but she hates being cold and keeping her warm is the best way to keep her weight on.

Interested to know what others do.
 
If possible I'd leave the rugs on & put an extra rug on top but thats obviously not always possible, then I'd do the same as you.

In the past I've lunged a cold horse, then when it's warmed up put extra rugs on.

I use to have a mare who hated being cold & would give up the will to live as soon as she got chilly, yet she'd stop shivering the instant I put a rug on her; I wish I could have told her that she couldn't possibly have warmed up so quickly but she was convinced that she had!
 
If she's in as early as 3.30pm I'd sugest she needs to get out and get moving! she'll be stood virtually still from 3.30pm til what time in the morning? perhaps get her out for a leg stretch in the evening - about 7pm ish? You know how quickly you get cold if you stop moving outside - even if it feels quite mild... it will be the same for her.

That said, fleeces are great! they keep them far warmer than you think and if anything, I'd put one on as an under rug and remove an outer one if the temp rises.
 
Hmm trust me, she MUCH prefers being brought in at 3.30 than later. The last couple of years I brought them in at 6.30 when I got home, and without fail they were both pigs. This year I've employed someone to take them in earlier, and with only one or two days exception, they have been much quieter to bring in. She has also kept her weight on better; even though they had hay in the field before. And actually it helps my fatter one too, as she can have slightly LESS hay than last year, but spread out more.

Unfortunately I don't think I could take her out at 7pm the way you suggest, although in principle it's a good idea. We have our stables on a very small plot of land at the house, have no arena, and the field (which in any case is a bog) is half a mile away - one of the reasons they are brought in early is the fact that daylight helps! To be fair, she's not got cold in her stable in all the horrendously low temps; it's just this icy wind that is doing it. I agree the fleece did seem to really work so I'll do that again tonight I think.
 
I'd put leg wraps on as they say that is like adding another rug but without the weight of another one. Although it sounds like you've found an ideal solution which suits you both with the addition of the fleece.
 
Yes I used equi stable chaps this year and my mare was cosy as toast in sub zero temps all rugged up with leg warmers on lol xx
 
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