Freezin' cold horse - did I do right ?

Porkie

Porkie

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When I got my gelding in from the field yesterday he was freeeezing !! I have never seen a horse physically shaking from cold before - at first I thought there was something wrong with him
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but when I felt him every single part of him was ice cold to the touch, my poor boy !! ( he is 26 !) YO had put all horses L/W turnouts on but then temprature plummeted with major wind chill factor and rain!!

I put him in his stable quick, out of the wind & rain, stripped him of his wet cold rug, put his thermatex AND medium stable on plus his leg wraps and gave him loads of hay ( & cuddles ) - but it still took and hour and a half before he started to feel properly warm !! After about 2 1/2 hrs he felt lovely and snuggly so I carefully tacked up (keeping rugs on as much as I could ) and worked him for 20 mins (with exercise sheet on) to get the blood flowing cos his little leggies were still cold. He was more than happy to work and surprisingly forward and not stiff - so decided it was better to work than not ! (don't know if that was right thing to do or not ? but he didn't obeject in the slightest & he normally tells me if he's not happy with something & he was much happier after working than before ! ) I'm just glad it happened on a bank hol when I was there earlier rather than today when I don't get ther till later after work !!

Just wondering if I did all the right things ?

Anyone got any better/other suggestions should it happen again ? (hopefully it won't cos he has rug upon rug for every occassion just so happens YO didn't plan on weather changing so dramatically so quickly & I wasn't there to get him in any earlier!!)

Any suggestions greatfully received - he had me very worried !!
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Thx
 
I think you did exactly the right thing. Its hard to judge the weather correctly in the mornings, and im sure your horse is fine now.

I caught Archie in once - it was absolutly p*ssing down and blowing a gale (this was mid winter) and his HW rug had broken and blown up round his head - he was stood in the corner of the field soaking wet and shaking
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I did the same as you, but unfortunately couldnt ride as it was still raining heavily. He was fine the next day.
 
That's what I would have done, put a sheet on and trotted round the school on a loose rein for a while to get the blood going, or I might have stuck the horse on the lunge instead so I didn't have to clamber on top of cold muscles (especially tight, shivering ones). As you said the horse didn't object to being worked to warm him up so I'm sure he appreciated it!
 
I think this cold spell has caught many of us out, especially as the horses are getting or have got their summer coats. It sounds as if you did exactly the right thing.
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my sisters mare was also physically shaking from the cold yesterday, but she lives out 24/7 (wont come into a stable) so we just let harry (my pony) out in the big field with her and they galloped round and round and kept themselves warm, as that was the only way to warm her up!
 
That happened to my little po once. After a day and night of similar weather she was shaking from top to hoof (bearing in mind she's and exmoor and lived out 24/7). We bought her in thatched her to dry her off, gave her a feed for some internal heating and when she was normal again we put a turnout on her and gave lots of hay in the field. She was as right as rain after that.
 
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or I might have stuck the horse on the lunge instead so I didn't have to clamber on top of cold muscles (especially tight, shivering ones).

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Would have liked to lunge but unfortunately couldn't, 2 reasons: was still raining and on my yard am only allowed to lunge in outdoor school plus outdoor school totally flooded after downpoor. Also my old chap had severe knee injury 3 yrs ago and lunging on circle isn't good for his knee ...... so had to ride - but kept him on fairly loose rein ( as much as possible when school packed cos of weather !!) and just forward to help warm him ......... and me come to that !
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Well I'm glad it wasn't just me! My boy came in shivering to, and he had a medium weight and neck cover on!!! Did the same as you, 2 thermatex's, lots of hay and a big feed! We turned ours round last week so they are out at night, but I woke up in the middle of the night listening to the gales and rain and felt terrible! Anyway, took him show jumping yesterday afternoon, and he was obviously feeling better cause we got a double clear and came 4th!

He went out again last night, with a fleece and heavy weight with neck cover and was toasty this morning! Didn't object to going out, they all galloped off happily up the field playing!

Can't believe I'm putting a heavy weight rug on my horse and it's almost JUNE!!! Whats going on with this weather.... aaaahhhh!!!
 
Amy's been rugged the past three nights. The wind and rain certainly get under their lovely summer coats - and she was very cold as well.

You did absolutely the right thing.
 
Sounds like you did exactly the right thing

Luckily that night both our horses were in because there was a show the next day and we didnt want them mucky, otherwise we would have also been caught out
 
I agree this weather is madness !! Only last week he had no rug on at all !!

And he wasn't even out at night (he is stabled night times thank goodness otherwise I'd be driving back and forth to yard all night in a panick in bad weather !! ) but it only took a few hours of that horrid weather yest morning to make him that cold ! Mind you, although in fab health he is 26 so I guess he finds it harder to maintain good body temperature in extremes as the younger lads and lassies can!
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Thankfully he was fine by the time I left
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Yes you did the right thing, hes a lucky boy to have somone who cares for him as much as you obviously do
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My boys have had their rugs back on again over the last few days the weather is awfull at the moment.
My youngster was shaking with cold Sunday morning so i bought him in towled him off put a thermatex on for about 30 mins fed and hayed him and he was nice and toastie in no time
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I kept him in Sundsy evening as well he didnt seem to mind at all, then turned him out Monday mornign with his lightweight on just to keep off the wind and rain, hes a happy bunny again now
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Is mad having to rug your horses up this time of year
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Its nice to know there are so many people out there that really do love their horses
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Debs x
 
Isn't this weather mad. Had medium weight turn outs on last 2 nights, after weeks without anything night and day. Murph has only just finished losing his winter coat, will be starting to grow it back again!
 
Thx sonnysunshine ! I adore him
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actually it was just yesterday that someone commented that he had me 'well and truely under his hoof' !! Hehe
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Think we're all pretty much ruled by our equines friends though, aren't we !! (or is it just me thats been had ??!!
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Would have liked to lunge but unfortunately couldn't

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In which case I'd say you did exactly right then. Lungeing would be my first option, but TBH any way to get the body moving and the blood circulating would be fine. Is your horse still alive and well? If so well done I think you did it right
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[quote Is your horse still alive and well? If so well done I think you did it right
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Yes, when I left him last night he was definitely alive and well
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, warm again and happily hopping from haynet to his ball with apples and carrots in ! (he is a very spoilt little bunny!
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) Due to having to work to pay for his keep haven't seen him yet today but haven't had any calls from YO to say otherwise and will be rushing of to see him @ 5pm !
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I have been lucky this time around and mine hasn't got wet under his rug and cold. However when he has got cold and shivered I have done the same piled the rugs on and walked him around.

The other thing which really seems to help is that I give him a nice warm bran mash and warm him up from the inside. In the absence of bran mash - chaff with warm sugar beet or even hot water on chaff or pony nuts works.
 
I had exactly the same problem yesterday, rugs had been removed and all was fine and then the weather changed!!! Luckily I was picking my warmblood up to take him to the yard so that he could be brought back into work, bless him, he was shaking from head to foot! Onto lorry, moved to yard and rugged immediately and bedded down in a lovely deep straw bed, loads of hay, loads of haylage.... and he took his time to warm up too!!! But he was fine by last night and is certainly fine today!
 
sounds good as you weren't able to lunge straight away. You can also thatch under the rug with hay or straw which helps trap warm air.

Fleur came in shivering sunday The heavy showers and wind had just been bit too much and caught us by surprise which quite how bad they were. Bought her straight in and straight into school where first walked round then lunged till she dried off and warmed up. After 5-10mins had a much happier horse.

Where possible in this situation always think far better to lunge, loose school or similar indoors (to stop getting wetter) to get blood moving and warm them up. If not layer up including legs and thatch with something breathable as undermost layer. This is where thermatex's are great.
 
both mine got caught in the rain too, so came home to two shivering TB's..... don't have the stable option to dry and get warm so had to bite the bullet and put a fleece on under their LW (breaks all the rules I know) I did put loads of hay in the shelter and gave them both a good feed.. they seem fine but they did take some time to warm up too.
 
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