How do you tell if your horse is cold

[Illtellyoulater]

I think it is quite useful to check ears for ‘breaking out’ if rugged up too quickly after long day out (not with a cooler, but stable rugs)

 

[JennBags]

Absolutely, in fact word for word identical transcript in several pertinent parts fluffed out here and there to make it more applicable to WHW - rather difficult to judge who copied who and why?

Still no links to any concrete or even not so concrete research which is quite surprising considering how much research he has apparently done on WHW horses over the years and his extremely close connections with them, and how fond he is of publishing results to back up promises of how xyz product is a must have for your horses welfare and well being. No surprise that he is a consultant to WHW with free access to horses in their care and has been for a very long time.

Sorry I just don't buy it, any 'new' thinking on this being presented (so far!) seems to lead back to one mans say so whoi clearly has financial interests in making these statements - I really would like to read some decent research into this as I have to confess even to a die hard old timer like me, feeling various parts of the horses body to see how they are bearing up to the cold does seem pretty archaic but so far I have read nothing that convinces me I need to re asses what has served me and my neds well for decades.

Just because you don't like David Marlin, doesn't mean he is wrong.

 

[windand rain]

Interestingly today we had the old mans rug off for an hour or so he does have arthritis so has to be watched carefully the sun was warm on his back and he is fatter and shinier than usual in winter, for the first hour he was fine bullying the others off the hay and generally being his usual self after about an hour he started to stiffen up quite markedly his back end was almost rigid legged rugged him up and ten minutes later he was trotting around the field again chasing the yearling. His owner says he is a hot horse but he is obviously more comfortable with a warm rug than with the rainsheet she provided for him. Switched his rugs this year for no neck ones as he is a fence wrecker but they are mine and I dont use rainsheets so re much warmer than he is used to. He is on full livery so I have control over his care

 

[pistolpete]

Can I also ask if taking there temperature is useless too? Surely the core temp remains the same due to homeostasis the whole reason why extremities feel cold.

 

[jumbyjack]

Easy enough with Little Lilli yesterday, she was shaking from head to hoof! It's the first time she's been full clipped and she's a bit shocked after losing 3 inches of hair! Last night she wore a 200gr stable rug with a 150gr full neck turnout over the top, and that was in the stable! I know it's a lot but she's a very damaged little pony and was rigid with being too cold. The clip idea was to get some weight off as she can't be exercised very much. She does lunge but at people, her idea of exercise.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Just because you don't like David Marlin, doesn't mean he is wrong.

Where did I say I dont like him? And what on earth has that got to do with anything anyway? What a very strange response but to keep it at your level - why does it mean he is right because you might like him and I might not? I fail to see where personal likes or dislikes comes into the discussion to be honest.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

If they are on full winter coat bury my fingers in their coat to the skin. If the skin is cold/like warm then they are cold.

Or my spotty gets very angry and his muscles get very tense, he will also possibly tie up.