keeping horse warm enough when ridden

[Kelpie]

I've never had this problem before, so bear with me!....

.... I've got a young warmblood who seems to be quite affected by the cold - she always needs rugging more heavily than the others, etc..... not a problem until now when the temprature has really started to drop but basically if she gets cold while ridden it really seems to affect her muscles/ she can end up not moving her back end properly/ struggling in canter, etc. The first time she did it I thought she had done herself an injury but now with a bit more trial and error I'm pretty convinced its just that she can't really handle it if her muscles get cold.

So, she's not clipped and I've just invested in a new exercise rug, but I have to say she doesn't exactly feel toasty under the exercise rug and I'm worried about how to keep her warm enough.

Doesn't help of course that a) I ride mornings or evenings due to work, so it's always the coldest parts of the day and b) she's still quite young so I don't want to do loads of heavy going work.

We lunge a bit before we start ridden work but even then she doesn't seem to build up much obvious heat under her exercise rug.

Any ideas?

Can you put double layers of exercise rugs on??/ are there any extra toastie ones on the market?

Thanks!

 

[pc2164]

What exercise sheet are you using?

 

[jess_asterix]

I use a Rambo fleece exercise sheet or a the enacted one and nine are always toasty. Another thing is if you have to walk far to the school put a stable rug over tack and walk round with it on but belly straps etc tied up until you are ready to start proper work.

Other than that I know you said she is young but I would say have as a few a breaks as possible so her muscles keep warm . Less breaks but a shorter session.

 

[jess_asterix]

That's supposed to say Thermatex x

 

[Befney3]

I've found my TB is unhappy if he gets cold when ridden in this weather so I've been really careful to keep his rugs on as long as possible when tacking up. I put his bridle & boots/bandages on first then strip him to put his saddle & a fleece exercise sheet on. I do this as fast as I can then put a stable rug back on over his tack to work in. I work in walk with the stable rug & exercise sheet then take the rug off & get straight into trot. We do our full schooling session with the exercise sheet on then I hop off &put the stable rug back over the top to do our walk work/cooling off at the end of the session. Usually I give him a walk break at least once in a session but when it's this cold I try not to or if I do I keep it really short so he doesn't get the chance to get cold.

I know this might sound like overkill but it's working for us at the moment so I'm gonna carry on whilst we're in minus temperatures.

The other advantage of the stable rug at the start & finish of a session is a warmer bum for me!

 

[HardySoul1]

When I worked in racing sometimes the horses wore 2 of the woollen stripey exercise sheets.
What's her condition like? Not a criticism at all but the leaner she is the harder for her to keep warm.
Can you give her a really vigorous groom before riding to increase circulation?

 

[lucemoose]

I often rode with a fleece ex sheet under a waterproof one to keep the wind off too

 

[meardsall_millie]

Have a look at the Back on Track range. They are designed to refect the heat back towards the body.

Expensive but completely worth it.

 

[meardsall_millie]

*reflect

 

[TarrSteps]

There is a bit of a problem with keeping horses warm as their backs are not where they lose the most heat. This is part of the reason you see horses with unmelted snow on their backs. The bits that dissipate heat are the bits that sweat first and are covered (in a natural state) by mane and tail.

Which is not to say don't use a 1/4 sheet - a windstop one would be a good choice - but if she's really suffering it would be helpful to find a way to keep her neck warm. (I rigged up an outfit for the only horse I've had that REALLY suffered from a charity shop wool skirt!)

Also, depending on the horse, I change my work pattern in the cold. If the horse can take it I move into a very quiet trot sooner and let it jog around the track and in big circles to warm up. Then, as above, I take minimum breaks and, if it's really cold, I tailor my expectations to think of it as exercise not schooling.

I also remind myself that out cut off temp for proper work when I lived in Canada was -15 and for exercise was -20 ish. Lots of horses are a bit creaky in cold weather but, physiologically, they deal with it much better than heat.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

for me and I find it works.


I have fal goliaths 14 0z / 450 grms and they are toasty, if need i put a 2 0z under rug = 650grms. Light weight on horse as only 2 layers.


also y not use hot water on his feeds give him hot water to drink and maybe hot water on hay.

give him a whisky or brandy warms the cockles lol

 

[Llanali]

Leviathan, how do you ride in that?!

 

[Venevidivici]

When freshly clipped and it's really cold (like now,-5C today!) I ride mine with 2 exercise sheets on-a thermatex one underneath and the Rambo waterproof fleece lined one, on top. I've schooled and hacked him like this and he's always been a lovely temp underneath them.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Leviathan, how do you ride in that?!

whoops your right, must have not read it properly duhhhhhhh


for riding you could ride in a stable rug just fold the corners back, if the school is open sided I would stick to lots of exercises like turns circles transitions all to keep the horse active, and reduce it getting cold.
Maybe also do a very skinny clip leave as much hair on as possible.

trouble with exercise rugs are they are quite lightweight. Your could cut an old stable rug up and use it as it will be thicker and come down further round the sides.

 

[JGC]

We often ride with two exercise sheets, at least until they've trotted round a bit. Mine are unclipped but this morning I still had to leave the fleece exercise sheet on throughout work (-10). When they're clipped I often use an exercise sheet, plus a fleece which I sit on because it covers them a bit more, but you have to trust your horse lol

I have a friend that uses one like this (although hers is a fleece) if she's going to do an easy day as her horse seems to really feel the cold:

http://www.equestrianclearance.com/ekkia/equi-theme-combo-exercise-sheet/index.html

 

[maxine1985]

Something like this might work in keeping her warmer, would be easy to put another exercise sheet over top too!

http://www.polypads.co.uk/acatalog/Exercise_Duo.html

 

[Luci07]

I had a mare who was really badly impacted by the cold so she had 2 sheets on and was fine. I am a big fan of the thermatex sheets as then you can't go wrong.. if you are out and it warms up, it will wick away any moisture if the horse gets warm, then keep him warm when the temp drops again on the way back.

 

[PortuguesePony]

Yes, I’m riding out in two exercise sheets at the moment with this extreme cold. I also leave the rug on as long as possible, just whipping it off quickly to put the saddle on and then leaving the stable rug on top of it all until I am ready to ride as another said. Thermatex exercise sheets are fab and also at the top of my shopping wish list!

Re TarrSteps comment re keeping the neck warm, I had a similar thought yesterday and you can actually ride in the Snuggy Hoods if needs be… Personally I think I would only do slow work in one in case it was restrictive at all, but in theory it shouldn’t be. My horse’s wear the turnout ones 24/7 and they’re fab.

Also, and not cheap but I really find that the Equilibrium massage pad warms my horses backs up. Not just muscularly but their backs and the pad always feel very warm (although not hot!) to the touch afterwards. Just thought I’d mention it!

 

[soulfull]

I find using the massage pad makes an even bigger difference when it's cold. Then keep him warm with 2 exercise sheets

 

[amandaco2]

Feed her as if she's a horse who ties up. May also be worth getting a blood test done to check if she has sub acute attacks.
Use two exercise sheets and do walking inhand with a rug over the top for ten mins first. Never let her stand either

 

[loobylu]

Neck sweat (a weird show pony thing of old) / hood?

 

[Boysy]

Ooh if you know where i can get a neck sweat loobylu, pray do tell!!!!

 

[Nic]

I thought the same as amandaco2 re tying up.

 

[kim75]

I have the rambo one for shows only as thin and light otherwise use the coolex waterproof for my tb when cold fab as heavy doesn't blow and flap about thick denier very waterproof , wrap around and also really long and deep with coolex lining , like thermatex keeps them warm without sweating while working , also good if wet , expensive but worth every penny bought for horse doing 6 weeks walking after injury in winter building up to over an hour a time she was always cosy

 

[Kelpie]

thank you so much for all the feedback .... also very relieved to know I'm not the only one with a horse that feels the cold more than some.

...... to answer a couple of questions, she's got one of the newmarket fleeces at the mo but to be honest I don't get on with it well as I find the saddle slips back a bit with it.

totally fair question re: her condition - she's probably on the lean side of about right, if you see what I mean - so not underweight but she wouldn't have too much room to loose weight before she would be. She gets adlib hay/haylage but I'm in an experimental stage at the moment with how much hard grub she can handle without going fruit loop when I ride her. She doesn't tend to get ridden on an empty belly - would have a bit of chaff or something first.

Really interesting point about where the horses loose heat from - I must confess to having been ignorant on that - though I guess when you think about it, yes, why wouldn't they loose heat from where they sweat! ..... tho as it is particularly her hind end leg muscles that don't seem too happy if she gets cold, I wonder if it's a case of worrying about overall body heat or trying to focuss on the back end - or in other words by using some thicker exercise rugs that cover the back end, would that still be good even with no neck cover?