Keeping horses warm?

[rowy]

My 19 year old sensitive tb mare has ALWAYS been a complete pain to ride in the winter. She gets tense and choppy and hyper and anticipates everything I ask of her but in the summer she can come out and be relaxed and I can do a fair bit of canter without her getting stressy and she is a lot softer through her body and outline.

Anyway, she had started to get all stressy again as of mid to late august which has been so frustrating! But over the last week I clipped her and then rugged her up more than I would of usually (she has had a 200g combo on at night and in the morning and then a 150g stable in the stable) and I schooled her a few days back and she was amazing! The best she has been in aaages! So much softer and through to the contact and was taking so much more of a better contact as usually she backs off of it and she wasn't hugely forward like she usually is.
I thought it might just be a fluke and I gave her a day off and then hacked her yestuday, it was a bit warmer but put her fleece on in the stable still. Uusually she would be crazy hyper, especially after a day off and we went on the bridle way and she was so much more softer in the contact and not as rushy and tense as she usually is when we were trotting (usually she is rocket propelled when we trot on grass).

Anyway, I am thinking that it is possibly keeping her almost overly warm that is making her softer and calmer and more relaxed when riding? Also, she usually also gets stressy and tense when she begins coming in at night and I am thinking that the combination of keeping her warm and keeping her out so she is moving around the field and walking keeping her muscles warm is helping? As she usually gets stressy at the point of her staying in overnight as well.

Anyway, if this is the case, I want to keep her rugged up real warm this winter and see if it helps. I am also partially thinking about possibly getting a massage pad to see if this makes a difference also. If this works then I will keep competing her next year as I was thinking of retiring her as it always took so much effort to get her sane after winter and with the summers getting worse and worse, she was only really good competing for 3 months this year.

So what would you put on your sensitive to the cold horses? are the snuggy hoods worth buying? And would a massage pad be worth getting to see if there is a difference?

 

[all about Romeo]

My 19 year old sensitive tb mare has ALWAYS been a complete pain to ride in the winter. She gets tense and choppy and hyper and anticipates everything I ask of her but in the summer she can come out and be relaxed and I can do a fair bit of canter without her getting stressy and she is a lot softer through her body and outline.

Anyway, she had started to get all stressy again as of mid to late august which has been so frustrating! But over the last week I clipped her and then rugged her up more than I would of usually (she has had a 200g combo on at night and in the morning and then a 150g stable in the stable) and I schooled her a few days back and she was amazing! The best she has been in aaages! So much softer and through to the contact and was taking so much more of a better contact as usually she backs off of it and she wasn't hugely forward like she usually is.
I thought it might just be a fluke and I gave her a day off and then hacked her yestuday, it was a bit warmer but put her fleece on in the stable still. Uusually she would be crazy hyper, especially after a day off and we went on the bridle way and she was so much more softer in the contact and not as rushy and tense as she usually is when we were trotting (usually she is rocket propelled when we trot on grass).

Anyway, I am thinking that it is possibly keeping her almost overly warm that is making her softer and calmer and more relaxed when riding? Also, she usually also gets stressy and tense when she begins coming in at night and I am thinking that the combination of keeping her warm and keeping her out so she is moving around the field and walking keeping her muscles warm is helping? As she usually gets stressy at the point of her staying in overnight as well.

Anyway, if this is the case, I want to keep her rugged up real warm this winter and see if it helps. I am also partially thinking about possibly getting a massage pad to see if this makes a difference also. If this works then I will keep competing her next year as I was thinking of retiring her as it always took so much effort to get her sane after winter and with the summers getting worse and worse, she was only really good competing for 3 months this year.

So what would you put on your sensitive to the cold horses? are the snuggy hoods worth buying? And would a massage pad be worth getting to see if there is a difference?

I have always rugged all my horses up really well over the winter, my TB usually has a duvet, fleece and heavy weight stable rug with full neck and legs bandaged if really cold in the stable overnight then a full face lycra turnout hood, full neck fleece and full neck heavy weight turnout rug on in the field during the day.

it does sound like the rugging is certainly helping your mare... fingers crossed it continues! do you put an exercise sheet on her when you ride?

can defo vouch for an equissage in referance to a massager... brilliant bit of kit! and works wonders x

 

[Dizzydancer]

Well i am also one who likes to rug up. And have noticed my tb is also much calmer and better to ride if kept warm almost over warm. Well rugged while out but I now put a thick rug on for half hour prior to riding even in summer. Then when i ride if doesn't tense his back and settles much quicker into a nice outline and doesn't jog or spook.
I have started riding out in exercise sheet now to stop him getting cold and when schooling put exercise sheet on until warmed up- its made a huge difference to his movement and temperament.
Someone in comp riders also does this with hers. Can't remember who tho- maybe nikimariet?

 

[pottamus]

My welsh gets very cross and sharp at around this time of year when the weather turns cold and autumnal. It is because it turns cold and he has not got his winter coat through.
I know that if I put a rug on him he would be calmer because I have done that in previous years and he changed overnight to be calm and more chilled.
The problem with my lad is that he got laminitis a few years back and now has to be un-rugged to keep his weight in check and prevent him getting it again. He is fine throughout the winter weather once he has his winter hair through, it is just this transitional period when his coat is lacking and it is colder.
But yes, I do believe that horses can change personality by being made more warm and comfortable.

 

[emma.is]

found keeping my mare warm is the secret to a calm ride, also try a spin on the lunge first so she can warm herself up before working

 

[spotty_pony]

My horses are always rugged up well. They are currently in medium weight turnout rugs!

 

[Tuffles 23]

Hi i also keep my horses well rugged and they are also old 23,22 and 14 and still in full work i do think they work better being kept warm and our 23yo works the hardest as she's my little girls pony club pony .
I do have snuggy jams for the old lady but they are a pain in the bum to put on so she only wears them when its really cold also she like's to roll in the worst mud patch just befor she come's in so she mostley stay's in her turn out

 

[kerilli]

I'd look at a Back On Track rug, it has ceramic heat-reflective material woven in and is warm, and relaxes the muscles, I use mine a lot. Far easier to use than massage pads, doesn't slip etc.

 

[dark_prince]

Glad I saw this thread! This is the first winter with my TB and have been beginning to wonder if his recent grumpy behaviour is because he is too cold. Will be stabled at night as of this weekend so I'll tuck him up and hope it works as well as you!

 

[Chestnuttymare]

My tb is terrible if she is cold. I have an array of rugs to suit any weather conditions and rug accordingly. The past few days most on our yard are still naked but she is in a medium weight already. I know people are critical but i know my horse and know when she is comfortable or not. Also she is knocking on a bit and i don't want her to drop weight.

 

[Honey08]

Great you've found the answer. My mare is like that too, but if you get her too warm she gets heat bumps so I can't go down that route!

 

[Spotsrock]

Please don't use a hood with eye holes. My mare was competing 110 at 14 hands until her hood blinded her in one eye. She's a cold type. I layer up well with stable rugs under her turn out when it's really cold and will be treating my tb the same as he stiffens quite easily at only 5!

 

[rowy]

Thanks for all the ideas! Will definitely have to try them!
It's annoying that all along it was something so simple! But then at least it's simple to fix.
It was 3 degrees last night so put her out in her heavyweight turnout! Will have a see what she is like today.

 

[Honey08]

For those that turn out in huge rugs already, serious question - what the heck do you use when its really winter and its snow and ice?? I imagine these horses loaded up like rug racks with rugs slipping under other rugs...