Winter
Who would have thought that living in Florida could become this cold. It seems like this winter has brought us unusual cool temperatures. I know from myself and many friends that it is quite a lot of preparation to get ready for the cooler temperatures. Especially in regards to the horses, I had to do a few things that to ensure their wellbeing.
– Growing up in Germany, we had horses that were also always outside. They had a lean to for shelter and a thick winter coat to stay warm. We had to carry hot water down the street we lived on to the horse pasture to fill up their water troughs and to prevent them from constantly freezing. The horses were used to it and it was not a problem. They were smart enough to break the ice to get to the water in their troughs and did just fine with with ice, snow and the cold. –
Now to the horses here in Florida are a little different. Many of them have not seen snow, experienced a lot of ice and freezing temperatures, nor have they developed a full winter coat. This week the temperatures went down into the low 20 and felt more like the low teens, and next week it’s supposed to be back in the 80s during the day and the 60s at night. Besides lots of hay, additional feed, electrolytes, minerals and hydration supplements, I have put blankets on the girls. Are blankets really necessary? I have been debating that for myself. Uusally the horses get really fluffy and their hairs stand up to create and air pocket right on their skin. Blankets will actually take that away from them. They won’t get fluffy as they should. I always ask myself, what is the right thing to do? How can I serve my horses right? What’s your take?
