The Art of Natural Dressage

Interesting! Especially also about the thin blanket info. The way I see if a horse needs a blanket is that I start to put one on when I see them shiver. Atreyu already wears a blanket from below 15 degrees Celsius.. she is really cold below that temperature despite her thick coat but that is a factor of age I guess. If the blanket is thick enough I just feel. Underneath the blanket the coat has to be warm in contrary of the coat of horses with no blanket on. Not warm means a thicker blanket. I rather have a blanket on than a chance the horse is cold.. but that's indeed also because I'm always cold

Evita was one winter under a thick blanket and the winter after I left it off and she adapted fine. So also just using blankets for one winter can work.
Imperia and Evita (both Spanish but born in Belgium) didn't seem to need a blanket this winter. They seemed fine even with -20 degrees Celsius but have a dry stable. But now they are coughing a bit so it was not totally good.
I was wondering .. in fall, when I put a rain blanket on Imperia and Evita once, they seemed cold so I haven't put them back on. I guess indeed that info on too thin blankets in the article is something to think about.

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Hmmm..... Bianca, I don't think cold, unless it's really extreme, and we are talking -40 c and worse, causes horses to cough. I'd take their temperature at least, and the dustiness of their feed.

I used to keep a stethoscope and made myself familiar, with my vet's help, with all the normal sounds of a horses internal symphony. And of course, with a list of sounds to listen for that suggest I call the vet.

I actually have one on order right now.

Altea, being an IR horse -- and thus always hungry, tends to bolt her food, and both her alfalfa pellets and hay are horribly dusty.

In fact, with her hay she's picked up the habit of every two or three bites taking a little snow to munch with it. It's kind of cute, but it also keeps me concerned.

I must get a misting spray bottle to lay the dust a bit. She doesn't cough but I've noticed she yawns broadly sometimes 8 or ten times in a row. I suspect trying to get saliva flowing and clear her pipes.

Forgive my paranoia, but coughing always brought stable hands, trainers, even exercise-boys, running to the stall back when I was in racing. It still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and vibrate.

Donald

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Love is Trust, trust is All
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So say Don, Altea, and Bonnie the Wonder Filly.

Interesting info -- thanks, everyone! And thank you for the article, Leigh, I liked their formula for how much hay you were supposed to feed relative to weather. Also was interesting was how thin blankets can be worse than no blankets! I hadn't thought of that!

Well, I have a bit more information on the mare! First, I'm going to call her Maia; it's Hebrew for "close to God," and she has certainly brought me closer to Him and I know will continue to do so in the future. It's also short for her full name, Mimosa. (I thought about just calling her Mia, but I don't want the pronunciation of MEE-ah, so we're going for Maia.). She will be arriving right at the end of the month -- somewhere between Jan 29 and Feb 1! A DVD with 90-some recent pictures (!!) is supposed to arrive in the mail soon, hopefully today, so I will try to upload a few. (Although it may be next week, I'm leaving this afternoon and will be gone all weekend.)

I'm so excited!!!!!

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"Do you give the horse his strength?"
~Job 39:19a

www.cambriahorsemanship.com

Hannah, I love the name you picked out to call her! I do pray that she brings you closer to God. I am so excited for you. I can't wait to see all the things you will do with her. I think that I have decided what one of my goals is for this year. I want to be able to ride Jackson for a couple hours every day with the intention of training him to be a war horse. Please read the article I wrote: http://www.artofnaturaldressage.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2071. It will explain what I mean.

Good luck,

Ivy

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http://www.ivyshorses.com
Blog: http://www.EquestrianHarmony.wordpress.com

I'm back, finally! I have been somewhat, shall we say, preoccupied.... Maia arrived this afternoon!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It went great, I guess she was kind of cold en-route and so the layover farm in Nebraska ended up blanketing her. There weren't many horses on the trip from Nebraska to here, so she also got to be in a box stall, which was very nice. She loaded great (even into our step up) and only took a minute to figure out how to back out of it.

At the moment she's a little spooky and skittish, but you can tell she really wants to try hard and be agreeable. I've only worked with her a tad, but I know already she's going to teach me a TON. Like, retreat, don't pressure, make it fun, don't pressure, be sensitive, don't pressure. The thing is, I think I "could" make her stand still/do what I wanted, and I think she'd accept it, but it looks as if she'd go introverted. And I definitely don't want that. So I am just thrilled she is willing to be bold and move away and say, no, I'm not comfortable with that.

Anyway, for lots of pictures, go to http://www.rosesofgrace.shutterfly.com !! And now I'm off to begin a diary... oohho, it gives me the shivers...

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"Do you give the horse his strength?"
~Job 39:19a

www.cambriahorsemanship.com

Hannah,

That is great! I have been in supsense all day! I was just going to email you. I can't wait to look at the pictures. Send me an email when you have the chance. I want to know all about her. I am sure that you will do great with her.

Ivy

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http://www.ivyshorses.com
Blog: http://www.EquestrianHarmony.wordpress.com

OH. MY. GOODNESS.

I've got goosebumps for you! She has the most beautiful eyes.

And picture 10 of 11...TOO CUTE with Caspian and Deo peeking around the corner!!

WELL CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

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"Ride reverently, as if each step is the axis on which the earth revolves"

Thank you Ivy and Karen!! It's all still so surreal.

And Karen, yes, isn't that the cutest picture? Deo seems relatively neutral about it all, but Caspian is already in love. I think he's going to walk around making expression at her all day!!

They'll all get turned out together this afternoon and hopefully will get lots more pictures!

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"Do you give the horse his strength?"
~Job 39:19a

www.cambriahorsemanship.com

Oh, Hannah!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!


She's just beautiful!!


Leigh

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"Ours is the portal of hope. Come as you are." -- Rumi
www.imaginalinstitute.com

Ooh here are pictures.

My God Hannah. She is so stunning and looks so sweet of character too. What a special first meeting. She looks so soft and sweet. I like seeing you two together. A match made in heaven!!

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I wish I knew your world