wes dufek

I live up here as well in Baldwin Lake, When I first moved my horses from Los Angeles, it was July, 4 years ago, And they seem to love the winter, I  never blanket them, Thye seem to grow great coats all on their own.. We have already had our freezing nights, so if you made it through without issues, You will do just fine. !! Good Luck

SUSAN

I live in Northern Utah, and it can get very cold in the winter, often 10 to 20 degrees below zero.  If your horse is gaining weight and he is in relatively good health and he has shelter from the wind and the snow/rain, he will be OK.  He also needs access to plenty of water.  In the winter I use trough heaters to keep the water from freezing and to keep the water from getting too cold.  I have had bad experiences with horses drinking really really cold water.  When it gets below zero I always supplement my horses with some rolled oats and molasses, something with higher carbs so they can generate additional body heat.  Horses do need shelter to break the wind and help keep them dry, but they really do better without a blanket.  The colder the weather the more winter hair they will grow, usually.  My vote is to keep him closer to you.  Winter riding can be fun!

I am not in Cali, I am in northern IL, but we have very cold, windy and snowy winters here. I have an 11 year old TB gelding. I have had him since he was 4. He still does not get a thick winter coat, so blanketing him with a mid-weight Weathabeeta is a necessity at about 30 degrees F, otherwise he shivers and is clearly unhappy. (I try to save his heavyweight for about 10 degrees F and lower). Some Thoroughbreds do learn to grow a nice thick winter coat, and some do not. If your guy is off the track, or a rescue from a warmer climate, he may not know he needs a winter coat. Most racers are blanketed to keep the coats short on purpose. My TB Sully is a hardworking 4th Level Dressage horse, so the lack of coat is actually a blessing for me, as well as for the racers, as the horses dries off more quickly after a workout.

So, do your homework, make sure your horse has access to the things he needs in order to stay comfy all winter, and if the closer barn can fit the bill, then keep him close! Although I must say, I drive 30 mins (one way) 4 mornings a week to get to my barn, and I enjoy the drive. However, winter weather changes that drive significantly! I would love if my barn was closer, but its perfect for my horse, so it's worth the drive.

I'm done rambling!!! =)

I would say, as long as your horse has shelter when outside, or possibly a barn that doesn't turn out all day in seriously cold, wet weather, he will be fine. 24/7 access to a high quality GRASS (they can consume more without it being too rich) hay is the best thing possible to keep them warm, as it breaks down in the hindgut and begins its fermenting process, which means your horse is being warmed from the inside out. Warm bran mashes on the bitter cold nights can really help as well. And yes, drinkable, unfrozen water is the MOST important thing.

Make sure if you do blanket, choose a weatherproof blanket that is heavy enough to actually keep them warm. You will do more harm than good if you blanket with too light of a blanket for the temperature outside. What happens is the horse's hairs actually stand up and give them their "fluffy" look. This is what keeps the warmth inside. By blanketing your horse, you flatten their hairs, which is like taking their natural insulation away. So, you need to make sure that the blanket you flatten the hair with is warm enough to do the job. A show sheet, rain sheet, or light blanket will not do the job when it really gets cold.