First, yes we know how dirty this mare is. She rolled in the mud and then the temperature plummeted to about 9 degrees. Usually, we will brush off most of the mud and then wash it out. But it’s just too cold for that. So she’ll have to wait until it warms up a bit to get entirely clean…
Here I am fitting Cowgirl for an insulated horse blanket. Some folks say horses are tough as nails and don’t really need to be blanketed in the winter. Sure, but for a 25 year-old mare, I’ll make an exception. Cowgirl likes to roll whilst blanketed because she often wants to rub it off. But there are belly bands and fasteners below the neck at the shoulder so it stays on pretty well.
Although Cowgirl is pretty patient, she gets restless in the morning before she’s been fed. When I call her and she runs into her stall, she’s expecting to be fed, not fitted with a blanket. Despite the fuss, she cooperates and gets her reward quickly.
I’ll take off the blanket when the temperature goes back up to the thirties, but until then, it stays on. Speaking of warmth, it is interesting that the sheep – even though they have thick wool – have a tendency to crowd around the horse when it’s cold. She allows this and is very tolerant of their crowding. This morning, eight sheep were at her feet in the barn!
