I have a 36 year old mare, in good shape, and we are moving to Vermont from South Carolina. Neither of us have experienced snow, cold, etc. First, do I need a blanket, or will her coat be substantial? Second, what other things do I need to take into consideration with such a big climate change? thanks! Laura
Will your mare be in a pasture, or stall/turnout combo? Definately get a blanket, a waterproof one that's lined with fleece or fiberfill would work for both indoors and out. Some horses that are used to the weather do fine in Vermont without a blanket, but since your mare is older and used to South Carolina weather, she will definately need one. You can help her get used to the cold by taking the blanket off on winter days when the sun is out, then put it back on at night.
Other things to keep in mind are making sure she drinks enough water--most horses don't like water that's colder than what they're used to, and your mare will definately not know how to break a layer of ice to get to her water! Consider getting one of those stock tank water heaters, especially if she will be mostly pastured. One thing you can do is, before you move, start adding a little sports medicine drink (like gatorade or powerade) to her water. A small amount, like one spoonful of the powdered stuff per bucket of water, just enough so she will taste it. Then do the same after you move, so her new water will taste familiar to her.
Try to keep her hay and other feed as much the same as possible. If you have to make some changes due to what kinds of feed are available in Vermont, do it very gradually. Research what diseases might be common in Vermont that aren't common in South Carolina, and get her vaccinated for those several weeks before she leaves. You probably already know this, but when you move a horse across state lines, the law requires you to carry paperwork showing she's had a negative Coggins test. Your vet can take care of all this, so make an appointment a few weeks before she leaves, the vet will probably have some other recommendations I've forgotten about.
Good luck in Vermont, it's a great place to ride. The fall is really beautiful and has nice weather, and most areas, when it comes to traffic, are safe enough to ride your horse along the road or even through town.
I live in Minnesota, and I never blanked any of my horses.
Although, with your mare being as old as she is, it might be a good idea. I think it all depends on where she's being kept and what those conditions are like.
I've been a hores owner for 3 years now and I suggest if your horse will be in a pasture with nothing to break the wind then it might be a good idea to have wood chips in a pile somewhere because they will not keep a blanket on them for long.
Thanks for the compliment, Angeleeta, I value your advice too.
When I lived in Massachusetts (similar weather to Vermont) my horse did well turned out with either a thin waterproof sheet in the rain or nothing but his own fuzzy coat on snowy cold days. After moving to Washington State (weather never too cold or hot, but extremely variable from day to day) he truly needed a blanket to adjust. During the past 14 years I've lived in Washington, I've owned 4 horses: my elderly Appaloosa mare Apache, who lived her whole life in the Northwest, needed a warm blanket in winter since she was sensitive to the cold. My Trakehner stallion Kleiner grew up in southern California, but only needed a waterproof sheet to keep dry. His older son Komet, who was born and raised here, does best without any blanket at all, as he tends to sweat under a blanket no matter what the weather. Little brother Koncord did best with just a waterproof sheet in torrential rain, otherwise free fuzzy coat on cold sunny days. I guess what it comes down to is evey horse is an individual(just like us) when it comes to how they react to weather, but in general, the older the horse, the slower they adjust to weather that's different from what they're used to. Good luck to you and your mare in Vermont.
