No more blankets

The photo above is from December 2012, winter storm Euclid. That day we woke up to a few feet of snow. I had to work my way to the barn in snowshoes. This is what I found. My
Three horses standing out in it when they had complete free access to their living quarters, at the time, half of our Quonset Hut.

We moved to a harsher climate (from Southwest Virginia to
Northern New York), we stopped blanketing, and our horses are healthier for it. It is important to understand that they have always had access to quality hay, 24/7, and have appropriate living quarters, primarily living outside. Our stalls are used only for severe weather events and are also in place for injuries. Not for my place to be a Beyer Horse-style horsey doll house.

Natural living means happier and healthier horses and requires the human to stop being anthropomorphic. Someday I will talk more about other methods we employ for natural living but for today, it's blankets. Ditch them, feed your horse correctly, give them a nice place to live, you've got the picture.

This article is a really good read. Take time to indulge in some learning. "No more blankets - an amazing article" from Soul of the Horse.

http://thesoulofahorse.com/blog/no-more-blankets-an-amazing-article/

Below are a few pictures from last winter. Happy, healthy horses.