Temperatures are dropping

The weather report is saying its going to be in the mid 20's tonight. I know thats a big change from the 65* of yesterday, and it makes it all the more important to get your barn and horse ready. Hopefully everyone is going to be draining hoses tonight, otherwise your horses are going to be SOL tomorrow unless you have a new hose at the ready. De-icing a hose takes a LONG time, and I know from personal experience. I like to make sure our horses have lots and lots of hay for the long, cold night. Hay keeps their guys moving and your horse warm. If he or she isn't clipped for winter showing, or has no winter coat, technically hay is all a horse will need in their stall to keep warm. If they are outside they need a place to get out of the wind in addition to hay. If you've ever been out west or in the mountains, you will have noticed that most ranchers don't blanket their horses.. EVER. A constant supply of hay and a wind barrier is really all they need. Horses are designed to keep warm with very little additional help from people.
     If your horse is clipped, or winter coat lacking, invest in a good blanket or 2 for the cold season. Different brands fit differently so make sure you can return it if you haven't dirtied it, and try it on your baby to ensure proper fit. An ill fitting blanket can cause considerable issues for your horse. A higher denier will result in a warmer blanket, and a waterproof coating is your best bet unless you plan to get a stable blanket, and a turnout blanket. My horse usually doesn't get blanketed unless its in the teens if he's inside and has hay.
     I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE heated water buckets! Some horses refuse to poke the ice in their buckets and will instead go thirsty (this is my horse =P).  Obviously dehydration is a serious problem regardless of the time of year. Most heated buckets don't actually heat the water, just keep it from freezing so no ice topper occurs. Make sure the bucket is large enough for your horse to get the recommended amount of water for a day/night. A large draft might need two or three heated buckets =). Try and get a bucket that has a cord protector so your horse can't chew through any electrical cord, or paw and strip it, in my case.
    And the last thing I did was plug in my diesel truck. =)~     Gotta love a Ford diesel!