The Blanket Dilemma

I'm not a huge fan of winter. Mostly I just really hate being cold! So I definitely understand where people are coming from when they see photos of our horses outside in the snow and ice and wonder why we don't use blankets. Although I'm convinced that horse people will debate this issue forever, we've found a system that works for us and our horses and it involves leaving our horses in their natural coats most of the time. Here's a bit about why we go this route:

To begin with, horses primarily generate heat from the inside out through digesting

fiber. We feed free-choice hay throughout the winter so the horses generate a lot of heat just from their diet. In addition, our horses grow very heavy winter coats. Since we only work each horse a couple of times a week we decided not to clip them, but do have brushes and coolers available to dry them of any sweat before turnout. Between their high fiber diet and heavy natural hair coats our horses are quite content in the winter weather, even on days when I'm hiding in the house.

Seeing snow on a horse's back can be alarming, but it's actually a very good sign! This means that the horse's hair is insulating them and their body heat is trapped, rather than escaping which would cause the snow to melt.

Wind or rain can make it harder to stay warm but all of our fields have wind breaks/shelter available in the form of run-in sheds or wooded areas. The worst possible weather is when it is warm enough to rain and get everyone wet followed by temperatures that drop to ice or snow. Dry hair insulates the body but once it is wet and soaked down it becomes much harder to stay warm. In this case, we can often be found outside looking for anyone who didn't take shelter from the rain to fluff out their hair and help them get back some natural insulation.

Although most of our horses do very well with the no-blanketing system, there are times when we choose to use them. We had an older mare who never grew a great hair coat and struggled to maintain her weight in the winter. This is a great example of a horse who can benefit from having a blanket to help her stay warm without burning extra calories. This year, I have a mare who was shaved for surgery in December. They took all the hair off her sides from her last rib back to her flank! Her hair has been slow to re-grow so we have a blanket available for cold or snowy days to help hold in her body heat since she doesn't have her natural insulation.

Lucky showing off her winter blanket to help her stay warm even though she's half-shaved

In the end, as with many horse management issues, it comes down to knowing your horses and making a choice based on what works best for them. We're not opposed to using blankets as a tool to maximize horse health and comfort on our farm, we've just found that most of them don't actually benefit from more layers. So the next time you see photos or horses standing outside in the cold, just know that they are likely quite content with the brisk weather and a full belly!

Farm Rhythms- Winter

One of the things I appreciate about farm life is the consistent rhythms that you find throughout the year and the understanding that there are certain expectations that go with each season. Here in western Pennsylvania we get all four seasons and each has both challenges and blessings for our work. I'll be sharing throughout the year some of what we're up to as our responsibilities shift and let you get a glimpse of what life looks like here at AKH.

Winter is our slowest season for farm work since horse management needs are relatively low. We free-feed large round bales so we have to check feeders and every few days add more hay to each field. Some of our fields have winterproof waterers, other require visits to top off water and/or break ice to keep everyone hydrated. Although our daily horse chores are light we try to use this slower time of year to invest in training- groundwork and riding/driving- and take advantage of days with moderate weather to enjoy some recreational riding. The needs of the breeding herd are similarly low and focus mainly on tracking pregnancy progression with a series of scheduled ultrasounds and keeping on top of everyone's required vaccinations throughout gestation.

For the working horses (and Dehan) winter means that it's logging season! We have quite a few horses that are broke to harness and this means that we can mix and match horses to meet the needs of the job on any given day. The stallions join the logging crew most days while the mares are often rotated through the teams so that each mare only works a couple of days a week since they are also cooking up foals. Typically we'll be up around daylight to catch and harness horses, then Dehan is off to the job. When Dehan has help in the woods he will often take two teams and rotate them on and off to allow time for resting. If he is alone we send just one team and he alternates between using them to pull logs and letting them rest while he puts trees on the ground and preps the trails. The teams work hard but they enjoy the fact that on work days they get extra feed in the form of a concentrated horse ration.

My winter focus is twofold- rest and records. I value the chance to do life at a slower pace and invest in some of my non-horsey hobbies during the winter months. I also take time to update our farm records, do tax prep for the accountant, set goals and make schedules for the upcoming year. This likely sounds horrible to the average horse person, but I'm very much a type-A personality and find a strange pleasure in getting things in order and seeking to find a structure for the upcoming year. Most of that goes out the window when we get into the heat of foaling/breeding/hay season but it's nice to have a solid starting point!

Many of the challenges of the winter months are weather-related. I really don't like being cold so any 'normal' farm problem (broken equipment, horse illness, etc) is amplified by not wanting to go outside. We also struggle with shorter days and more time inside than usual. Even so, we strive to appreciate the slow months as a chance to catch our breath and make some plans. After all, spring follows winter and the cycle of farm life begins again!

What's in a Name?

One common question we get is "Why 'All the King's Horses'?" Selecting a farm name is a big decision and involved a great deal of thought as to the purpose and values of our farm that we wanted to communicate.

To understand the basis of our AKH brand we have to go back a couple of decades to my prior obsession- cattle farming. My sister and I purchased our first bred Shorthorn heifer in the fall of 2002 and this was the start of a purebred herd that we maintained for nearly two decades. When our first calf arrived we needed a farm prefix for her registration documents. We wanted to select a name that would reflect our faith as well as what the business was about. We turned to Psalm 50:10 which says 'The Lord speaks... every animal of the forest is mine and the cattle on a thousand hills' as inspiration for Thousand Hills Cattle Company. I still remember running it past my dad for the first time- he was supportive of the concept but thought the name was a bit of a mouthful. At that point, though, I had already worked up the business cards so 'Thousand Hills' we remained!

What we never could have foreseen when brainstorming the name for a cattle business run by two Christian kids who had no idea what they were getting into was just how influential a name can be. Or, more importantly, the concept behind the name. It is a constant reminder of the fact that we are not so much owners as stewards of what has been given to us. The reminder that these are the Lord's cattle has been a comfort in the inevitable losses that accompany farm life as well as an encouragement to work hard and trust God when it felt like we were in over our heads.

Fast forward 15 years and while the cattle remained my focus was shifting to horses. When I made the decision to breed my Gypsy mare for the first time I knew that it was time for a brand update. Thousand Hills Horse Farm just didn't quite work! Although I brainstormed a lot of names- many with a more traditional farm feel, such as Misty Meadows- I kept coming back to the fact that a name can be so much more than just a fancy script on the logo. All the King's Horses was an idea that popped up along the way and although a bit unconventional it embodies a similar concept as our Thousand Hills brand.

Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that farming can be hard both physically and emotionally and something as simple as a name has the power to ground what may feel like an overwhelming problem or disappointment in a much bigger picture. We work hard and seek to care for our herd in the very best way we can but ultimately we trust that the One who created them and entrusted them to us cares for all his creatures. On the good days, on the bad days, regardless of our skills or knowledge to address the current need these are the King's horses and his plans for them (and us) will prevail.