Duarte Horse Ranch, Inc. a 501c3 Non-Profit Corporation

03/04/2026

Happy 19th hirthday Pete. 3/4/2007. Pete is such a friendly horse. He really wants to come inside and sit on the couch, have snacks and watch the game.

03/04/2026

Happy 19th birthday Renny! He was 19 on the 8th of March.

02/19/2026

Some girls just have to roll in the mud, lol!

02/12/2026

Happy 17th Birthday to Jasoor! He is so special and loved!

02/07/2026

Already started.

Yup!🐴

02/06/2026

Yes, it’s true! Consistency, water and hay. We have two 5 gallon buckets in each stall, one is heated and one isn’t (except Ought the mini and he gets one heated 5 gallon buckets)

The thing every horse owner does out of love… that can actually put their horse in danger
Especially on the coldest night of the year

When temperatures drop and the barn feels like a freezer, it feels natural to reach for a warm bran mash
It feels comforting
It feels nurturing
But for a horse’s gut, that sudden kindness can become a crisis

Here is the real science behind why the mash myth is so risky :

• 1. Their gut works like a fermentation engine
Horses rely on a stable population of gut bacteria to break down fiber
Introduce a sudden bucket of wheat bran, sugar, and molasses
And that microbiome crashes
The bacteria panic
Fermentation spikes
Gas builds
This is how gas colic starts
And during a winter storm, you may not have vet access

• 2. Warm mash does not warm the horse
Hot water warms them for maybe 15 to 20 minutes
Fiber digestion warms them for hours
Hay is their real heater
Their furnace is in the hindgut, not in a bucket

• 3. Mash can trick them into drinking less
Some horses drink the mash and then skip water
Which leads to dehydration
And increases the risk of impaction colic
A winter storm plus low water intake is one of the most dangerous combinations for horses

• 4. The winter safe plan is simple
Feed more hay
Keep their water around 50°F
Add a little loose salt to encourage drinking
And most importantly… keep the diet consistent

Consistency keeps the gut biome steady
Steady gut = safe horse

• When mash is okay
If your horse gets mash regularly
Their gut is adapted
Routine matters
The danger comes from the once a year emergency mash

• Soaking their normal feed is the perfect alternative
Warm
Hydrating
Zero microbiome shock

Horses do not need surprises
They need physiological stability
Warmth, fiber, water, and routine

On a night when the wind is howling and roads are ice covered
The safest thing you can give your horse is not a warm mash
It is consistency, hydration, and plenty of hay

Save this for every winter storm
It could prevent a tragedy

02/01/2026

We’re looking for treats!!! Renny, Jasoor and Sara love treats. You might be surprised to learn the treats are actually hay cubes broken into smaller pieces.

01/31/2026

Wind is indeed the problem for animals, even chickens.

A simple shape that can save animals’ lives in dangerous winter storms 👇🤨

When wind chills hit extreme lows, livestock do not die from cold
They die from wind stealing their body heat faster than they can produce it
And the smartest thing you can build in a blizzard is not a fence or a wall
It is a V shaped windbreak made from hay bales

Here is why ranchers swear by it 👇

• The V cuts the wind like a ship’s bow
Point the sharp end of the V directly into the incoming wind
Instead of slamming into a straight wall and whipping around the edges, the wind splits
Flow moves sideways
And behind the V, a deep calm zone forms

• The wind shadow is bigger than you think
A barrier protects an area roughly ten times its height
Two stacked round bales are about 10 feet tall
That means roughly a 100 foot stretch of calmer, safer air behind them
A zone where the wind chill can jump from life threatening to survivable

• Convection kills more than cold
Horses, cattle, guardian dogs
They all have natural insulation
They can handle low temperatures
What they cannot handle is wind ripping heat from their skin and breaking the effectiveness of their fur
Stop the wind, and their natural coat finally works

How to build it right

• Use large round bales if possible, they are heavy and will not blow over
• Stack two high for maximum protection
• Fill the inside of the V with straw for bedding and warmth
• Always point the V’s tip into the wind direction

Real world results
Properly built windbreaks have saved livestock during
Bomb cyclones
Polar vortex events
High wind cold snaps across the US and Canada

FAQ

Q: Can I use square bales
A: Yes, but stack them like bricks so they interlock

Q: What direction should it face
A: Use your weather app
In most US winters, that means North or Northwest

Q: Will the hay spoil
A: The outer layer might
But losing a little hay is nothing compared to losing an animal

A simple V of hay bales
Built with intention
Creates a calm, warm pocket of air that can mean the difference between freezing and surviving

Save this 📍

It can literally save lives during the next winter blast 🌬️🐂🐴

01/31/2026

This article is correct. And this matters when outside or inside temperatures are cold, especially if windy. I have fleece coolers that I use first to wick most of it away and then I’ll put a blanket with fill on.

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞?

I have seen statements on this subject floating around social media and I felt it was time to step in and set the record straight!

𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞.

For as long as I can remember, this practice has been taboo, you just shouldn’t do it. However, the University of Kentucky came out with an extension publication a few years back on why this generalization is false and I want to share that information with you along with some of my own relevant research.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐝?

The thought here is that by blanketing a wet horse, you trap the cold water next to their skin, which will actually make them colder. And if this actually happened, I would agree that this practice would be detrimental. However, if you have ever blanketed a wet horse with a blanket that has fill or added insulation, you know that within a matter of hours your horse will be warm and dry again.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐲?

Well the fill in the blanket will wick away and absorb the moisture and the body heat from the horse will help it evaporate.

𝐇𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

The moisture or humidity underneath the blanket could increase the risk of skin conditions or rain rot. As a result, you should change out the blanket as soon as you can to allow the blanket to adequately dry.

Also, if you use a sheet without fill, there is no insulation to absorb the moisture and this practice COULD be problematic. I found this to be true even for a dry horse. Two winters ago I performed research and placed temperature and humidity sensors underneath blankets of different weights including sheets with no fill. During the winter, I found that while the temperature under the sheet was warmer than the environment, the humidity under a rain sheet was far greater than the humidity under medium or heavy weight blankets as there wasn’t any fill to absorb the moisture. This is problematic because when high humidity occurs alongside cold temperatures, it can feel much colder, as humid air conducts heat away from the body faster than dry air. These results demonstrate the value fill can add to a blanket - not only to provide insulation but also to regulate humidity. Based on these factors, I would not recommend blanketing a cold, wet horse with a rain sheet.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

Blanketing a dry horse is the gold standard. And if you are able to dry off your horse before you blanket, please do so. However, we know this isn’t always feasible, especially for those who don’t live with their horses or have to deal with unpredictable weather. And in those scenarios, blanketing a horse with a blanket that has fill is a much better option than letting a cold, wet horse shiver.

Cheers!
Dr. DeBoer

01/31/2026

4 big horses are out in the snow for awhile! Solid blue blanket is Jasoor, Renaissance (Renny) in red, Pete in black and Sara in blue print but very dirty lol. Photos credited to my sweet neighbor Jane! Thank you Jane!