How to check a horse for warmth?

[Bay Mare]

I've got to answer this for my portfolio but have run out of things to say after a couple of sentences!

Has anyone got any suggestions please?

I've got 'make sure that you know how they feel normally', 'make sure that they're not sweating or shivering' and 'feeling at the base of their ears' but can't think of anything else ....... it's with regards to rugs so it's not about ill health or anything so I can't go down that route.

Thank you in advance .......


x

[tillie]

Feeling underneath their rugs and the base of the ears

[Lancashire Lass]

feeling just behind their elbows... this is also a good indicator.

Overall,..making sure that the horse doesn't look 'tucked up'.

[lynz+ollie]

if they are standing round, under trees of near gate and not eaten for a while, could be signs they are too hot of cold.

apart from that i dunno

[baxter]

feel their ears, its the best most commonly used way of checking a horses warmth.:) :)

[Bebe]

I disagree that feeling ears is a good way to check warmth. Ears are an extremity and the tips will always feel cold. You need to check the base and it's quite hard to do this with most horses as they don't seem overly keen on having cold hands hold onto ears for long enough to check.

I check under armpits and high up between the back legs. If the horse is warm on the inner skin of its back leg (no hair, exposed veins for heat loss), it's a good bet that the rest of the horse feels just fine too.

[NuttyMare]

the ears and the elbows - if the horse has its butt to the wind its trying to block it out ;)

[Bay Mare]

Thank you :D