I made a blanket for her Friday evening, it got really cold and we had 30+ mph winds from the hurricane that skirted the coast. Of course the single tack store we have only had a 70" blanket and I needed a 72" one for her. So I got a really soft microplush something or other blanket. It's like a towel, but silky. I have a robe made out of the same stuff and I love it. Anyway, got that and lined it with fleece. I cut off the velcro front from her 1/4 sheet that doesn't do what I thought it did. Used that for the front closure, and took another doubled piece of fleece and made a belly band that velcro's to the other side. That piece goes from the back of her front legs to the front of her back legs. That's one good thing about having a mare! Don't have to worry about extra parts there.
I had tried to put just the blanket on her originally, to see how it fit, what I'd have to do to it to make it into a horse blanket. She was not at all interested in getting anywhere near the horse eating monster. I held it balled up in my arms and let her sniff it a while. Still no go. I unfolded it, at which point she was sure it was going to eat her. I wrapped it around myself and just stood there a while. She finally came over and sniffed it. It was actually really warm! I took it off and draped it across my shoulder like a beach towel. Now the wind flapped it and she was not very happy. She did come over and taste it though. Woohoo progress! After a few minutes she wasn't quite as jumpy when the wind blew it, so I balled it up again and held it. Then I put a carrot on it and waited until she came to get it. While she was eating the carrot, I moved up next to her shoulder, blanket still balled against me, and leaned into her a little and draped the blanket across her shoulders. She startled a little, but was more interested in the carrot. I slowly rubbed her and spread it out across her back. It didn't stay on long because the wind flipped it and that scared her pretty good. I balled it back up and held it so she could see that it wasn't going to eat her. Gave her a few good pets, let her sniff it and went back inside.
A few hours later, we repeated the process and it went much better. She still wasn't too happy about it but wasn't quite as convinced that I was going to let the horse-eating blanket have her. She actually stood for a few minutes after I got the blanket on her. I think it was long enough for her to discover that it was cutting the wind and she wasn't as cold. Instant reward!
So I pet her all over, rubbing her through the blanket so she could see how it felt. After a few minutes, I bunched it up and took it off of her.
I made the blanket, which took longer than I thought it would. It came out okay I think, given the fact that I had no idea what I was doing and had makeshift parts.
I got it all finished but for the belly piece and took it out. I actually tied her and fed her and put it on her. She was a little not too happy, but that bucket of food kept her distracted enough for me to get it on her without too much fuss. It worked! I just needed to put it on her to see where the belly piece needed to go. She completely jumped when I undid the velcro on the front to take it off of her. She backed up as far as the rope would let her and gave me the look. I held the blanket and let her sniff it and made a note to undo the velcro before I put it back on her. I ran in and finished up the belly piece while she was eating. She was still working on dinner when I came back out. I got it on her with little problem. I wasn't sure how she'd do with the piece around her belly, but she didn't seem to care.
I think by that point she realized that it was keeping her warm and wasn't going to eat her in her sleep. She sniffed the side of it and finished eating. I untied her and she finished eating, and then took a little walk around. She didn't seem to care at all. Now the question was would she leave it on? Or would she rip it to pieces?
I checked on her a few times that night and she was still okay. The next morning she had it on still. It was dirty. I'd actually seen her one time out rolling in it. Everything must have that dirt smell. It had rained a little during the night, and either she went in the barn or the blanket did fine. The top layer was a little damp in places but when I put my hand underneath to feel her, she was completely warm and dry. I was so excited! I left it on her because it was still cold and windy, fed her, and we went to riding lessons.
When we came home, she didn't have it on. She'd managed to unvelcro the front and it was piled up by the door. Amazingly it didn't rip anywhere. I've never had to make anything for a 1000 lb creature before and had no idea if it would hold up. Needless to say, I was pretty happy.
Last night I washed it and dried it and took it outside about 9pm. It was supposed to get down into the 40s last night and was pretty cold already. I went out, no treats, just the blanket. I held it and she sniffed it a minute and just stood there. I thought "nuh uh...." and walked to her shoulder and put it on her. Not even a flinch. I put it around her shoulders, velcro'd the neck, pulled it across her back and reached under her to grab the belly piece. I had that up and was about to velcro it when she took a few steps. I think she thought she was done. I told her "whoa" and she stopped and kinda looked at me like "huh?" I finished putting it on her, gave her a rub and she took a few steps away and circled back. I think she was saying thank you. I rubbed her face and went back inside.
She still has it on this morning so I grabbed a couple pictures.
This, from the horse who was deathly afraid of a lead rope. It feels like a milestone.
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