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  • Wintering the Horses

    By Arden Foster on November 24th, 2020

    One of the questions that I get asked throughout the summer is “What do the horses do all winter? Do they have a barn? Do they get blanketed?” This question is asked out of love and genuine curiosity for the horses that people develop affections for during their time with us at the ranch.

    The horses from the ranch all get hauled up to a different ranch that belong to one of our good friends near La Jara, Colorado. It takes quite a few trailer loads to get them all there, but once they all settle in, they get to enjoy a wonderful winter vacation. Out of our canyon, where they spend their time, winter isn’t quite as harsh, as there isn’t as much snow and the temperatures aren’t as cold.

    Before the snow, there is good grass in the pasture that holds the horses over before the ground is covered. Once winter weather rolls in, our friend feeds hay every day for the horses to eat. They can also lay down in it at night, and it helps keep them warm.

    Horses naturally grow thick winter coats to help warm them when temperatures begin to drop. People who ride their horses in the winter will often times blanket them. This is so when they ride, the horse doesn’t sweat so much, because they would be even colder as the sweat begins to freeze post-riding.

    Our ranch horses get 8 months off between the beginning of October to the end of May. Talk about the ultimate vacation time! Because of their extended time off during the winter, they have ample time to grow a good thick coat for the winter, and not have to worry about sweating while working. Herds of horses will also take care of themselves through a few different ways. When weather rolls in, snow or rain, they all turn their rear ends to the weather, so as to not batter their faces. They will also bunch together in clusters to preserve heat and make a wind break. Horses are creatures that, all over the world, face various elements, hot and cold, and have adapted to these different climates over time.

    We love our horses, and it’s a peace of mind knowing that they are down the San Luis Valley. They get looked over daily, and get to live in such a way all winter that refreshes them mentally and physically, preparing them for another wonderful summer with us at Rainbow Trout Ranch.

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    Our Posts

    • Horse Vocabulary – Part 1
    • Thank you, Chris Collins
    • Wintering the Horses
    • A Great 2020 Season
    • Cheyenne & Her Legacy
    • Key Western Tack & Their Purpose
    • Traveling to the Ranch
    • “Little Britches” Book Series
    • Mornings on the Ranch
    • Branding: History & Today
    • Horse Hall of Fame: Santa Fe
    • Hydroponic Happenings
    • Looking Western, Staying Safe!
    • Movie Confessions: City Slickers
    • 2020 Resolutions
    • 2019 Summer Recap – Horses
    • Christmas in July
    • Photo Blog Highlight: Emma
    • What ARE those? Chaps vs Chinks
    • Foals of 2018
    • Interview: Julia & the Cowpokes
    • Spring on the Conejos with Sam
    • Staff Blog Highlight: Sorrell
    • New Horses on the Ranch!
    • Interview: Lauryn & the Teens
    • September at the Ranch
    • Ranch Raised Horses
    • Friday Night Fun
    • Everybody Swing!
    • Wild, Wild… Rags?
    • Faith, Hope, & Charity
    • Dude Ranch Family – Braden
    • Wintering Horses
    • Working at Rainbow
    • Staff Map 2018
    • “Linda Clean”
    • Pink Friday Tradition
    • Staff Spotlight: Hannah
    • Unplugging at the Ranch
    • The Dog Days of Ranching
    • The History of the Suffolk Punch
    • Ready for June Fishing!
    • This is Me: Max
    • RTR Country Music Playlist
    • This is me: Arden
    • A Week at the Ranch in Video
    • What if I Don’t Ride at a Colorado Dude Ranch?
    • Colorado Dude Ranch: Five Ways to Choose a Guest Ranch for Your Family Vacation
    • Rocky Mountain Adventures on our Colorado Dude Ranch
    • Colorado Dude Ranch Finds Success with Hydroponic Hay
    • The Wonderful Life of a Dude Rancher
    • September 2014 Here we come
    • Top 10 Reasons to go to a Colorado Dude Ranch, not on a Cruise!
    • Dude Ranch “Super” Marketing
    • Zorro: The Southern Colorado Dude Ranch Legend
    • A Very Special Dude Ranch Horse Story: Mikey
    • Riding Western in the UK – getting ready for our Colorado dude ranch visit
    • Summer Season 2012 Wrap-Up
    • At Rainbow Trout Ranch at last
    • Season’s End at Rainbow Trout Ranch, High in Southern Colorado
    • Food glorious food………………. Rainbow trout delivers!
    • 83 days to go until I arrive at Rainbow Trout, my Colorado Dude Ranch
    • Spring at this Colorado Dude Ranch: Getting Ready for Guests
    • Getting to the Ranch…
    • The Horse We Shared at the Colorado Dude Ranch
    • More Getting Ready for My Colorado Dude Ranch Holiday
    • My Favorite Colorado Dude Ranch Horse and More
    • Blog of an RTR Guest
    • Teens at the Dude Ranch: The Transformation from Surly to Happy
    • Dude Ranch Dogs
    • The Changing Times
    • Dream Trip to our Colorado Dude Ranch Inspired an Article
    • Pagosa.com article on Rainbow Trout Ranch
    • Teen Program at Rainbow Trout Ranch
    • Peanut Butter Jelly Time!
    • Colorado dude ranch ride coming in
    • A Guest of the West
    • Rocky Mountain High
    • Spring is coming to the ranch


     
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    Dude Ranchers' Educational Trust and Western Museum
    Horse Vocabulary – Part 1

    Learning the vocabulary about and around horses is one of the first steps in knowing more about these wonderful animals. This winter we are going to do multi-part posts on horse knowledge!

    Thank you, Chris Collins

    A man of many talents, we were lucky to have Chris Collins visit us this summer! Thank you to Chris Collins for sharing his time and efforts with us this summer.

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