Hi Sharon and others,

There was a study done that trained horses to request a blanket.  I think they learned that if they stood in front of a sign/symbol on the barn wall they would get a blanket put on, and if they stood in front of a different sign/symbol on the wall they would have the blanket removed.  All the horses in the study learned this quickly, in a matter of days.  I'm sorry I have no idea what the study was called but I'm sure you could train your horse to tell you, too, by just blanketing her in the same spot every day, and removing it in a different spot every day...she'll learn to stand in those spots based on what she wants you to do, and if you're observant you'll understand her.

I just hold up/offer/show a blanket to my horse and he declines it by moving away...he hates being blanketed and has never displayed a need for it.  I do check him in the cold weather and he's a furnace.

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Kirsten and Shaku (EMS + PPID) and Snickers (EMS) - 2019
Kitimat, BC, Canada
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Hi, Sharon. Waiting for shivering is waiting too long ime. My PPID mare sent me mare messages that she was cold - cantering or trotting everywhere, giving me the hind leg salute as she scooted by. When I didn’t figure it out, she was mouthy with her hand-fed meds first thing in the morning, scraping her teeth against my palm. The final test is that she stands quietly to be blanketed at liberty in the turnout. If it’s too warm, she will walk away. 
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Cass, Sonoma Co., CA 2012
ECIR Group Moderator
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Thanks Martha! Ours are mostly sunny but like today it is a high of 27 and dark. So I guess I will just watch her? Do I look for shivering or is there a way to tell if they are cold do you know? Thanks again, I thought about it too, but not sure as I know for the most part it is not recommended to rug ;) (just learning this term from a group i am in - funny rug not a blanket??!!) a horse. 
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Sharon Bice
December 2020    Sandia Park, New Mexico

Taillight's Case History:  
https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Taillight%20Case%20History

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Hi Sharon,
I’ve thought about this a bit but my winters are so different from yours, I don’t think my answer would be very helpful.  I lived in 
Flagstaff before college in Vermont, and I thought I would be prepared for the winters here after living in snowy Flag (I was not!) but, once the cold begins here, it really doesn’t let up for months.  The blankets go on for turnout when it is staying in the 20’s and might come off in the barn until late Dec or so, when the barn no longer holds any leftover summer warmth.  The back of my barn is mostly below ground so it’s protected from the wind.  We’ve had a few freezes here, no snow, which might change tomorrow, and I’ve yet to blanket - highly unusual for this time of year.  My horses are all PPID and geriatric so they also might need more care than yours.
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Hi Linda!
I’m not sure she is controlled “enough”, but will retest in early December. She was 39 in mid-July 3 weeks after an increase from 2-4 mg of compounded Peroglide. I should have bumped her up more but did not for some reason :((  

We can get cold here in the mountains at 7,000 ft, even though I’m in New Mexico so I will buy a blanket. Thanks again for your contribution to this discussion!  (I hope it makes sense to wait until December to retest. I just read a message from Dr. Kellon that that is the end of the rise. She’s also a little grumpy, so I don’t think she is controlled.)
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Sharon Bice
December 2020    Sandia Park, New Mexico

Taillight's Case History:  
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Hi Sharon, Do your horses have controlled PPID also?  Mine were good last year down to 28, maybe less.  We don't get as cold as we used to... no teens in the last few years.  So it hasn't been a huge problem but I'd still prefer "normal."
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Linda in Grass Valley, CA  2020  Midnight and Ostara
https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Linda%20Midnight%20OStara

Martha, at what temperature do you blanket? I was wondering why my mare isn’t growing a think winter coat. :(  Linda, thanks for posting about this— I appreciate it!
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Sharon Bice
December 2020    Sandia Park, New Mexico

Taillight's Case History:  
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Taillight's Photo Album:
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Well that's a bummer to hear but thank you.  Fortunately, my mares stay under in their stalls (except to pee) when it rains or snows... even after the rain/snow stops if trees are still dripping... smart girls!
I haven't had to blanket them yet so I guess I'm lucky not to have to deal with blankets or a ton of fur.  (But I'd rather they go back to normal)
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Linda in Grass Valley, CA  2020  Midnight and Ostara
https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Linda%20Midnight%20OStara

Hi Linda,
PPID affects temperature regulation and pergolide doesn’t seem to solve the problem of too much coat, which leaves many caretakers of PPID horses clipping them.  The same sort of lack of regulation may well be present where the horse needs more coat that he doesn’t have.  Where I live, it gets cold enough to keep my guys blanketed.  You might not need to do that but a sheet to protect against cold rains might be handy.
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Midnight and Stara used to grow beautiful winter coats, before they got Cushings.  When they became PPID and before starting Pergolide, their coats would grow at the wrong time and they carried them thru some of the early summer months (they actually grew and shed 3 times/year.) 
When they first started Pergolide, their coats grew perfectly for a couple of years. Last year and now this year, their coats are minimal... very little difference from summer to fall/winter.  They are on 12ml and 8.5ml of Pergolide, respectively.  Their ACTH is well controlled at these amounts but why aren't they growing true winter coats?
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Linda in Grass Valley, CA  2020  Midnight and Ostara
https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Linda%20Midnight%20OStara