This sounds horrible but..

Yep! Everybody is entitled to their own opinion Inst that why people have a membership here?And I wanst trying to prove a point simply making a statement. Some people manage and take care of their horses differently.

When I lived in TN we used to have warm blankets on in the barn if it got to around 65-70. It is more the climit that your horses are accustomed too that is the point on wether or not they will be cold - they live in FL, someone who trudges through the snow may not understand how you may think that 65 is cold but I would have the warm blankets on him for sure.

I would likely not leave the lights on ALL night though because it will confuse their body clock and defeat the purpose of having them on in the first place. Set them on an 18hour timer and try putting heat lamps in the corner of the box for when it gets below about 55.

And you could always try a good old fashioned method that has proven over time to be the ONLY reliable way of keeping a nice coat - BRUSH HIM EVERY DAY

If you really think about it, 75 degrees to that horse is like 30 or 40 in the northern states because of the fact that all animals blood is thinner and does not help to hold heat as well as say a horse that lives in michigan. The same goes for people who live there all the time. I know when I went on vacation last year it was 45 degrees one night and some of the people were dressed up like eskimos and here I am in jeans and a t shirt, I thought it was great weather, considering it was 10 degrees and snowing in Ohio.

Her horse is use to the hot weather and its body is better at keeping cool in hot climates, or manmade hot climates such as heavy blankets and lights.

LOL, I love lane, we posted almost at the same time and said very similiar things.

Over here in New Zealand, my horses tend to be rugged mostly all year round. They live out 24/7 and only have a few trees for shade and a shelter break that fulls up with mud over winter (which I normally don't use). Therefore depending on the horse, they can have up to three rugs on over winter. Normally all are double rugged over the hardest part of the winter... but my gelding who was a big pansy before I got him feels the cold and loses weight easily too over the colder months so when it snowed he had his "in between seasons" rug on top.
Some people may think I'm crazy but my guys all seem very happy in their jarmies when its cold! I do make a point however to let air at their backs... horses do need to be horses... but only on the warmer days in winter.
May seem nuts to some people, but I'm actually pretty good compared to some :P
x

My horse has up to 5-7 coats on threw winter.
I live in Auckland, New zealand and it hardly ever gets below 7 degrees.

I'm definitely guilty of over rugging. In winter my horse in rugged 24/7, I only ever take it of to ride, I have resently started rugging 24/7 in summer to so my horse can have his tail bag on as I am trying to grow his tail.

yeah I definitely brush them everyday, I mean I just really care for my horse becasue it's like my prized possetion :)
Btw I Love your horse ;)

How do the lights work?? I always thought they were to simulate the hours of sunlight you get through the summer months, to make your horses body think its still summertime and not start growing. But that theory kinda doesnt work if you have them on all the time.

I'm the same as Pinto Pony, here if you want to show then the horse is rugged all year round! Otherwise they bleach/get dirty etc in summer and shaggy in winter, plus it protects them from most cuts and scrapes. My horses have cotton rugs on atm and its getting up to 34 degrees. (celcius)

I don't really show in the winter so I don't really care if they grow a coat, but I do start putting at least a sheet on when it starts dropping below 60-50 at night.

If they grow a pretty heavy coat and I'm riding a lot I just go ahead and clip them and then rug 'em accordingly.