As the temperatures start to drop over the upcoming weeks, horse owners will start considering a very important subject: horse blankets. When should I start blanketing my horse? Should I use a blanket or a sheet (or both)? And which type of blanket is appropriate for my horse’s needs? These are all very important questions, and we hope to be able to offer you a little assistance in finding some answers with our Blanketing Basics series. Our first topic of discussion is probably the most important one that we will cover: Is blanketing my horse really necessary?
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When the cold winter weather hits, many horse owners automatically bring out the horse blankets. However, a horse’s normal winter coat is much more insulating than a blanket, and unless the horse’s coat has been clipped due to heavy physical exertion (or due to a winter show schedule), the horse is living outside without a windbreak, or the horse has been moved to a colder climate during winter months, it will many times be warmer with no blanket at all.
The horse’s longer winter coat helps to trap the body heat against the skin. Aside from the obvious fact that the winter coat is thicker than the summer coat, during cold weather tiny muscles in the skin raise these longer coat hairs away from the body, creating tiny air pockets that hold in body heat and heighten the insulating effect of the fur. Flattening this ‘fluffed-up’ coat by adding the weight of layers of light blankets, or even one heavy one, can actually make the horse colder by restricting this insulating effect. This is why it is sometimes more beneficial to the horse to do nothing at all, rather than blanketing in order to make ourselves “feel better”, like we are doing something to help the horse.
If a horse is not body clipped and not accustomed to being blanketed regularly, it can put the horse at risk for negative health effects. If a horse becomes overheated under a horse blanket, it will begin to sweat. The dampness trapped beneath the blanket causes the horse to become chilled when exposed to a cooler temperature, which then increases the risk of pneumonia or other respiratory infections. This is why it is bad to wait until the temperatures turn really cold and then suddenly start blanketing. Along a similar vein, if a horse must be blanketed due to cooler temperatures during the night and early morning make sure that someone will be there to take the blanket off when temperatures rise later in the day or else the horse will overheat, which could put the horse at risk for getting sick when the air cools off again in the evening.
If you do choose to use a horse blanket, making sure that the blanket fits the horse properly is important. A blanket that is too tight will irritate the skin and put the horse at risk of developing abrasions and sores, especially around the shoulders and withers. A blanket that is too large can slide around or slip down under the horse’s belly. Not only will that result in the loss of almost all the blanket’s insulating ability, if the horse gets its legs tangled in the blanket or the blanket straps, it can be seriously injured.
Every horse should have its own blanket, not only because horses come in many shapes and sizes but also because shared horse blankets can spread skin problems such as girth itch, ringworm, and other fungal infections. Even if no horses in the stable have known skin problems, fungal spores can cling to blankets and potentially be spread to other horses. Regularly washing blankets with a specialized blanket wash can help ensure that your horse’s skin will stay healthy. If washing your horse blankets at home is not an option we also offer blanket washing and repair services for our customers.
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As you can see, there’s a lot more to think about than you probably realized when it comes to choosing whether or not to blanket your horse. Assuming that you’ve decided that blanketing is a necessity for you equine partner, your next step will be deciding what type of blanket to give your friend – sheet or blanket? And turnout or stable sheet/blanket? These will be the questions that we will address in our next installment, where we will cover the basic differences in the types and styles of horse blankets. Check back soon!
