To Blanket or Not to Blanket?

In my opinion “blanketing or not blanketing” is probably the second most controversial thing horse owners and professionals have a strong opinion about doing or not doing; second only to “How early is too early to start saddle breaking a young horse.”

It is also one of the many conversations, that no matter where I have it, I continually find myself being interrupted once again by the know it all blanket hater who cant resist the urge to remind me that, “back in the day” horses survived in the wild just fine without blankets, therefore why the major ado now? The only thing more tired than that argument, is me of hearing it applied continually by lazy disapprovers who can’t wage an educated, factual-based debate, on why horses shouldn’t benefit from today’s modern advancements geared at improving their health, comfort, lifestyle and longevity.

I think everyone would agree that horses were designed to live outside and instinctively seek shelter from extreme weather. Given the opportunity, they acclimate to most types of weather and can withstand very cold climates, even extreme temperatures that are unbearable to us. Horses that grow a normal winter coat, in dry winter weather, can be comfortable even when the wind chill drops down close to below zero.

However, having said that; even though a horse’s thick winter coat is likely its best defense against cold weather, that only holds true as long as it remains dry. Therefore, it is important a horse has protection from wind, sleet, cold, freezing rain and severe storms in the winter and protection from, hail and electrical storms as well as adequate shade during hot weather. Access to trees, bushes, an open stable, lean to, or out building can provide adequate shelter if a horse needs or wants to get out of the weather and most times is all that is needed.

There are many arguments for and against blanketing horses in the cold and winter months, most of which have a number of pros and cons themselves. At the end of the day it is simply a choice. It’s a choice that depends on individual circumstances and a choice that should be carefully weighed and thoroughly considered prior to being exercised.

PROS
  • When it’s cold a lot of energy from food goes into keeping the body temperature up. Horses without extra body fat and an adequate winter coat will have a tough time keeping warm and will continue to lose even more weight.
  • Frequent grooming can remove natural oils that are important to your horse’s coat. Blankets and sheets assist in adding a vital layer of protection regardless of the weather.
  • In climates where the days are very warm and nights extremely cold blankets and sheets can help compensate for an underdeveloped coat due to summer-like daytime conditions.
  • Blankets and sheets can be beneficial in keeping your horse warm and dry in extremely cold weather, shielding him from excess dirt, manure and mud and protecting against insects, sunburn or damaging ultraviolet rays.
  • Blankets can assist in keeping show, race, performance, and other working horses warm when often their extended seasons have their owners keeping them clipped or suppressing their winter coats to finish out the year.

CONS
  • Blanketing a horse at any time will inhibit its natural hair growth and can possibly be detrimental to a horses health and well being if not then kept blanketed until the weather warms and stabilizes.
  • Blanketing is a commitment, extra work and added responsibility It is not something you can do for a couple of weeks and then decide it’s too much of an inconvenience so your just going to quit and pull the blanket off so you don’t have to be bothered with it. Once you start the regimen you’ve altered your horses natural defenses and throwing in the towel and exposing him to the elements unprotected can make him seriously ill
  • Overheating is possible if days warm up considerably and blankets fail to get removed or replaced with a sheet.
  • Horses can become injured or chaffed in loose, poorly fitting or poorly adjusted blankets.
  • Blankets can rip, tear, get wet and need to be replaced all of which can be expensive and time consuming to address.

There are times when blanketing isn’t just a personal choice ,but instead advisable for continued health and well being of your horse. Some of those times are:

  • If your horse is blanketed during the summer or fall to keep his coat clean and winter coat suppressed for showing or some other reason.
  • If his coat or body has been clipped.
  • If your horse has trouble maintaining a healthy weight or is underweight.
  • If your horse is visibly shivering or uncomfortable.
  • If your horse is older/geriatric
  • If your horse is weak ill or recovering from an illness.
  • If your horse is very young.
  • If your horse does not have a sufficient winter coat.
  • If your horse has been moved from a warmer climate.
  • If you horse is outside without shelter or access to a windbreak.

If blanketing, when is a good time to start?
Shivering or any other indication from your horse that he is cold or uncomfortable should definitely warrant serious consideration regarding the benefits of blanketing.

What is the best kind of blanket to use?
When choosing a blanket you need to:

  • Consider the weather and overall climate in your area.
  • Consider what kind of an effect cold, rain, wind, and snow have on your horse?
  • Consider how thick your horses coat is?
  • Consider if he will be stalled or turned out?
  • Consider if he is he hard on blankets and obsessed with getting them off?

Horses living in areas with large amounts of snow, rain and cold weather probably need a waterproofed, more weather-resistant blanket. Horses in dryer more mild climates can probably get by with a medium to lightweight blanket or sheet. Horses turned out for long periods of time may need a blanket better suited to staying on an active horse. Horses that are difficult to keep a blanket on may need a closed front blanket that fits well, is put together extremely durable, and less likely to shift.

I personally prefer blankets with a closed front, belly surcingle, and leg straps that are easily conducive to crossing and snapping on opposite sides. I like to use light-medium weight blankets over sheets, so that on warmer days I can remove the blanket during the daytime to keep my horses from overheating, but still keep them from being completely exposed while sporting a diminished coat. On cold days the sheet acts a blanket liner and on warm days when the blanket needs to be removed, the sheet breathes better and allows the horses to cool down, while at the same time keeping their body heat from completely escaping and allowing them to become chilled and possibly even sick. Then as it cools down in the evening I just throw the blankets back on over the sheets so they have the protection they need during the colder and more severe weather. Working with sheets under blankets is also a great back up in the event the blanket needs to be removed for some reason for a short period. However, a sheet isn’t warm enough to provide anything more than maintaining the horses comfort level temporarily. In general, it’s a common practice for me to have a second blanket for my horses. That way, in the event their primary blanket becomes wet, damaged or needs replacement; I just switch them out.

What size should a blanket be?
Measure your horse from the center of it’s chest around the widest part of the shoulder and hindquarters to the center of the tail. The size in inches that you measure is what you should order. For odd sizes or measurements that fall in between, choose the next largest even-sized blanket. It’s also a good idea to go an extra size up for horses with thick coats as blankets that have a slightly looser fit will look and feel much better than those that are too closely fitted or tight. Be careful when buying blankets from different manufacturers as they all are different and some have smaller cut blankets than others.

How should the blanket be adjusted to fit correctly?
When adjusted correctly the surcingle or belly strap of the blanket should allow enough space to fit your hand between the strap and the horse’s belly. Leg straps should be loose enough that they are not tight or binding, but fitted close enough they are not dangling so low and loose they are near the hocks. Leg straps should also be crossed between the legs and snapped to the opposite sides help prevent the blanket from shifting to one side or the other.

Important Tips:
  • Closed front blankets generally fit better and have two less buckles and straps to be concerned about coming off or tearing. They also eliminate the possibility of drafting by omitting openings between the buckled chest pieces that can allow cold air in and warm body heat to escape.
  • Once again, using sheets under light-midweight blankets can be a great way to assure your horse is warm enough on the coldest days but not entirely exposed an unprotected enough on warm days to become chilled or sick.
  • Also as previously mentioned; crossing leg straps and buckling on opposite sides is a great way to keep blankets from shifting, improve your horses comfort by keeping the blanket resting squarely, and extending the longevity of your blanket by preventing it from being torn due to shifting, not to mention preventing possible injuries that could be caused by entanglement in shifted blankets.
  • Do not slide your horse’s blanket across his body when removing it. Blanket zap is caused by static electricity caused from diminished coat oils, dry weather and friction when sliding the blanket off. Try to lift the blanket up off the horse’s body when removing it to minimize the stinging static shocks.
  • Be sure to check your horse on warm days. If your horse exhibits sweating behind the ears or along the neck, it is showing signs of being too warm. Replacing the blanket with a sheet for a few hours can allow it to cool down and remain comfortable without becoming chilled.
  • Keep a second blanket on hand in the event your horse’s primary blanket becomes, wet, damaged or needs replacement. Discovering your horse in the middle of the night with a shredded blanket hanging off, no winter coat for protection, no second blanket to replace it with, and no place open to get a replacement for hours, can leave your horse cold, uncomfortable and potentially at risk to become sick
 
If you choose to blanket your horse, it’s important you
“USE COMMON SENSE”
and do so responsibly!!!

It’s important to understand that you cannot make an accurate assessment of your horses comfort level based on that of your own. In that respect horse are individuals just like people.

On occasion you may be freezing and miserable while your unblanketed horse with only a mildly thick coat is pleasantly munching hay while feeling perfectly warm and cozy.

On the other hand, it may not seem that cold out to you, and in a light jacket your relatively comfortable so you assume your middle-aged gelding with a massively long and thick coat is comfortable as well. In reality his massive thick coat is hiding the fact his ribs are becoming more prominent and he’s dropped a bit of weight over the past few months. And since your not aware, you haven’t taken it upon yourself to increase his feed. His lowered body weight and weakened state has left him cold and uncomfortable in what seems like a relatively tepid climate.

My point is simply that each horse is an individual and each incident an isolated one. It’s not simply always as easy as just doing what the neighbors do cause it’s always worked for them.

Using common sense not only applies to making responsible decisions about whether or not to blanket your horse, but also to maintaining them when they are blanketed throughout the winter and cold months.

There are going to be times when it warms during the day or even for a few days at a time. Temperatures fluctuate a lot, especially when transitioning from fall-winter and winter-spring. This can make it somewhat of a job at times keeping your horse warm enough in the evening and not letting him overheat during the day.

And people This is a time when a lot of people throw common sense out the window.

What isn’t common sense, is pulling the blanket off completely in the absence of a sheet or lighter blanket and sending your horse out completely uncovered with nothing to assist in maintaining his body heat and little to no hair.

When you blanket a horse for the winter that blanket replaces the thick winter coat your horse was supposed to grow. If he’d of grown that coat you wouldn’t go out and shave him because the temp got up to 45 today

Common sense tells us, that when it warms up drastically it’s likely our horse will be too warm in the blanket that kept him comfortable at 10-15 degrees. It also tells us, exchanging it with a lighter blanket or sheet is probably a good idea. It’s important to avoid letting the horse become wet due to sweat and get chilled when the temp drops back down later in the day. So the smart thing to do is shed the heavy blanket for a few hours in the unseasonably warm weather and replace it with a sheet or lighter blanket. Then when it cools back off swap them out again so you horse can have the protection it needs when the warm front passes.
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Lastly………..
Blanketing can be a beneficial asset in helping keep your horse warm, dry and healthy through the winter months. Blankets however do not mitigate the importance of assuring your horse has adequate feed, proper shelter, fresh water and the ability to get out of the wind and stay dry. Horses burn a lot of energy trying to keep warm in the winter. In addition to blanketing, increasing hay consumption can also be helpful, as many horses tend to lose weight. Digesting the extra hay produces heat and can be of added benefit in keeping warm as well as maintining a healthy weight to prevent the loss of important heat preserving fats. Provision of a salt or mineral block is also helpful in persuading horses to drink more and keep the digestive tract working smoothly.