| Whether you live in the balmy south or frigid | | | | the coat slick and shiny. Kersey or wool linings |
| northern slopes, you may wonder when, or if, | | | | tend to scuff up the hair. The three most |
| you should provide your horse with equine | | | | important things to keep in mind are: |
| clothing. Pasture horses with easy access to | | | | |
| shelter from wind and precipitation, whether liquid | | | | 1. Proper fit (including strap adjustment) |
| or frozen, seldom need a wardrobe to keep them | | | | 2. Proper weight |
| comfortable and healthy. Many horses do need a | | | | 3. Elastic straps |
| little help, especially when you try to keep their | | | | Blankets and sheets must fit well around the |
| winter hair coat to a minimum. Here are blanketing | | | | neck, not bind at the shoulder and be long enough |
| tips that cover most of the basics. | | | | to cover the top of the tail. I would not use any |
| For horses with adequate shelter let nature handle | | | | blanket without rear leg straps. |
| the matter. Be sure to provide a place your horse | | | | All of my blankets have been modified so they |
| can stay dry and out of the wind. If you have a | | | | accept elastic leg straps with snap ends. The |
| horse that has not wintered with you before, | | | | most frequent repair done to blankets is replacing |
| make sure they grow an adequate hair coat. | | | | rear straps. You will reduce potential injury to |
| Sometimes it takes a year for a horse to get | | | | your horse as well as future repair bills by buying |
| acclimated to a drastic change in climate - or | | | | blankets with removable rear leg straps. |
| from the show barn to the pasture. | | | | To fit the blanket properly be sure there isn't |
| Why blanket a horse? | | | | pressure on the withers or that shoulders are too |
| The first thing to understand is how a horse | | | | snug. Another frequent mistake is using a blanket |
| stays warm in cold weather. The long hairs of a | | | | or sheet with an excessively large neck opening. |
| winter coat create an air layer providing insulation | | | | Loose blankets can bind up shoulders and certainly |
| against the cold. The only reason to put a blanket | | | | offer little protection to the chest. |
| on your horse is if they do not have an adequate | | | | If your horse will be pastured or allowed to |
| hair coat to properly insulate. So, we blanket | | | | exercise in their blanket a turnout design is the |
| horses because they do not have winter coats. | | | | best choice. Turnout blankets have shoulder |
| Blanketing itself does little to retard hair growth. | | | | gussets that allow your horse freer movement |
| The amount of continual light the horse is under | | | | than a blanket with a traditional cut. |
| each day determines whether or not they grow a | | | | Proper strap adjustment |
| winter coat. For horses stalled under lights, | | | | Every horse is different, but here are a few |
| blankets are necessary because the horse is | | | | general rules. Crossed rear leg straps help keep |
| prevented from growing their own insulating layer. | | | | the blanket centered on your horse. If the blanket |
| Don't blanket a horse with a good winter coat | | | | fits properly the leg strap should just barely miss |
| Putting a blanket on a horse with a good winter | | | | the ground when hanging loose from the back of |
| coat is actually counter-productive. The weight of | | | | the horse before attaching. |
| the blanket lays the hair down, eliminating the loft, | | | | Rear leg straps that are crossed will be adjusted |
| the air layer of natural insulation. If you know | | | | to a different length than those that don't cross. |
| what "hat hair" is, where your hair is pasted down | | | | Straps must be loose enough for your horse to |
| by the weight of your hat, that is what a blanket | | | | easily get up and down, but not so loose that |
| does to a longhaired horse. If you put a blanket | | | | they can catch a hock in a strap and cause |
| on you have to leave it on until it gets warm | | | | serious injury. Rear leg straps made of elastic are |
| enough for the horse to get their own coat fluffy | | | | much more forgiving if not adjusted just |
| again. | | | | perfectly. |
| When should the blanket come off? | | | | The bellyband, surcingle straps or belly strap |
| You must balance the amount of hair your horse | | | | should hang down about four inches below the |
| has with the temperature to determine how | | | | horse's belly when buckled. Again, this is a general |
| heavy a blanket to use and when to take if off | | | | rule. Too tight and the blanket may tear or your |
| daily. For horses with thin hair coats, you may | | | | horse could get cut by the strap (I've seen |
| need to remove the blanket and put on a sheet | | | | serious lacerations from tight belly straps made |
| to keep them comfortable during the day if it | | | | from webbing material,) too loose and your horse |
| warms up. The test is to have a heavy enough | | | | could hang a hind leg in the belly strap. |
| cover to keep the horse warm but never hot. | | | | Finally, keep your sheets and blankets as clean as |
| When in doubt, put your hand under the blanket | | | | possible and in good repair. Even if your blankets |
| at the horse's shoulder. If your horse feels warm | | | | don't get really filthy, if you don't wash them at |
| you need to get the blanket off! Never, never let | | | | least a couple times a year the stitching ends up |
| a horse sweat under a sheet or blanket. | | | | rotting and you will have to get new ones just |
| Many times it is good to dress horses like people | | | | because they weren't cleaned often enough. |
| do, in layers. It makes sense for stalled horses | | | | Horse clothing is expensive. Elastic straps are the |
| with slick coats to wear a sheet under a blanket. | | | | number one way to keep blankets in one piece |
| The blanket goes on and off as the temperature | | | | and ready for the next year; washing when |
| changes. If you have medium weight blankets and | | | | necessary is the second. |
| experience an unusually cold period you can add a | | | | If you should need to blanket your horse, use |
| light sheet over your blanket to tide you over | | | | that time each day as a special moment to share |
| until the weather moderates. Whenever possible, | | | | with your horse. Always brush off dirt and |
| every horse should have part of each day free | | | | shavings before putting on your horse's blanket, |
| of blankets to let them exercise and air out. | | | | ending with a good rub. There is just something |
| What kinds of blankets are best? | | | | satisfying about tucking your equine partner in at |
| There is a huge variety of blankets available | | | | the end of the day. Happy trails. |
| today. My favorites have a nylon lining to keep | | | | |