Best Horse Blanketing Practices
Opinions about blanketing can be as varied as the weather itself, and horse owners are often confused when confronted with that ultimate cold-weather conundrum: to blanket or not to blanket? Either way, winter is here. Below, experts share their advice to help you decide on the best blanketing practices and strategy for your horse this winter.Table of ContentsToggleHow Horses Stay WarmWhy You May Consider Blanketing Your HorseConsidering the Denier and Fill of BlanketsToo Hot, Too Cold, Just RightHealthy Blanketing for Your HorseSafe Blanketing ProcedureBest Blanket FitBlanketing Horses at Home vs. Boarding BarnsKey TakeawayPhoto by Grubrin/Adobe StockProfessional equine grooms Cat Hill and Emma Ford believe there are no hard and fast rules about blanketing. The lifelong horsewomen have managed barns and horses for top riders in all disciplines, including Olympians. Together they run World-Class Grooming and share their expertise through clinics and books, including the top-selling equine title World-Class Grooming.The biggest rule is that you have to remember that horses are individuals just like people, says Hill. There are many horses that grow great coats and are really comfortable being unblanketed in many climates, all the way up to Alaska. But there are also horses that really struggle without being covered in some way.How Horses Stay WarmHorses can weather winter quite well in most situations.Horses are well equipped to handle the cold, provided they are able to acclimate and stay dry enough to fluff the hair, says Karen L. Waite, Ph.D., who serves as coordinator of the Michigan State University (MSU) Horse Management Program in East Lansing, Mich. She is also the director of undergraduate education in the MSU Department of Animal Science. Horses stay warm in several ways: through the digestion of forages like hay, which produces body heat; by growing a thick winter haircoat, which starts to develop around August or September as day length starts to shorten; and by fluffing up their hair coat as the need arises.That fluff factor traps warm air against the skin, allowing the horses hair coat to provide natural insulation, much like a cozy down comforter. However, if the horse gets wet, that ability diminishes.Many horses with natural coats dont need blanketing in winter, while their older herd mates or those coming from warmer climates do. Photo by Margaret Burlingham/Adobe StockA wet horse in 45-degree weather may be more uncomfortable than a dry horse with a full winter coat would be in sub-zero temperatures, says Waite.Additionally, a horse that moves from Florida to Minnesota in the middle of winter may not have a hair coat extensive enough to handle that level of cold.Most horses dont actually need blankets to stay warm if they are allowed to develop a winter coat suitable to conditions, says Waite. The exception would be horses without adequate body condition or hair coat development, and occasionally older horses.Hill emphasizes the need to keep a close eye on senior horses.Just like older people, horses lose the ability to thermoregulate, she says. A horse who has lived without a blanket his entire life may suddenly need blanketing to retain condition when he gets into his 20s. He may not necessarily look cold. He may grow a huge, thick, heavy coat. But [some horses] really start to drop weight in the wintertime, and thats because their body is burning energy to keep them warm.Hill recalls the story of an Arabian mare who lived at her familys farm in upstate New York.Until she was in her mid-20s, shed never worn a blanket and had always been very comfortable, happy, and hardy living out 24/7 with a run-in shed, she says. And then she got to a certain age where we really struggled with her weight in the winters. We bought her a heavyweight blanket that we put on her once it was consistently below freezing, and we had another 10 years of happy, healthy life with her. So as your horse ages, you may need to re-evaluate his blanketing needs.Why You May Consider Blanketing Your HorseIn addition to the weather and your horses age, coat and health status, there are a variety of other factors to consider in your blanketing decision.An extreme temperature swing may warrant blanketing even for horses that normally go au naturel because they are not acclimated to that level of cold.If the horse has a full haircoat and is generally healthy, I would only blanket if temperatures were extreme, and outside the normal ranges for the area, unless he was old or had issues with body condition, says Waite.Access to shelter from wind and rain is another deciding factor in a horses blanketing needs.Rain is one of the hardest things for horses to handle without adequate shelter, because that squishes down the hair, explains Hill. Even a healthy horse struggles when he cant get away from the wet, she says.Standing in wet or muddy conditions can also increase the need for blanketing, says Hill.When horses legs get wet, they struggle to bring their body temperature back up, she says. If a horse is standing out in a muddy field, you may need to put a warm blanket on him. Not just something to protect his back from the rain, but something with insulation as well. Horses that have been fully or partially body clipped will require blanketing. Hill and Ford firmly believe that if you have done any sort of partial clip, you still need to blanket. As Hill points out, the reason we clip particular areas such as the neck and chest is because they have underlying large veins, which help to cool the horse.Horses that are body clipped, even partially, require blanketing. Another benefit of blankets is cleanliness if you have limited grooming time. Photo courtesy Dover SaddleryWhen you get a cold wind over those veins, youre putting a lot of stress on the horses body. So even if you just clipped up his neck, you really need to put some sort of protection back over the horse to help keep him at a [warm] base temperature, says Hill.Another reason you might want to blanket in winter is cleanliness. Theres nothing wrong with blanketing for the convenience of keeping a horse tidy, say Hill and Ford. If you have limited time and you live in an area where mud is a real issue in the winter, blanketing can make things easier on both you and your horse.Blanketing helps keep horses cleaner, which makes winter coats easier to groom if you plan to ride throughout the season. Photo by cascoly2/Adobe StockYour horse is going to have a healthier and happier winter if you blanket him so that you can groom the areas that are exposed, but youre not having to spend an enormous amount of time getting the mud or dirt out of his coat, says Hill.However, blanketing must be managed appropriately, which requires time and commitment. Youll need to keep a close eye on the weather forecast, consider temperature fluctuations, and blanket accordingly.The biggest factor that people need to consider is that blankets need to be checked daily and changed as needed, notes Waite.Its important not to just set it and forget it when it comes to blanketing. Blankets should be removed and inspected daily to check for rubs, sweat, and weight gain or loss. Photo Viktoria Suslova/Adobe StockConsidering the Denier and Fill of BlanketsBlankets come in a mind-boggling variety. The first step is to select the right blanket type for your horses lifestyle. Any blanket that will be worn outdoors must be waterproof; wearing a soggy blanket is uncomfortable and will make your horse cold.Turnout blankets are waterproof, durable and can be worn inside the barn or out in the elements. Stable blankets are not fully waterproof, and are meant to be worn indoors only.Stable blankets are not waterproof and are meant to only be worn indoors. Photo courtesy Dover SaddleryWhen it comes to blanket shopping, the technical terminology can get complicated, but to help clarify the basics, Lauren Donohue, assistant merchant and horse clothing product expert with Dover Saddlery headquartered in Littleton, Mass., says to start by understanding what denier, fill and material you need.Denier refers to the toughness of the fabric, while fill refers to the weight and warmth a blanket offers, measured in grams (g).The highest standard denier we typically see on the market is 1680d, and thats meant for horses that are really rough on their blanket; the higher the denier, the tougher the outer material is, says Donohue. Sheets with 0g fill wont offer any insulationits just like putting on a raincoat. The more fill a blanket has, the warmer it is.Outer material also affects the durability of the blanket, which can be made of polyester, polypropylene, or ballistic nylon.When building a blanket wardrobe, horse owners should look for versatility that will keep most horses comfortable in most situations. Donohue recommends starting out with a turnout blanket, noting that the two most popular fill weights are 50g (lightweight) and 200g (medium or midweight).The 50g can be worn when its a little warmer, [such as if] you get a summer rain, and it can be nice for those fall days when a horse might be feeling excited in turnout, she says. The 200g can be worn in a lot of scenarios. I keep my horses 200g blanket on until deep winter in New England comes around.Because a blanket and even a sheet has weight to it, Hill points out that it can flatten the horses haircoat. For this reason, she is a fan of using a 150g turnout versus a turnout sheet with no insulation.Sometimes it can be counterintuitive that adding a lightweight rain sheet or blanket can actually make a horse colder because they can no longer poof up their coat, she says. Were huge fans of the 150g-weights as rain sheets, because the light insulation does a great job of keeping the horse warm and dry and reversing the effects of the flattening of the hair. That really hits the sweet spot for those horses that need just a little bit of blanketing.Hill and Donohue both recommend having a neck cover as well. For colder climates, adding a heavyweight blanket (300g-plus) should build a basic wardrobe.Too Hot, Too Cold, Just RightKnowing which blanket to put on your horse can be tricky. World-Class Grooming has a blanketing chart (see below) that goes from below 30 degrees Fahrenheit to above 60, for wet or dry conditions, from full body clip to hairy beast and everything in between. Still, its important to know your own horse and consider each horses needs individually to blanket appropriately.How do you know if your horse is comfortable in his blanket? Shivering or sweating can be obvious signs that something is amiss. Putting your hand under the blanket can help tell you if a horse is overly warm (if you detect tackiness or sweat). However, a method Hill prefers to assess if a horse is warm enough is to feel his extremities: legs, ears and face.If those areas on his skin feel cool, then your horse is cold, she says. If the tips of his ears are cold under the hair, hes cold. The tips of their ears and their legs should feel the same temperature as the rest of the horse if they are properly blanketed.If youre unsure of the appropriate weight blanket for the weather conditions, Waite advises that you may want to err on the side of less, given that overheating and dehydration can also cause significant problems.Healthy Blanketing for Your HorseImproper blanketing can lead to a variety of health problems.If blankets get wet, they need to be removed, as hypothermia or skin infections (such as rain rot) may develop, notes Waite.If horses or blankets get wet, that causes more issues than anything else, she says.Waite also emphasizes the importance of proper blanket fit, as sores may result from blankets rubbing. A blanket that is too small may result in the horse being unable to move about or rise normally, while a blanket that is too big can also cause injuries if the horse becomes tangled in it.Because the constant weight of wearing a blanket can cause rubs and pressure points, Hill and Ford like to do what they call a daily reset. They take the blanket off and put it back on to make sure its sitting in the right place, while at the same time checking underneath for any sore spots, swelling or rubs.The most problematic areas are the withers, points of the hip, and points of the shoulders, says Ford.If youre not careful, its possible to cause more harm than good with blankets.If you can let the horse grow a full haircoat and shed naturally, that causes the fewest issues in the long run, says Waite.If you opt to blanket your horse, she agrees that its critical to check underneath blankets daily, and to check body condition regularly. Consistent grooming is also needed to keep horses healthy.While the main reason for blanketing should be for the horses health and wellbeing, Hill acknowledges that it can also be a horsekeeping issueto keep the horse clean and make grooming and riding easierand thats OK if its done mindfully.Safe Blanketing ProcedureGetting your horse properly dressed for winter weather requires some small but important details that are often overlooked.Theres a correct order of operations to putting a blanket on and off safely. According to Cat Hill and Emma Ford, authors of World-Class Grooming, you should always secure a blanket from front to back: first chest straps, then belly straps, and finally leg straps. If there is a neck cover, secure this last.When removing the blanket, reverse the process: neck cover; leg straps, if any, should be undone and hooked back up while not around the leg; then belly straps; and finally, chest fasteners.If the horse spooks or runs forward, you dont want the belly or leg straps still on while the chest is undone, because the blanket can slide back and cause a panic situation, says Hill. A horse can get seriously injured from getting tangled in a blanket that way.Remember, too, that you must train a horse to wear a blanket, just like any other piece of equipment. Go slow, says Hill. If you dont know that a horse has been blanketed before, having a helper halter him and hold the lead rope is beneficial.One of Fords biggest safety concerns is leaving a blankets leg straps undone during the blanketing process. She emphasizes that you should always hook them back up so that theyre not dangling down when youre putting the blanket on or off a horse.They basically turn into flying weapons, she says. Many of them are on elastic; when you go to put the blanket over the top of the horse they get caught on stuff, the horse can step on them, they can whack into the horses legs, and all sorts of things. They should always be connected to both rings, and the only time they come off is when youre unclipping them and putting them around the leg and hooking them back on.Since horses like to itch and rub themselves against things, Hill and Ford warn that any snap on a blanket that is facing away from the horse has the potential to be caught on something. When the blanket is on, its important that the trigger, or opening part of the snap, should face inward toward the horse.Best Blanket FitFitting blankets is like buying jeansevery brand has its own fit and shape. Brands that work for some wont work for others, says Lauren Donohue, assistant merchant and horse clothing product expert with Dover Saddlery. Here is her best advice on fitting a blanket.The two major measurements to consider are the length and drop of the blanket. Horse blankets are usually sized based on the length of the horses side measurement, listed in inches or sometimes centimeters. To measure the length, start with a fabric tape measure from the middle of your horses chest. Go across the shoulder to the middle of the tail.The drop on a blanket is measured from the middle of the spine to the bottom of the blanket (on one side).Each brand will have their own drop measurement for the blanket, and this will differ by brand. If your horse is [round and] well-sprung in the ribs, you will want to ensure the drop length of the blanket is sufficient coverage for your horse, she says.If your horse is on the line between sizes, Donohue says to consider whether you will be layering underneath the blanket at all, and if your horse is prone to rubs. If the answer is yes to either of these, she recommends sizing up.It may take some trial and error to find the blanket that fits your horse the best.All of these tips for fit are helpful, but my biggest secret is to buy from a retailer with a return policy! shares Donohue.Blanketing Horses at Home vs. Boarding BarnsHill and Ford have worked in barns large and small, with blanketing recommendations for each scenario. Blanketing options vary when it comes to keeping horses at home or at boarding barns, and for the policies a boarding barn may offer.For people who care for their own horses and are not blanket-changing multiple times throughout the day, they recommend one of the interchangeable blanketing systems as a good cost-effective option. These typically include a waterproof outer layer with liners that clip in. The liners are usually less expensive than a blanket, and you can swap them out to keep them clean and dry.A blanket system with liners will save money compared to a full wardrobe of blanket weights and is great for home horsekeepers, but is more difficult for boarding barn staffs to add and remove. Photo courtesy Dover SaddleryA clean blanket is really important to keep a horse warm, because if the polyfill absorbs oil from the horses coat and packs down, it no longer has air pockets and is no longer is warm, explains Hill. I always talk about clean underpantswe like to keep a sheet on the horse next to the skin. I keep two cheap cotton sheets that I can wash easily because then I dont have to wash my big, heavy blankets as often.If barn staff are the ones blanketing and unblanketing your horse, its important to be considerate.If you keep your horse at a large boarding barn where somebody other than you is in charge of changing 20 horse blankets in a day, the blanketing systems are a pain for them because they have to take the whole thing off, change the layers, and put it back on, says Ford.In that situation, she recommends having a lightweight (100g or 150g fill weight), a medium, and a heavy because you can layer between those three. The barn worker can put these on or off as needed, and they can go in whatever order.At the end of the day, what is most convenient for the staff is going to mean your horse is blanketed appropriately if youre not the one in charge of it, says Ford. Ask them what they prefer and works best for them.Key TakeawayWhile there is no one-size-fits-all solution to blanketing, understanding your horses individual needs is key. Blanketing can be beneficial, but it certainly requires attention to detail. By following these best practices, blanketing can be a useful tool to help your horse thrive during the winter months.This article about horse blanketing practices appeared in the November/December 2023 issue of Horse Illustratedmagazine.Click here to subscribe!The post Best Horse Blanketing Practices appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.
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