![]() Say what?įill refers to the amount of stuffing in the blanket and manufacturers measure this in grams. Now that you’ve decided to blanket your horse, there are other factors you need to do understand, such as fill and denier. Likewise, a horse who has always been stabled but is spending its first winter outside will need blanketing. And you will need to invest in a wardrobe for your horse from waterproof shell to lightweight, medium, heavyweight and a stable blanket (more on blanket types below).īut it’s not just the clipped horse that needs extra help an older or younger horse, or those with metabolic issues that affect hair growth and non-native animals that have recently been imported from warmer climates will also require blankets. If you clip your horse, then it must be blanketed – there is no debate about it. Having said that, not every healthy horse should be without a blanket. The longer hairs literally “fluff up” to trap air close to skin and provide insulation. ![]() A healthy horse will use its own winter coat as insulation. (Learn more about thermoregulation here.)Ĭome winter, if your horse has a thick, healthy, clean coat and is well-fed with a good body condition score, and has access to shelter, you don’t have to blanket. In the cold, horses grow a winter coat, they huddle together for warmth and seek shelter out of the cold, wind and rain. When it’s hot, horses will sweat and seek shade or a breeze. Horses are well-equipped to handle the cold and the heat on their own and are able to thermoregulate, which means to keep the body temperature within normal limits. Let’s begin with what nature does without human intervention. Let’s start with the most basic question: do horses need blankets at all? Blanketing is an important horse welfare issue it can be complicated and can cause harm if done incorrectly. It’s never a case of throwing a single type of blanket on your horse and assuming the animal is good to go. ![]() Whether you’re a new horse owner or a seasoned pro and whether your horses live outside or you tuck them in every night inside a cozy barn, you must choose to blanket or not to blanket.Īnd if you do blanket, what blanket(s) and when to change them comes into play. Every fall as the temperature drops and daylight shrinks, you have a decision to make about horse care.
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