![]() To calculate your horse’s blanket size, stand him square and place a measuring tape in the center of his chest, just below the spot where the neck joins the body, says Waite. The answer to this one is a little more cut-and-dried. | Photo: Alexandra Beckstett How can I determine my horse’s blanket size? To calculate your horse’s blanket size, measure from the center of his chest, around the widest point of the shoulder, all the way to the point of the buttocks, about 10 inches below the tail head. outdoors, etc.).”įortunately, blanket manufacturers usually provide guidelines as to which of their blankets you should use in what circumstances, so ask about these when buying. “Knowing which blanket to select is going to depend on your horse’s coat, condition, the environment, and how they are managed (indoors vs. “Typically, the greater (heavier) the fill, the warmer the blanket,” says Waite. ![]() Blanket manufacturers categorize their blankets according to insulation factor as light-, mid-, or heavyweight to cater to a wide range of temperatures and management factors. Herein lies the reason why our horses often have wardrobes that rival our own. “Taking the blanket off and putting it on over the horse’s head, rather than dragging the blanket over the body too much can also help avoid this problem.” What is meant by light-, mid-, or heavyweight? “Using fabric softener or static guard on blankets can help, as can smoothing the horse’s hair with a dryer sheet (preferably something for babies or sensitive skin),” says Karen Waite, MS, PhD, equine Extension specialist at Michigan State University’s Department of Animal Sciences. Startled by Shock?ĭry winters can make blanketing pretty shocking. Throw a light- or midweight blanket on your body-clipped horse when temperatures start to hit the 40s, and reach for a heavier one once temperatures dip below freezing. “Even if they’re inside, if it’s cold in the barn and they’re not moving around much, it might help to give them a little protection to keep the body heat they’re generating in,” says Coleman. ![]() If you ride your horse enough through winter to warrant trace or body-clipping, then you need to provide him with some protection from the elements. What should I do if my horse is body-clipped? “If a horse starts to shiver, then you might want to consider a blanket, but typically that doesn’t happen unless (the horse) is cold and wet,” she adds. Healthy horses with nice full coats, body condition scores of at least 4 (on the 1-9 scale, see our Equine Body Condition Score poster), and access to some form of shelter might only need a blanket if temperatures dip below 10° to 0° F, says Karen Waite, MS, PhD, Extension specialist at Michigan State University’s Department of Animal Sciences, in East Lansing. “Changes of the hair coat are as much light-dependent as they are temperature-dependent,” explains Bob Coleman, MS, PhD, a former resident of Alberta, Canada, who is now the associate professor of equine Extension at the University of Kentucky’s Department of Animal Sciences, in Lexington. You’ll notice that as the days start to get shorter and nights cooler-usually around September-their coats begin to change and grow. Horses’ bodies are pretty well-equipped to handle even frigid temperatures. Does my horse need a blanket this winter? Here, they’ll answer your most common equine outerwear questions. So says two Extension specialists who educate horse owners for a living. But how do you really know if he’s cold-short of seeing him shivering in his bell boots? And, if he is, what type of blanket does he need? Will it cause rub marks?īlanketing doesn’t have to be an enigma. The concept is simple: When your horse is cold, put on his blanket. | iStock We’ll answer all your questions about how to blanket your horse this season. If you horse is not body-clipped, they will usually require less blanketing than a horse who is clipped. ![]()
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