The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

To blanket or to not blanket?

5K views 22 replies 22 participants last post by  moonbay10 
#1 ·
Not sure if this is the correct area for this topic. I searched for related discussions but found nothing.
Anyhow, I have been fortunate to have at least one horse all my life minus the last 6 years. I have recently got a AQHA filly and am getting back into the swing of things.
I'm looking for opinions and suggestions on blanketing. My growing up life my mom would never let me blanket my horse. She claimed it affected the horses natural body temperatrure in the winter, that they can't properly acclimate on their own which in turn invites illnesses. Makes sense to me, however, I see so many that do banket their horses. In turn I would feel bad my horse didn't have a blanket.
I have had a few horses since on my own and never blanketed them but still continue to have that question. So? To blanket or not to blanket?
(I live in Northern Nevada, our winters can get as cold as -3*F to a high of 65*F and our summers are as low as 37*F to 100+*F)
Thanks for any input:)
 
#2 · (Edited)
I choose to blanket, my horse is hard keeper, doesn't grow a long winter coat, and shivers when wet and the temperature is under 10 degrees (50 degrees for you). It is totally a person decision, go through the pros and cons, do you want to change blanket depending on temperature some times three times a day? Do you want to buy three or four different blankets and sheets? Spend time cleaning, waterproofing, and repairing blankets?
 
#3 ·
I agree with Cruiser 100%.
I do blanket my mare but she's 27 and I know for a fact that in the last two or so years her internal temp-regulating system has begun to go south. She easily overheats in the summer and she drops weight like no body's business if she goes unblanketed in the winter even with a thick winter coat of fur and plenty of hay. Therefore, I blanket her because at her age, caring for her no matter my view is the right thing to do.

Here's a good discussion on why some people do and some people don't blanket:
http://www.horseforum.com/horse-talk/do-horse-blankets-work-113086/page2/
 
#4 ·
I have done it both ways. may get wordy here so sorry. blanketing is a human thing..mother nature encourages things to take place, including a winter coat of hair (some horses grow thicker coats than others) & a horse uses energy to keep itself warm (just the act of eating hay produces energy by increasing metabolism) thereby increasing hay availability in the winter can produce a significant difference for the horse..all that being said, when I had 1, 2 & 3 horses I blanketed diligently...thus preventing mother nature from producing what ever winter hair was going to grow & creating the need to keep the horses blanketed through out the winter for their protection. when I went to 4,5 & 6 horses I said no way..let them have natural winter coats!! Gahhh..the hair in the spring was unbelievable, all over everything including my mouth :(. So last winter I blanketed everyone but waited till it was consistently below 40degrees...warning horses can over heat in a blanket & it can be fatal! This spring was great..yes shedding but very tolerable. I do know people who let the horses get full winter coats naturally & then shave them in the spring but I have never gone that way
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrieannaKelly
#5 ·
If you're not showing, blanket when the horse is shivering. I didn't show for the past 5 years, and the horses were perfectly fine with their natural coats. Only on the really bad nights did we blanket. The key to keeping them warm is upping their hay intake. A horse's internal body temperature relies on how much food he is digesting.

Unless you are showing and putting the horse under lights, blanketing is more trouble than its worth - and dangerous too.
 
#6 ·
I do the same. My horses had/have blankets, and if the weather temperature suddenly drops a lot, I will blanket overnight, but take it off in the morning. If they are shivering, of course I will blanket, or if it is icy rain, I blanket to keep them dry. Mostly I increase their hay, sometimes by quite a bit. We haven't had drastic temperature drops in the last few years, so it has been about three years since I blanketed. My sister's thoroughbred can't take the cold, and he gets blanketed for at least a couple of nights every year.
 
#7 ·
A saddle blanket is the only blanket that's ever been on any our horse. My grandfather always said that mother nature gives the cows and horses everything they need. Ours seldom even use the stalls or run-ins (depending on what pasture their in).
Eclipseranch hit the nail on the head with blanketing being human thing. I can remember in my youth when they gave me my first horse (that was "mine") and I felt so sorry for her standing out in a near freezing rain so I went out, led her into the stall and brushed the water off of her. Walked back to the house and my grandfather was standing on the porch laughing, because he'd watched her walk out of her stall back out into the field about 2 minutes after I left her. I just couldn't understand why she would want to stand out there (all the horses were like that, but she was mine and needed to be protected from the weather :lol:). So he once more explained to me that the horse knows when it needs to be in and when it doesn't want to be. We give them places to escape the rain, wind, heat or whatever the weather happens to be. We then give the horse credit for having enough sense to know when it needs it.
 
#9 ·
I have 2 horses that will stand and shiver and look absolutely pitiful if they aren't blanketed even if it isn't even that cold. I usually use summer sheets,light rain sheets,medium, and heavy weight blankets throughout the year. Sometimes I blanket just to keep them clean too if I'm going to want to ride because it gets so nasty muddy after 2 weeks of non stop rain..haha.
 
#10 ·
I personally blanket, ONLY if its wet and cold. My horse can stand freezing tempuratures if its dry. He has a long winter coat, and is still quite young. But, if its raining, snowing, hailing, etc. I blanket. As thats when he shivers. If your horse is shivering, I would blanket him. If he isnt shivering, I wouldnt blanket him...
 
#11 ·
Blanketing is not dangerous unless you wrap the horse in a heavy blanket and leave it on while it's warm out. :?

A horse can only ingest so much hay. I could surround my horse with round bales and when it drops below 10 degrees he would still lose weight. He cannot eat enough to make up for that which he loses due to being cold. As he is a hard keeper that I struggle to keep weight on, oh yes I blanket him!

I see absolutely no GOOD reason to watch a horse stand around shivering. It probably won't harm or kill them but why should they be miserable? My kids own 50 jackets of all different weights so that they do not need to shiver or be miserable and I see my horse no differently.
 
#12 ·
If your horse is healthy, has hay, and shelter do his/her skin a favor and don't blanket unless absolutely necessary. That nice warm, dark, moist environment is a perfect breeding ground for all sorts of bacteria and fungus.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#14 ·
I keep my horse blanketed in winter because she shivers alot otherwise. I don't see the need to let her suffer. She also tends to lose weight in winter. In response to a previous post, I switch and wash my blankets on a regular basis and she has never had any skin problems. It also depends on what you think, where you keep your horse and how much hay the horse has access to. My mare does best on free choice hay, unfortunately my stable does not feed that and I've yet to find a local one that does so the blanket will stay on. I've seen lots of horses that do just fine without blankets, my mare is not one of them. Yes it's extra time and money, but my horse is worth it.
 
#15 ·
I blanket, not really because it gets cold (rarely under 45 F) but because it rains. A lot. And when it rains hard here, 90% of the time it is accompanied by 10 MPH wind.. Wind usually is what does it, combined with rain, as it blows up a horses furry winter coat and the rain can therefore get inside the horses coat behind the "guard hairs."

I also think this is almost exactly like the shod or barefoot horse .. It changes on where you live, and also on your horse and its living conditions.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrieannaKelly
#17 ·
Here are the ONLY times I blanket
1. When the horse's body is clipped (that part of their body, if left uncovers, would be very cold)
2. If the horse shivers
3. If I have a hard keeper that can't stand to loose the calories to warm himself
Remember that if you put a blanket horse and they start to sweat, that sweat freezes and their body temperature gets color than it would be without a blanket. Your mom was correct saying that horses' hair protection will get screwed up if they wear a blanket. The reason most people blanket is because when we go outside in 40 degree weather we say, "oh crap, it's cold" now remember that horses have layers of waterproof hair and warmth hair so when it's 40 they think, " how comfy" and if your climate stays steady (not 20 one day and 80 the next) then horses adapt to live other cold. You are actually huring them to an extent by not letting their hair grow out naturally. Remember that there is a reason why horses shed in the summer. Hope this helps!
 
#18 ·
Thank you all!

Thank you all for all the responses! I appreciate the feed back and took good note to all the suggestions.
Thanks again!
Brieanna
 
#19 ·
Well, last winter I moved my horse to a new stable halfway through the season (Christmas Eve woohoo haha). She had a nice fluffy winter coat, and we did not blanket her. However, when I moved her to a new (much smaller and more personal) stable, I put on a turnout sheet for rain and snow. It doesn't have any fill but is just thin. The biggest concern I've had with blanketing is just to make sure that it isn't put on if her coat is wet/moist. I'm not a blanketing expert, and to be honest, I'm not sure if I will use the turnout sheet again or move up to something thicker or what exactly my situation will be for this winter... I'm going to be getting some advice from folks I know. You could speak to a vet or people at a tack shop if you want more specific advice if you are confused about what your mother is telling you. Some people really like to just go all natural and other people enjoy the clipped horse's appearance and blanket to their heart's desire. I hope it works out for you!
 
#21 ·
This might get a bit lengthy. Blanketing is a personal choice that everyone makes on their own observations of their horse’s coat growth and what kind of riding they do in the winter. I have a quarter paint and a Belgian that are both left naked in the winter. They are on an acre of pasture full of trees bushes and a run in shed if they need. I’ve seen more horses than I care to count get tangled up in their blankets or get stuck on things when they’re blanketed and on turn out 24/7. If I see them shivering then I’ll throw a sheet on them for a day, two at most but both grow such amazingly thick coats I’ve only had to blanket my QP once. I have blankets of all fill variations for them if they need them but they never do. In the winter I mainly trail ride and I almost always ride bareback so it’s nice to have a fuzzy horse for some extra warmth. If you do blanket just be sure to check to make sure they’re not sweating underneath it if you leave it on them all the time. I know people who don’t blanket because it only covers about a third of the horse, it leaves the stomach neck head and legs vulnerable to the cold and that because the blanket keeps the core of the body warm the horse won’t grow a coat to accommodate the rest of the body that isn’t covered and all the added extras you can get to keep the head and legs covered make a horse look awkward and uncomfortable. I’m a keep a horse as close to its natural habitat as possible and intervene when needed kind of owner so if I can keep them healthy without human aids that’s what I aim for. Every horse is different so watch her coat growth and blanket if she needs it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top