Should I blanket Champ???

Well the title says it all I hate going up to the barn to so see him so dirty it takes me an hour to groom for a 30 min ride!!! I also ride all winter and he sweats and dosent dry I am the only one at the barn who doesnt blanket. My dad says blankets are dangerous and the barn manager doesnt live there So I want to but should I blanket him?

Thank you
Tasia

No. Horses are made to be able to withstand very cold weather and most do just fine. Learn to groom a little fasteror don't be so thoroughand let him be as nature intended.

If you ride him alot during the winter, I would blanket him. I don't blanket my horse alot because I don't ride her more than once a week, but my friend blankets her horse because he is ridden alot. We live in WI where it gets extremely cold so, I blanket when the weather is bad enough to leave the horses shivering but then I leave it off. I does help with the sweat thing though becasue if they don't grow as heavy as a winter coat as the other horses, then the sweat will be less of an issue.

Yes...When we take a spur of the moment ride or time is short, we just quick brush off the saddle and cinch area, pick the hooves, saddle up, and we're off in 15 minutes.

if hes already grown his coat its too late to start blanketing for that reason [so he doesnt grow as much coat] unless you want to clip him

i blanket mine. she's in a pasture on turnout at my house. She does fine with it. It helps keep her clean. We had to blanket last year because she had foals(neglect case) in fall, and her clock didn't tell her to grow a coat. Now we blanket her anyway, since we already have a blanket.

I agree. I don't blanket and it gets pretty cold here.

I guess I won't blanket maybe next winter when I move barns. I think he wont roll so much when the ground freezes thanks everyone

I've never blanketed, and I ride all winter. I grew up in Northern MN, so I am familiar with cold!!! The only time I did blanket was if I worked them into a sweat; I would blanket, let him dry, and strip the blanket off, and rebrush and try to fluff him up again.

As far as dirt, focus mainly on his saddle area, and then you won't spend 'so much' time before your ride grooming.

i blanket year round- one's with belly surcingles and leg straps won't slip- its so great for keeping them cleana dn keeping the weather and flys off!