Do I need some Blankets?
I am looking into getting a horse, and of course, the expense/necessity of blankets has come up a few times. The horse that I am seriously looking into is a 10 year old mare, 24/7 turnout, and has a regular coat. But of course, I haven’t signed any papers yet, so if you could answer the following questions taking into account coat/age/temperature, of any horse, that would be great!
1) Are blankets necessary? I plan to do a 24/7 field board in Newmarket, Ontario. Only being blanketed during really bad weather, and evenings would be optimal. I’m thinking a small bib clip would be good, too.
2) Which blankets do I need? I think just a cooler, 2 heavy-weights and a medium-weight is best, but I’m not as experienced as many of you.
Thanks!
Her field will have a large, run-in barn
If your horse has access to some kind of shelter from strong wind and maybe rain too, and has enough hay and room to move around, and a natural coat grown in the same climate it is in now, then please don’t add a blanket! No man-made blanket can match Mother Nature’s perfect system for keeping a horse cozy – but using one will interfere with that perfect system and prevent it from working!
If you feel like YOU need a blanket, then by all means buy one, but put it on your bed, not on your horse! Your horse doesn’t need one, if it can live like a horse was intended to live.
The only blanket I endorse using is a cooler made of wool or acrylic. A well-made cooler wicks the moisture from a sweaty horse’s coat, and adds a layer of warmth while the horse dries safely. If you get the horse sweaty in winter, you can put a cooler on and poke around bareback, or lead the horse occasionally to keep her from stiffening up while she cools and dries. It can save on rubbing the sweat out with towels, but you still shouldn’t leave it on after the horse is dry.
Enjoy the cold weather, and allow your horse to enjoy it too – don’t blanket her!
