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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 540
 
Location: My own little world :) | Ok. So I rarely blanket my horses in the winter but this winter I plan on riding pretty consistantly and hauling to an indoor arena that is about a half an hour drive from my home. I hear both ways that its good to blanket and that it really isn't a good idea to blanket so I was just looking for some opinions. I've also heard that if they are blanketed they will eat less hay because they aren't working as hard to stay warm which makes sense but I didn't know if that was for sure or not. Also, if blanketing is the best option what blanket would I need? My horses are turned out in pastures ranging from 2 acres to about 10 acres. The don't really have a great deal of wind break so I was wondering if blanketing would help with that. Thanks. |
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| Where are you located? Do your horses have any shelter in the pasture in case of bad weather? |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1182
Location: Do I hear Banjos? | I Know there are a multitude of opinions...but I will blanket and have varying weights of blankets depending on conditions. Why do I blanket?
1: I ride in the winter and it's much easier to keep them clean and less risk of rubs from dirt being in that thicker clat under the girth/saddle. We get ice, snow...and then MUD off and on all winter.
2: It's a matter of calories. It takes more calories to maintain body temperature in cold weather...those are calories I have to feed above the normal ration. I have an old guy and he doesn't need to lose any extra calories. They have free choice access to hay regardless...but concentrates are where the old guy in particular has a need.
3: I fully admit that I feel better knowing they are tucked in their "Jammies" when the weather is crappy...and I have personally not had any negative experiences to show me any reason why I shouldn't coddle my ponies and keep them comfy if that makes me happy.
Do they NEED blanketing...no...probably not. But I prefer to do so.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 762
Location: NC | TrailGirl - 2014-09-25 11:51 AM
I Know there are a multitude of opinions...but I will blanket and have varying weights of blankets depending on conditions. Why do I blanket?
1: I ride in the winter and it's much easier to keep them clean and less risk of rubs from dirt being in that thicker clat under the girth/saddle. We get ice, snow...and then MUD off and on all winter.
2: It's a matter of calories. It takes more calories to maintain body temperature in cold weather...those are calories I have to feed above the normal ration. I have an old guy and he doesn't need to lose any extra calories. They have free choice access to hay regardless...but concentrates are where the old guy in particular has a need.
3: I fully admit that I feel better knowing they are tucked in their "Jammies" when the weather is crappy...and I have personally not had any negative experiences to show me any reason why I shouldn't coddle my ponies and keep them comfy if that makes me happy.
Do they NEED blanketing...no...probably not. But I prefer to do so.
I agree with this. Both mine get blanketed. I ride in the winter (if no snow with saddle, if snow bareback) Plus I know it sounds bad but i would rather know they are tucked in, in blankets then without. My horses dont have large acreage to roam, but rather small turnouts with run in.
Plus i have an appendix qh who would rather be thinner then fat and all she has to do is move and she drops calories!!! And yes they both eat alot of hay in winter..
edited because i cant spell today!!
Edited by Racer4eva 2014-09-25 11:22 AM
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Expert
Posts: 1314
Location: North Central Iowa Land of white frozen grass | If you let them grow the hair coat mother nature designed them to have they will not burn as many calories as with a blanket. If you have a special need then go ahead and blanket. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 540
Location: My own little world :) | Ok so I live in the Pacific Northwest...not on the coast with lots of rain but rather the dry side. Our winters can get fairly cold...last year when we left to go to the NFR it was 9 degrees as we pulled out of the driveway. We do get a fair amount of wind and snow. I have heard that their natural coats will provide all they need but I wasn't sure about if you are riding them consistently. I didn't know if it mattered if they sweat and what not. Like I said my horses have a lot of room to move around in but they do not have very good windbreaks and really no shelter. They have free choice hay and they get their grain regimen everyday. The ones I don't ride get an equilix tub out with them in addition to their hay. |
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | I hate blanketing but I have done it-for an OLD horse-I think it worked for him-BUT-I have repaired so many blankets and worried more about that horse with a blanket than any of my non blanketed one. Was it too warm, is the blanket froze on him when it's raining-oh crap he's coming in with only half of it on! ha ha. I had 2 blankets I would swap on the old guy so I could fix the one-spent a lot of time with my sewing machine that winter! For the horses I ride in the winter....I think it is a much better idea to invest in a top of the line cooler (or a couple) so that you can get them dried off when you are done riding. That way their natural haircoat can do the trick outside and you only have to manipulate them a little after you ride. I know they get dirty but invest in a grooming spray that will help get the dirt out if you're that worried about it and can't get them as clean as you like. Just suggestions-not convictions :) |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 540
Location: My own little world :) | See this is what i mean! My horses have always seemed happy out in the pasture with just their hair coat and they all get really wooly. I have blanketed an old guy that didn't grow a good coat and it really seemed to help him. I was also worried about them destroying blankets...I have a PHT blanket that I use or used often....I turned my mare out one night and in the morning it was shredded. I still have yet to piece it back together. I will check out coolers I really have no knowledge of blankets. Are there any coolers you would suggest? |
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 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | Zanadoo88 - 2014-09-25 1:09 PM
Ok so I live in the Pacific Northwest...not on the coast with lots of rain but rather the dry side. Our winters can get fairly cold...last year when we left to go to the NFR it was 9 degrees as we pulled out of the driveway. We do get a fair amount of wind and snow. I have heard that their natural coats will provide all they need but I wasn't sure about if you are riding them consistently. I didn't know if it mattered if they sweat and what not. Like I said my horses have a lot of room to move around in but they do not have very good windbreaks and really no shelter. They have free choice hay and they get their grain regimen everyday. The ones I don't ride get an equilix tub out with them in addition to their hay.
I think when you're riding them consistently through the winter what is really important is putting that cooler on them when you're done until they are nice and dry and body temp is back to a resting temperature.
ALSO, My understanding is that it isn't the cold that bothers them in the winter but the wind, unless they have a way to get out of it. That being said my horses get their full coat, then once January rolls around I put on those "wind breaker" type of blanket/sheets with little to no fill in it. then I progress up to a medium weight per the weathers mood. Thanks to a few ladies on here and their great advice I feel like I'm a blanket pro just after one winter sticking to their methods. ;)
I like them getting all of their hair because then I'm not really worrying if their blanket got wet and it isn't quite dry yet and I don't have an appropriate blanket to substitute, plus I don't have to buy super thick blankets! |
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| LMS - 2014-09-25 12:17 PM I hate blanketing but I have done it-for an OLD horse-I think it worked for him-BUT-I have repaired so many blankets and worried more about that horse with a blanket than any of my non blanketed one. Was it too warm, is the blanket froze on him when it's raining-oh crap he's coming in with only half of it on! ha ha. I had 2 blankets I would swap on the old guy so I could fix the one-spent a lot of time with my sewing machine that winter! For the horses I ride in the winter....I think it is a much better idea to invest in a top of the line cooler (or a couple) so that you can get them dried off when you are done riding. That way their natural haircoat can do the trick outside and you only have to manipulate them a little after you ride. I know they get dirty but invest in a grooming spray that will help get the dirt out if you're that worried about it and can't get them as clean as you like. Just suggestions-not convictions :)
I agree!! i dont use blankets unless i have to like on an old horse that dont have much body fat or hair. and even then it was always problems cuz where i'm at we have wet winters and i'd be gone for 8 hours at work and get home to find him standing out side in the sleet and his blanket froze... even though he had plenty of shelter!!!
So i agree.. i'd invest in a good cooler instead and avoid the blanketing! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 540
Location: My own little world :) | Thanks everybody! You saved me from going out and buying those super expensive turnout blankets! I'm going to look into the coolers and windbreakers! Yay!!! |
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Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | Zanadoo88 - 2014-09-25 12:53 PM See this is what i mean! My horses have always seemed happy out in the pasture with just their hair coat and they all get really wooly. I have blanketed an old guy that didn't grow a good coat and it really seemed to help him. I was also worried about them destroying blankets...I have a PHT blanket that I use or used often....I turned my mare out one night and in the morning it was shredded. I still have yet to piece it back together. I will check out coolers I really have no knowledge of blankets. Are there any coolers you would suggest?
I do not go enough to be an expert on coolers but, I can tell you that even a polar fleece blanket (from my bed) does wonders, I can't believe how good they work! But if the horse is wet, I've almost always needed 2 because the first gets wet in a hurry. I would like to try the wool ones that go over the neck and drape over the entire horse and then have one with straps for the ride home just in case there is a little wet left and so the wind doesn't blow it off when we leave the building to head to the trailer. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1131
| I blanket all my horses (even my pasture ornament), and put coolers on my mare at races over her tack and stuff after I warm her up/run her (even in indoor arenas). She gets really sweaty when she has a winter coat, so we keep her sleek with a heavy blanket, and her neck only grows a little bit since her mane covers it. Then on the trailer home, we put the cooler on and a light sheet to keep it from blowing off if she's still too wet to put her heavy blanket on.
Can you say spoiled?
ETA: We have a red fleece one that goes all the way up to her ears, but doesn't hook anywhere else, so it wouldn't be a good blanket to let them loose with (and yes, it will superman, which is why we put a sheet over it). We have also never had it get soaked through and we have put it on a WET horse. So it's a pretty good investment for heavy working horses.
Edited by FlyingHigh1454 2014-09-25 8:00 PM
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 Expert
Posts: 1612
Location: Cocoa, Florida | I live in Florida and so do my horses (obviously) and I blanket. Grass is pretty sparse in the winter dry season and grass down here stinks anyway so when mine are out all night and it's below 50 out I blanket or sheet them depending. They're used to constant warm Florida weather so when we get a freeze I feel bad. Eating helps keep their body temp warm and I just feel better if they have their blankets on.
Edited by RnRJack 2014-09-25 9:03 PM
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  More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | I live in NE South Dakota. The town closest to me has the honor of being the 4th coldest town in the USA. I blanket with heavy blankets and hoods. The worst thing you can do is not put a heavy enough blanket on for your temperatures. A blanket doesn't really make them grow a lot less hair it makes the hair lay flat. Insulation for a horse in the winter is when the hair stands up and puffs up so you put a light blanket on in a real cold climate like mine where it lays the hair down you don't have insulation in their hair anymore or in the blanket. Leave the blankets off or make sure they're heavy enough. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2036
Location: Montana | I blanket if it is 10 degrees or less. I also blanket if it is 35 degrees; with wet and wind. I allow all of my horses to get their winter coats in the fall. I have owned horses in Alaska for many years. I buy a good quality mid weight blanket 250/300 polyfill. the biggie is the weave of the canvas. I always buy 1200 denier or higher; waterproof. They can develope ice on the outside of the blanket but if you put your hand under the blanket they are warm. When I remove the blankets I do it in the morning so that the natural coat re-fluffs by evening. Make sure that you cross the belly straps and the tail straps. You dont want the straps to hang. You should be able to just put a flat hand under the belly strap; they should be snug but not tight. If you allow the straps to hang your horse can get caught in the blanket and hurt themselves. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I blanket the horses I am riding as the saddle pad and saddle flatten a wide surface area.
They say horses loose majority of their heat if the hair is flattened. I also find in my experience it takes a few days for the hair to stand back up.
Since I live in Alberta the temp can get below -40 and stay that way for awhile, I don't want the horses to freeze for a few days while the hair is standing back up.
The horses I don't ride don't get blanketed unless they are showing signs they need it, excessive shivering, weight loss, etc.
I did find last year was difficult as in January as there was a week the snow was melting, then it went to 40 below in less then 12 hours. So after the major change in temp most of my horses were blanketed, including my donkies.
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 Veteran
Posts: 173
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow | Horses have natural thermogetics...I think that is what it is called. When we blanket them it can't interfere. The old and sick may need assistance but for the most part the horse can heat themselves up to a comfort level very easily, it's the cooling off they can struggle with. Too much heat can lead to colic too.
I think wind is an issue more than cold. So shelter and hay and lots of fresh water keeps your horse at the appropriate temp.
After typing all that I wonder why I have so many dad gum blankets in my barn? Just in case I get so cold that they need a blanket! |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2937
Location: North Dakota | When the temperature is about 40 degrees F outside (with no wind), that is a neutral temperature for the average healthy horse. They do not require any calories to stay warm or to stay cool.
When it gets colder than that, the horse will simply "puff" their hair coat. The colder it is, the puffier they look. It traps air around the hair to "insulate" their body and stay warm.
There are two things a horse cannot protect themselves against: Wind and rain. So they do need some sort of shelter from the elements when it is cold outside. If you don't have any shelters, then they should be blanketed.
Very important to make sure you use the correct weight blanket. Think of it using youself as an example. Let's say the day starts off at 30 degrees. You probably put on a thick winter coat before you leave the house. But by noon, the sun is shining and the temperature is now 50 degrees. Now your thick winter coat is too warm. So you take it off and put on a light jacket. But by 6:00 PM the sun has gone down and the temperature is dropping agian and now your jacket is not enough.
Same goes for your horse. When the temperature changes, their blanket needs to change. Also remember that your horse should NOT feel warm under their blanket. They should feel neutral. If they feel warm they are probably too warm. Touch your own arm right now. Does it feel warm? If it did, you would probably FEEL warm as well! Your arm probably feels neutral. (not warm; not cold)
When you blanket, you will flatten all their hair under the blanket. So that's why it needs to be the appropriate weight.
Myself, I do not blanket. And I live in North Dakota. Never even have owned one. But my horses always have access to shelter from the wind. If I do haul anywhere or ride them where they work up a good sweat, I'm got a fleece cooler sheet to help dry them off faster.
Edited by r_beau 2014-09-26 4:32 PM
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