A horse blanket is for protecting your horse from the elements.
To keep your horse warm, protected from the rain, wind, heat
and sun. They are tailored to fit around your horse's body with
straps crossing underneath, allowing your horse to move about
freely without dislodging the blanket.
The traditional horse blanket is a woven blanket, usually made
of wool. Modern blankets are much warmer and resistant to
weather than traditional wool blankets, using inner and outer
shells with an insulating fiber between. Outer shells are
usually made of synthetics which are water repellent and
windproof, while the inner lining is smoother than wool so
it won’t chafe against your horse’s skin. The filling between
them provides warmth with much less bulk than older blankets.
This means the overall blanket is light enough not to flatten
your horse’s coat, and is more durable than their wool or cotton
predecessors.
Another type of horse blanket, the Cooler blanket is a square
blanket with ties that is draped over your horse if it is hot
and sweaty after a workout, or has just been bathed and is wet
all over. It is kept on while your horse is being cooled down as
it allows enough air circulation for your horse to dry, and
prevents chills and drafts.
Horse blankets are sometimes used to keep your horse's hair
short. Blankets also protect horses that are kept with a short
coat for show purposes.
In summer a lightweight blanket may be used to help your horse
ward off flies and to prevent the hair coat from bleaching out.
These blankets are usually referred to as a "sheet" or a
"fly sheet". Usually they are made of nylon or strong synthetic
fiber with the capacity to "breathe" so that your horse can
remain cool.
If your horse is given a full body clip, or even a partial clip,
it is recommended a blanket be kept on at all times if the
weather is cool because your horse no longer has the natural
insulation of a longer hair coat. If a blanket is put on your
horse at the beginning of winter in order to suppress the growth
of a winter coat, or if your horse is kept clipped in cold
weather, the blanket must stay on until warmer weather arrives.
If your horse is subjected to cold weather without either a
horse blanket or a natural hair coat to keep it warm, it is far
more vulnerable to sickness and ill health.
It is important to choose a blanket that is appropriate to how
much extra protection from the weather that your horse genuinely
needs.
Make sure that the blanket fits your horse properly, regardless
of the blanket type. A blanket that is too tight will irritate
the skin and put your horse at risk of developing abrasions and
sores, while a blanket that is too large can slip down under
your horse’s belly. Not only will that result in the loss of
almost all the blanket’s insulating ability, if your horse gets
its legs tangled in the blanket’s straps, it can be seriously
injured. Putting the blanket on properly also helps to ensure
a good fit.
It is best for each horse to have its own blanket. Sharing
blankets can lead to the spread of skin problems such as girth
itch, ringworm, and other fungal infections. Even if no horses
in the stable have known skin problems, fungal spores can cling
to the blankets and be spread to other horses.
and sun. They are tailored to fit around your horse's body with
straps crossing underneath, allowing your horse to move about
freely without dislodging the blanket.
The traditional horse blanket is a woven blanket, usually made
of wool. Modern blankets are much warmer and resistant to
weather than traditional wool blankets, using inner and outer
shells with an insulating fiber between. Outer shells are
usually made of synthetics which are water repellent and
windproof, while the inner lining is smoother than wool so
it won’t chafe against your horse’s skin. The filling between
them provides warmth with much less bulk than older blankets.
This means the overall blanket is light enough not to flatten
your horse’s coat, and is more durable than their wool or cotton
predecessors.
Another type of horse blanket, the Cooler blanket is a square
blanket with ties that is draped over your horse if it is hot
and sweaty after a workout, or has just been bathed and is wet
all over. It is kept on while your horse is being cooled down as
it allows enough air circulation for your horse to dry, and
prevents chills and drafts.
Horse blankets are sometimes used to keep your horse's hair
short. Blankets also protect horses that are kept with a short
coat for show purposes.
In summer a lightweight blanket may be used to help your horse
ward off flies and to prevent the hair coat from bleaching out.
These blankets are usually referred to as a "sheet" or a
"fly sheet". Usually they are made of nylon or strong synthetic
fiber with the capacity to "breathe" so that your horse can
remain cool.
If your horse is given a full body clip, or even a partial clip,
it is recommended a blanket be kept on at all times if the
weather is cool because your horse no longer has the natural
insulation of a longer hair coat. If a blanket is put on your
horse at the beginning of winter in order to suppress the growth
of a winter coat, or if your horse is kept clipped in cold
weather, the blanket must stay on until warmer weather arrives.
If your horse is subjected to cold weather without either a
horse blanket or a natural hair coat to keep it warm, it is far
more vulnerable to sickness and ill health.
It is important to choose a blanket that is appropriate to how
much extra protection from the weather that your horse genuinely
needs.
Make sure that the blanket fits your horse properly, regardless
of the blanket type. A blanket that is too tight will irritate
the skin and put your horse at risk of developing abrasions and
sores, while a blanket that is too large can slip down under
your horse’s belly. Not only will that result in the loss of
almost all the blanket’s insulating ability, if your horse gets
its legs tangled in the blanket’s straps, it can be seriously
injured. Putting the blanket on properly also helps to ensure
a good fit.
It is best for each horse to have its own blanket. Sharing
blankets can lead to the spread of skin problems such as girth
itch, ringworm, and other fungal infections. Even if no horses
in the stable have known skin problems, fungal spores can cling
to the blankets and be spread to other horses.
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