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.
Does your horse need a blanket?
By Bryan Thorby
Check out the horse blanket information and resources provided by
Bryan Thorby at http://www.pet-lovers-info.com
Your Horse may love you for it. Also links to other fine equestrian products, books and magazines.
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