Hello, fellow equestrians! Today we would like to discuss a topic that can be tricky to answer and sometimes start arguments in the horse community. Should blankets be used on horses? With the winter months approaching we feel it is a good topic to discuss. There seem to be two sides to this discussion with lots of people caught in the middle. One side saying never use blankets on horses, and the other saying they should be used. So which is it? The answer is a little more complicated. From our standpoint, it depends.
Many factors go into the decision of whether to use blankets on your horses or not. For example, where do you live? What breed are your horses? Age? Feed source/nutrition?
We have found there are instances where we want to use blankets with our horses, and instances we do not. Every horse has different needs and every owner has different circumstances. We are of the mindset to only use blankets if they are needed. So how do you know if a blanket may be needed? We like to use the following guidelines:
1. Long winter climates with temperatures that frequently fall under 10 degrees Fahrenheit
2. When a horse is moved from a warm climate to a much cooler climate and doesn’t have time to acclimate
3. If a horse is clipped
4. If there is an inadequate shelter or stable space for horses during wet winter weather
5. Geriatric/Malnourished horses
Hopefully, this gives a little more guidance to the question of whether or not to use blankets with horses.
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