This is the most common question I receive each winter. There are many factors that come into play to make the best decision for your horse. I have included a flow chart prepared by Auburn University that is a quick quide to making that decision.
Most healthy horses in good body condition with a full winter coat do not need a blanket. There are still many factors to consider.
1) Your horse needs a full winter hair coat. The natural coat of a horse is quite insulating as long the hair is able to stand up. Blankets and rain/snow affect the ability of the hair to insulate.
2) Your horse should have some sort of shelter outside. A three-sided shed is quite adequate. You may be able to use a windbreak in the form of a wall or line of trees. Three sided sheds should be south facing and big enough to allow room for all horses into the shed.
3) Is the weather going to be raining or sleeting? If it is, that rain will wet down the horse’s hair coat. Once that coat is laying flat, it looses it’s insulating qualities. You’ll probably need a waterproof blanket unless your horse uses a shed consistently.
4) They need to have plenty of forage available. Five pounds of hay will raise a horses body temperature by 1 degree for 4 hours.
5.) Age matters – your horse may need a blanket if they’re very young or very old. The very young and the very old may require blanketing to help them maintain their body condition.
6.) Your horse needs to be healthy. If your horse has been ill, or is already in poor body condition, having them blanketed will help them conserve their energy towards maintaining their body condition, rather than staying warm.
If you've decided that you horse needs a blanket:
1) It should be well fitted, so that they don’t rub at the withers or the shoulders.
2) The blanket straps should be fitted close to their body so that they don’t get their legs tangled and it limits the blanket from slipping and rubbing.
3) It needs to be rated for the weather they’re turned out in. If they’re rated for colder weather, they may get warm and start sweating. If they’re wearing a blanket that’s not rated heavily enough for the cold weather that they’re in, then that blanket is laying their hair coat down, and is probably doing them more damage than good in terms of keeping them warm. This may mean that you need to have more than one blanket for the fall and winter seasons.
4) If your horse is out in the rain or sleet, they should be in a waterproof blanket. That may be a waterproof sheet that’s thrown over a heavier blanket, or a water proof blanket. Again, if they get soaked through the blanket, they loose the insulating ability of the blanket as well as the hair coat.
5) The blanket should be checked and removed every couple of days. You’ll need to do this to make sure it is still fitting the way it should, and so that you can check the horse’s body condition under the blanket to make sure they haven’t lost too much weight in the cold weather.
Most healthy horses in good body condition with a full winter coat do not need a blanket. There are still many factors to consider.
1) Your horse needs a full winter hair coat. The natural coat of a horse is quite insulating as long the hair is able to stand up. Blankets and rain/snow affect the ability of the hair to insulate.
2) Your horse should have some sort of shelter outside. A three-sided shed is quite adequate. You may be able to use a windbreak in the form of a wall or line of trees. Three sided sheds should be south facing and big enough to allow room for all horses into the shed.
3) Is the weather going to be raining or sleeting? If it is, that rain will wet down the horse’s hair coat. Once that coat is laying flat, it looses it’s insulating qualities. You’ll probably need a waterproof blanket unless your horse uses a shed consistently.
4) They need to have plenty of forage available. Five pounds of hay will raise a horses body temperature by 1 degree for 4 hours.
5.) Age matters – your horse may need a blanket if they’re very young or very old. The very young and the very old may require blanketing to help them maintain their body condition.
6.) Your horse needs to be healthy. If your horse has been ill, or is already in poor body condition, having them blanketed will help them conserve their energy towards maintaining their body condition, rather than staying warm.
If you've decided that you horse needs a blanket:
1) It should be well fitted, so that they don’t rub at the withers or the shoulders.
2) The blanket straps should be fitted close to their body so that they don’t get their legs tangled and it limits the blanket from slipping and rubbing.
3) It needs to be rated for the weather they’re turned out in. If they’re rated for colder weather, they may get warm and start sweating. If they’re wearing a blanket that’s not rated heavily enough for the cold weather that they’re in, then that blanket is laying their hair coat down, and is probably doing them more damage than good in terms of keeping them warm. This may mean that you need to have more than one blanket for the fall and winter seasons.
4) If your horse is out in the rain or sleet, they should be in a waterproof blanket. That may be a waterproof sheet that’s thrown over a heavier blanket, or a water proof blanket. Again, if they get soaked through the blanket, they loose the insulating ability of the blanket as well as the hair coat.
5) The blanket should be checked and removed every couple of days. You’ll need to do this to make sure it is still fitting the way it should, and so that you can check the horse’s body condition under the blanket to make sure they haven’t lost too much weight in the cold weather.