To Blanket our horses or Not?

Often times when I think about what I would do with my horses in the winter as far as blanketing them, I think of my friend Stacey.  She is maintaining a large herd of horses on the side of a blustery mountain in western Maine.  Her horses are healthy and happy and my friends, they stay out in the winter with no blankets. They have a wonderful pine grove to get out of the weather in, and they use it.   Let me just say, some days when I was up there helping with chores and riding horses, I wished I had on a nice fussy winter horse coat to keep me warm.  It was as if I could hear them saying…ha ha ha stupid human, where is your fussy coat, mine keeps me nice and warm.   On severe weather occasions they come into the barn and get toasty waiting for it to clear, with longing looks in their eyes to get back out on the mountain. 

Not only do I think of Stacey’s horses, but I tend to think of the wild horses running the plains and mountains of the Western United States.  They don’t have people running out to blanket them, when a sudden storm pops up.  No one is rushing them into the barn for protection from the elements.  Their leader is finding them a grove of trees, or some other natural protection so they are able to stay warm and dry.  A horse’s naturally grown coat is its best protection from the elements. I know people are getting a little nutty about putting a blankey on their horses this time of year.  Here in Southern Maine, the weather hasn’t gotten bad as of yet, we haven’t seen any real snow storms, and the grass is still really green in my yard.  But as I drive around I notice lots and lots of horses wearing blankets.  Granted I think there are certain situations that require blanketing, but when its 40 degrees out every day for the last month, why are these animals still wearing blankets during the day.

So the question remains, should I blanket my horses?  I would have to say NO!  The horse grows his own winter blanket in a hair coat.  Which regulates itself by flattening against the body or fluffing depending on the given weather condition.

Hair is a great insulator (remember horsehair insulation anyone?)  And it fluffs up to warm the horse.  Heat rises from the body and warms the air, which stays trapped inside the hair. Go out and feel your horse that has been standing in the sun on a cold winter day….My horses are hot!  There furry coat is wonderful to touch, and often warms my cold water bucket lugging hands.

So the second part to the question would have to be…SHOULD I blanket my horse.  The answer being still NO, but also maybe and definitely depending on the situation. Blanketing is really necessary for horses that are routinely clipped of their coats during colder weather to maintain sleekness, to allow for quicker cool out after work, and ease of grooming. 

Aged horses could also benefit from an extra covering as they may be having a hard time maintaining weight and muscle, which is their natural furnace.  Also horses which are being relocated from warm to colder weather.  Until Mother Nature takes over and the horse develops the proper natural attire. 

The conditions I would warrant a blanket for my own horses would be in the case of extreme cold weather and wind, as well as freezing rain. I may also chose to put them into the barn before putting a blanket on as its better protection from the elements than a blanket would be. 

Do you think the exposed areas on the horse that are not covered by the blanket don’t get cold people…think about this for a second. You as a human cannot stand up to the conditions of winter weather even in your Carhart coveralls as well as a horse with a nice thick winter hair coat. When it’s snowing and the horses are out, the snow that piles up on the horse is just like an extra protective covering.  Don’t be alarmed people, if you could ask the horse, he would much rather be playing in the snow then watching from the barn….Enjoy your winter and Let your horses play naked!
Beth