Blanket Basics

Should You Blanket?
Making the decision to blanket depends on several factors. If your horse is healthy, in good flesh and will only be ridden occasionally during the winter months, then perhaps you should let Mother Nature provide his blanket. Left to their own devices, horses will normally develop a thick, warm coat that repels water well and holds in their body heat. Even if your horse doesn't appear to grow a profuse coat, chances are it is quite sufficient. It is rare to see a healthy horse shivering under normal winter conditions, given proper food and shelter.

What about an older horse?
"That's a good question," continues Dr. Calabrese. "If they have a good hair coat and you're not looking to show them, I don't know if it is necessary to blanket. The horse can handle temperatures well below zero. What they can't handle is wind, rain, snow and wet. People will take their horses, put them in a barn and say 'oh, he's cold'. But if the horse is dry and well fed, he doesn't need a blanket; he's got his own blanket.

For young horses?
Again, if they are well fed and have a good hair coat and they are out of the wet, they don't need a blanket. Thin horses? They are thin for a reason, maybe their teeth are bad or they are parasitized, so you should address the reason that they are thin first, but yes, in the convalescence stage they will need a blanket. And once you put the blanket on for the winter, you should leave it on. You need to make the decision to blanket or not in the fall and then stick with that decision through the whole winter. The worse thing you can do to a horse is put a blanket on, then take it off, then put it on. Put it on and leave it on because once you put that blanket on, they're not going to grow any hair."

Proper Fit
Once you have made the decision to blanket your horse, the next most important step is choosing a blanket that fits properly. When it comes to sizing blankets, not all horses are created equal. A tall, lanky, high-withered Thoroughbred is going to need a different style of blanket than a shorter, rounder, lower-withered Morgan. Blanket manufacturers know this and they cater to the needs of different shaped horses.

First, you will need to measure your horse. Place the end of a measuring tape in the center of your horse's chest; wrap it around the widest part of the shoulder, down along the barrel to the center of the tail, all the while keeping the tape tight. (Some people prefer to measure to the edge of the tail, about 4 inches less.) It may help if you can get somebody to hold the horse so that you get a more accurate measurement. The number of inches that you measure will be the size of the blanket that you need. If your measurement falls between two sizes that your desired blanket is available in, then choose the larger of the two.

Many manufacturers also carry blankets with additional measurements, such as "A" and "B", one being for horses such as Quarter Horses with large shoulder and chest sizes while the other would be for more narrow chested Hunter type horses. If your horse wears a blanket that is too small, he may soon have rub marks on his withers, shoulders and chest. If the blanket is too loose, then it can slip and turn, again possibly rubbing the horse, but worse, perhaps causing the horse to become entangled.

A few other tips:
o crossing the leg straps provides a better, more secure fit
o having two blankets is a good idea; if one gets wet, the other can be used while the first dries out
o if your horse is getting sores, even though the size is correct, try changing styles
o your horse's shape can change slowly, so what fit a few years ago may not fit this year
o make sure there is enough "drop" on each side of the blanket, no sense in having a blanket fit the length of the horse but not the sides
o check the stitching, binding and metal parts to be sure they won't hurt the horse
o and finally, blankets with closed fronts (no buckles or straps) are helpful when you want to avoid rips or having your horse get caught on something, but going over the head as these blankets require can frighten a young animal.

Choosing the Material
Have you looked in a horse catalog under the heading "blankets" recently? The choices can be mind boggling! Waterproof, water-repellent, breathable, rip-stop, denier, ballistic and even thermobonded fill! How can anyone decide what is best? Let's take a look.

"Stable Blankets" are those that are designed to be worn within the barn and are unlikely to be waterproof. They may also not be designed to withstand the rigors of heavy, outdoor play. In contrast, "Turnout Blankets" are those meant to be worn outside and are normally waterproof and or "breathable" (the inner fabric traps body heat but allows moisture [sweat] to pass through to the outer shell and then escape).

The difference between "waterproof" and "water-repellent"? Waterproof fabric is treated so that water cannot penetrate it, seams and all. The seams and stitching on water-repellent fabric, however, are not treated so water may seep in.

Cotton is the least likely material to slip, is breathable and easy to wash. Fleece is also breathable, fairly easy to wash and warmer than cotton. Nylon/poly materials are the warmest but also the bulkiest; they tend to slip and can be more difficult to wash.

Normally, a blanket manufacturer will mention the term "denier" which is followed by a number when describing their product. Denier is the term used to indicate the size of the thread used to make up the fabric. The larger the number, the heavier the material. A nylon blanket might be listed as 300 Denier while a 1200 Denier might be a cordura blanket. The fiberfill of a blanket is listed in grams per square yard; the higher the number, the more "fill" per yard. In addition, pure fiberfill that is free of resins (other, non-fiberfill materials) are better at holding in heat than those with resins.

Layering
Remember when you were young and you wanted to go out and play in the snow? Your mother probably made you dress in layers. Two pairs of socks, a thin one next to your toes and a heavier one wrapped around the first pair; perhaps a t-shirt, followed by a turtleneck and then a medium weight sweater, rather than just one big, heavy sweater.

Why? Because by layering, your body is able to retain heat better, since the air trapped between the layers acts as an insulator. Your horse's body works the same way; layering helps to keep him warm too. Layering also allows you to mimic the horse's natural coat growth pattern, by getting warmer (more layers) as it gets colder and then cooler (removing layers) as the weather warms. This system can keep a horse from overheating on a particularly warm day by removing all but the first layer. An added advantage of this system is that, come washing time, you can wash one piece at a time, therefore avoiding the need to have a second blanket on hand while the first is being washed. The first layer, or blanket, that will be next to your horse's body should be a soft, easily cleaned cotton (or similar "breathable" material) sheet. Cotton is also not as likely to slip as other materials, therefore keeping the whole series of blankets in place. The second layer can be a nylon-lined or fill quilted blanket, fleece, wool blanket liner or stable blanket. This is followed by the final layer, normally a waterproof blanket for the severest of weather. (The second and/or third blanket may need to be one size larger than the other(s) in order to fit properly.)

Once the blankets are in place, they need to be attached by a good system of surcingles and leg straps to avoid slippage. Be advised-layering can cause rub spots and other related problems, so check frequently for irritated skin. The above may seem like a lot of work, but once you have the system down, it is a wonderful way to adjust your horse's comfort level as the weather outside changes.

Cleaning
So you've made all the right decisions, your horse is comfortably enjoying his new blanket and your job is done. Not quite. Your blanket will need to be cleaned, and the frequency of those cleanings will depend on your horse's personal hygiene habits. When asked if blankets should be cleaned, Dr. Calabrese enthusiastically responded "Absolutely! You should take them to a laundromat that has a triple load washer too, although some laundromats will post signs 'no horse blankets here!' I would say to clean them once a month or so because they trap oils, dirt, bacteria and manure. You don't sleep on the same sheets every night, do you? I've seen some horses who were blanketed with their dirty blanket and they've gotten a heck of a case of rain rot from the bacteria buildup."

To clean your blanket, first prepare it by shaking all the loose dirt out of it. Then take a stiff brush or shedding blade and scrape off as much hair as possible. After all, that loose hair is just destined for your washing machine. Be sure to read the manufacturer's washing instructions before tossing the blanket in the wash. You may even want to give it a quick swipe with your vacuum cleaner (preferably while your spouse is not around!). Next, remove all of the leg straps, surcingles, tie cords, etc. If the blanket has Velcro attachments, you may wish to pick out the hair that has collected before closing the attachments for washing. If the blanket is not waterproof, put it in so that the inner, dirtier side is facing outward. If washing at home, keep in mind that because home washing machines are not designed for such heavy loads, you may have trouble getting the blanket clean and/or getting all the soap out. Run the blanket through a second, soap-free wash as even a little detergent can irritate some horses. Also, be sure that the blanket has thoroughly dried before returning it to your horse's back. Trapped moisture can cause problems!

Safety Concerns
Blankets are wonderful, convenient and helpful tools and yes, normally quite safe. But whenever you mix an equine, particularly a young or inexperienced one, with very cold weather, little exercise and a big, seemingly spooky object, you can run into trouble. Susan Annis of Waseeka Morgan Farm in Holliston, Mass., recalls the time that she had two youngsters that she had kept blanketed for the winter.

"They entertained themselves all day by shredding their blankets," recalls Sue. "At least once a week, I'd go over to the tack shop to purchase a new blanket for one or the other. Well, as the winter went on, that tack shop ran out of blankets that were the right size. I went to buy the shop's last blanket and had to purchase quite an expensive one. I took it home and hustled it into the barn to put it on the colt, Harry. He was in a double stall, and stupidly, I crosstied him facing the most room in the stall. Harry was a very quiet colt but that darned blanket was really 'crackly'. "When I ever so casually went to throw it over him, he went up and over. Now, here I am standing there in my pumps and work clothes, with my coming two year old hanging upside down about 8 inches off the shavings. My eyes probably were big as saucers. Before I could move, lady luck stepped in and saved us·the halter snapped at the head stall. At that point I'm standing there holding a crackly blanket with a young colt that is terrified but doesn't have any strap on him. I crept out of the stall as quietly as I could, found another halter, which I put on him and then got help putting the blanket on him. Harry never again touched a blanket and when his trainer heard the story a year or so later, he told me he always wondered why you could do absolutely anything to Harry when he was crosstied and he would not move!"

Some people have experienced problems with their horses getting annoyed or a bit jumpy when their blankets are being put on or taken off, even if it had never been a problem before. What could be happening is that, with extremely cold weather, the blankets might be building up a small static charge and thus giving the horse a small shock. (If you have more than one blanket on the horse, you may even hear the clinking noise as you separate the two blankets) With all the high-tech materials available, this is not normally a problem, but with layering different materials, or using older blankets, it can still be seen from time to time.

Blanketing a horse is something that needs to be determined on an individual basis, one horse at a time. Your horse's needs can be quite different from those of his stablemate, living just a few feet away from him. So make your decisions carefully, read the manufacturer's literature about their products, talk to friends that have used various blankets and then shop around. Your horse will be glad you did!