"Horse boots?" you ask. "Horse blankets...does my horse come with its own wardrobe?" The purchase of a horse can bring so many changes; it can overwhelm the owner just by the information needed on the supplies.

For your journey into horse care, you'll need good horse blankets. More than one is quite handy as one alone is sure to get dirty and need attention just when you count on it the most. The horse blanket, of course, usually goes along with owning a western saddle, which requires the use of a blanket underneath because of the lack of padding. It would be cruel to use a western saddle without a horse blanket, and usually a pad is used in addition to the blanket. You want optimum performance from your animal. You get that result by taking good care of your horse, which mean using the proper equipment and supplies.

Aside from the horse blankets, pads, and saddle, you'll want other things such as a horse trailer for hauling the animal, a properly fenced area for grazing, a barn for storing hay and stalling the horse, curry combs for the care of the mane and tail and to groom the horse's coat of hair, a big water barrel or trough, grains for feeding, bridles, bits, a halter, and various other items that might come in use.

One of those items could possibly be horse boots. Don't worry, you won't have to take your pet shopping and spend hours at the shoe store while they choose their selections! You could be amazed, however, at the stores that do sell horse boots and at how many varieties there are. There may be as many as there are different selections of blankets.

Your beloved pet need not be dressed in its "horse clothes" each time it leaves the barn. Unlike our clothes, which we could get arrested for not wearing in public, your horse would wear its clothes only when appropriate for the situation.

As with the horse blankets, the horse boots are not just for looks. You can, however, match the color of the boots to the color of the blanket, if that is an issue for say, show purposes.

Available for purchase are vinyl boots, bell boots, rubber bell boots, and splint boots among others. You can buy boot covers to keep the boots clean.

One of the important uses of horse boots is for the miniature horse used as a guide horse for the blind. These tiny creatures are extremely intelligent and must be protected from the abuse of the city sidewalks and scorching pavement.

Horse boots have occasionally been used in lieu of horseshoes, yet another necessity for the new horse owner to learn about. The shoes in question do not refer to dress shoes or casual wear, but the shaped metal pounded into the bottoms of a horse's hooves.

Hardened surfaces can be brutal against a horse's hooves. Especially a horse subjected to tough work conditions. One type of horse that comes to mind is the horse used for police patrol duty in cities.

No matter what activity you choose to use your horse for, remember it is under your care and control and deserves the best treatment.