As the cold weather quickly approaches, its time for horse owners to think about getting out the horse blankets. What many don’t realize is that a horse’s normal winter coat is much more insulating than most blankets. Your horse is usually actually warmer without its blanket unless it has been clipped shorter than usual; is outside without cover; or has been relocated to a cooler climate during the cold winter months.

A thicker winter coat allows your horse to trap body heat against its skin. Another factor is your horse staying warm is it has smaller muscles in its skin that raises the hairs, creating air pockets which increase the insulating effect. When this puff out coat is covered or flattened by adding blankets, you run the risk of actually making your horse colder.

If your horse isn’t used to being covered with a blanket, it increases the risk of sickness to your horse. When a horse is overheated, it will sweat which causes it to become even more chilled later. This then raises the risk of respiratory infections such as pneumonia. If you must blanket your horse due to colder temperatures, take the blanket off later on in the day when temperatures get warmer.

Knowing this is essential to find a horse blanket which is suitable to how much extra protection your horse truly requires. Newer blankets are actually quite warmer and resistant to nasty weather than customary wool blankets. These blankets typically have inner and outer shells that use an insulating fiber. This is what provides the necessary warmth with much less bulk. If the blanket is light enough to not to cause the horse’s coat to flatten, then it will be much more durable than wool or cotton blankets.

It is important to check that blanket fits your horse properly, regardless of the type. A horse blanket which is too tight can possibly irritate its skin, putting the horse at risk of developing cuts and sores. A too large horse blanket can slip under the horse’s belly. Putting the blanket on correctly aids to ensure a proper fit.

Every horse needs its own blanket. The sharing of blankets between horses can increase the spread of troublesome skin problems like girth itch, ringworm, and other fungal contamination. Even if there aren’t any horses in the stable with skin problems, bothersome fungal spores can stick to horse blankets and spread to any other nearby horses.