Do you in an area that experiences cold weather? Do your local weather patterns fluctuate between rain and snow especially when you want to put your horses out to pasture for the day? Do you own a horse that you simply cannot keep clean because more than anything else, it loves to roll around in the mud? If you answered yes to any of these above asked questions, then you may want to look into buying horse blankets to solve your problems. It can easily be one of the most important equine investments you can make when dealing with your horse's health and attractiveness.

Horse blankets and horse sheets are a simple, yet economical means of protecting for your horse from the cold, rain, snow, manure, and mud. Some blankets are also great for helping the horse keep pesky insects at bay or blocking potentially harmful ultraviolet rays. On top of that, horse blankets and horse sheets help add a much needed layer of defense from the loss of its coat’s natural oils due to frequent grooming removes.

You can find horse blankets in a variety of styles and materials. They are meant to fit over the entire body of the horse. This means you’ll want a blanket which fits it from the shoulder to the tail while covering the withers, back, barrel, and hindquarters. In terms of length, I recommend a blanket with falls near the mid-leg of the horse. There are some styles of blankets which have an open shoulder gusset. This allows the horse to move about more freely when they are out in the pasture.

As you are shopping for blankets, you’ll quickly notice that they are by and large made to fit a certain size range. So you’ll want to pick a blanket with a size range which should fit your horse. Some blankets do have an adjustable, elastic girth, billet, or leg strap which gives some room within that range of sizes. In order to be sure you are buying the best fitting blanket, here are three tips:

1. Start around the widest part of the shoulder from the center of the horse’s chest and measure to the center of the tail. The blanket you’ll want is commonly the same as the inches you just measured.

2. If you happen to come up with an odd size, most horse owners typically buy the next size up.

3. If your horse has a thick coat, I would also go with the next larger size just to be safe.

Keep in mind, however, horse blankets and horse sheets which are slightly looser fitting tend to be a little more comfortable for the horse and they also look nicer than tight-fitting blankets.