Although horses and horse-riding activities tend to slow down during the cold months of late fall to early spring, caring for a horse’s healthis just as important. Blankets generally protect horses from various weather and climatic conditions. For your peace of mind, giving your horse the best fit, protection, and comfort possible is essential. The ideal blanket will assist in controlling your horse’s body temperature and preserving its health.
Wearing a waterproof horse blanket on your horse in chilly weather has certain advantages. It’s okay if you are adamantly opposed to blanketing your horse. Perhaps you should quit reading right here.
But if you want to learn more about the advantages of having your horse wear a blanket during winter, keep reading.
1. It keeps them warm
Yes, this is quite apparent. A blanket will keep your horse warm. However, he can also become overheated if you cover him with a thick blanket, such as one with 300 grams of fill. Knowing how thick of a blanket your horse would need is somehow of a balancing act.
For your horse to be warm and avoid burning all his energy trying to stay warm in the coldest weather, the proper blanket must be on him at the appropriate moment.
2. It keeps them dry
In all honesty, this is more significant than the warming element. Your horse will become chilled if he is wet. He will therefore stay warmer if you can keep him dry.
When it’s predicted to be extremely cold and wet, most horse owners decide to cover their horses with a blanket. Keeping them dry is the major goal here. In most cases, a horse can stay warm if he can stay dry. However, he will become chilled if he becomes wet and lacks a sebum-based barrier to keep him warm.
This is when the waterproof feature of horse blankets and dressage saddle comes into play. Your horse will remain dry if the blanket is waterproof. The blanket will become heavier as it absorbs water if it doesn’t have waterproofing. So be careful when selecting a horse blanket that is waterproof and of high quality.The fight to keep your horse comfortable during cold spells is more than half won if you can keep him dry.
3. To keep the horse clean
This is one of the main reasons for blanketing your horse: he will remain pristine, especially if your horse transforms into a furry monster throughout the winter. It’s not a good idea to bathe a horse in the winter because it’s cold! The horse becomes dirty from rolling and lying down because he isn’t given a bath.
Maintaining a blanket on him helps to keep him clean so you can ride much easier and quicker. However, make sure he always has the proper blanket on. Additionally, the blanket is removed if the temperature rises above 50 degrees.
Wrapping it up
Whether or not you choose to blanket your horse with horse fly sheets for the winter is ultimately up to you. And the majority of horses are comfortable with or without a blanket. But whatever choice you make, be sure it’s for the horse’s benefit. Refrain from feeling compelled to blanket or not to blanket. Do your homework and make a plan before you start. Blanketing has advantages; the key is determining whether it is the best option for your horse.