Time To Get Cozy - Let's Talk Horse Blankets!

Winter Wonderland

What feels like a couple days ago I was peeling off my layers through the day while riding because the temperatures were climbing quickly. It was early fall so the weather was pretty unpredictable. In the early morning hours, the air was a little brisk but by 9 AM, the sun was warming the pastures up nice and toasty, flies were buzzing to life and jackets were coming off!

With the snowfall, temps in the low 20's at night and December upon us, it's safe to say colder conditions are here to stay for a while! For the horses, this means blanket time and in the mid-west where weather can throw us a curveball at any moment, it can be quite confusing!

Let's get into it:

Rain Sheets:

I'm a big believer that rain sheets, particularly for pastured horses are a kindness during cooler times of the year such as Spring and Fall. You can buy them relatively cheap so don't skimp on this one. Your horse will thank you!

Spring and early Fall - No fill, waterproof blankets can come in many shapes and sizes. In late Spring, super light weight types like the Mio Turnout Sheet lite which are perfect for keeping the rain off without causing your horse to get too hot. I own one of these for each of my horses and use it during rainy days in early to late spring and early fall when rain fall is heavy. Keeping my herd dryer, helps prevent rain rot and ensures they won't get cold in evening when the temperatures drop.

Late Fall and early Winter - Once the colder temperatures start to hit, but the midday is still above 45 degrees, I like to shift to a heavier rain sheet (no fill), ideally with a neck during wet days. I'm a big fan of Amigo sheets .

As my friend and respected owner of Pleasant Ridge Ranch says "A 1200 denier or higher rated no fill rain sheet with a neck goes a long way in keeping the wind chill and moisture chill off so your horse doesn't shiver their calories away!"

Winter Blankets:

Not all horses need heavy winter blankets, particularly if you're doing a good job of keeping them in rain sheets when the moisture is heavy. However, every horse is different and each owner is responsible for assessing their horses' needs. I like to keep all of my senior horses (14 or older) in a winter blanket with a neck when the temperatures drop below freezing for more than 4 hours. Typically, once we are in mid December, heavy winter blankets are being used except for unusually warm days. When temperatures exceed 45 degrees and dry, the blankets will come off and the herd will enjoy some naked time.

Blanketed Up

For winter blankets I am a big fan of WeatherBeeta Comfitec with an attached neck or the version with a detachable neck which makes it super easy to remove the neck portion on warmer days while still keeping their body covered.

Cozy In The Sunshine

For all sheets and blankets you'll want to get the proper size and ensure you have the stomach, neck and hind quarters pulled relatively close so there is minimal slack.

The blanket and sheet world doesn't stop with what I've listed above. A few more cozy options to consider:

1. Cooler blankets, used for drying a horse who's wet from rain or sweat.

2. Fly sheets help protect your horses from well, yeah it's in the name...flies but they can also help protect against sunburn

3. Turnout sheets, though similar to rain sheets are less about keeping water off and more about keeping the horse clean and cozy when turned out of a stall

In summary, there are endless ways you can adorn your horse with coziness during, well any time of year. If you're loaded with endless resources, buy one of everything and use as you see fit. If you're like me, and want to make your dollar go further by buying only what you need I highly recommend the following:

1. A light weight rain sheet for every horse to be used during cooler temperatures when rain fall is heavy.

2. A heavy weight rain sheet (no fill) for every horse (recommend with a neck) to be used during colder temperatures when moisture is heavy

3. A heavy weight winter blanket for your senior horses or horses who do not maintain body temperature as well (are they shivering when others horses are not, losing weight in the winter?)

4. At least one cooler blanket you can use on your similar sized horses when needed

Winter Warm

Buying new blankets can be very expensive so joining Facebook horse groups, perusing marketplace and networking with your local horse tribe are great ways to cash in on savings by buying used.

Good luck out there! Stay warm and cozy!

BIg Sis - Golden Gate Farms