To Blanket or Not to Blanket? A Good Cold-Weather Question

Here are some tips that will assist you in making the right blanketing decision for your horse.
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

To Blanket or Not to Blanket? A Good Cold-Weather Question
If you have decided to blanket, use the blanket weight that is most appropriate for your horse’s needs and the weather conditions. | Photo: Photos.com

The chilly months from late fall to early spring are generally a time of slowed activity for horse and rider, but attentiveness to horse health and management is just as crucial during the cold season. As an equine veterinarian, I’m often asked about blanketing during the cold months.

Primary considerations in horse blanketing are hair coat and environmental temperature. Here is some information that will assist you in making the right blanketing decision for your horse.

First, it’s useful to know that horses have an innate ability to withstand cold and wind, with the important caveat that they need shelter or a windbreak, as well as proper cold-season feed and nutrition

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Share

Written by:

Luke Bass, DVM, MS, is an equine veterinarian at Colorado State University’s James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

Where do you primarily feed your horse?
326 votes · 326 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!