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​Four Reasons to Blanket Your Horse in Winter

1. Save Money on Feed

When the outdoor temperature drops below 30 degrees, the average horse burns up to 15-20% more calories trying to maintain body temperature for every 10 degree drop in outdoor temperature. Older horses have to work even harder to stay warm in cold weather. This is why horses need more feed (particularly hay) during winter. Sarah Ralston of the Animal Science division of Rutgers University recommends that, in winter, older horses should be fed about 120% of the National Research Council's (NRC) recommendations for daily intake.

BUT here's the good news: A blanketed horse does not need to burn as many calories simply to stay warm. Becasue of this, blanketed horses don’t need to have their feed rations adjusted as dramatically as unblanketed horses in order to maintain their weight over the winter. If you own multiple horses or run a stable facility, blanketing horses can translate into substantial savings.

2. Not Just Any Horse Blanket Will Do

A horse’s coat is composed of two types of hair, a fluffy, dense undercoat and a stiffer protective coat called guard hairs. The undercoat provides insulation by trapping air and body heat. The guard hairs shed rain and keep the undercoat dry. They also stand on end to create an air pocket that traps heat. If you put a thin blanket (or rain sheet) on a horse, it will flatten the guard hairs, thereby destroying this air pocket. For this reason, blankets need to be well-insulated.


Click here for a guide to buying blankets and a chart showing the temperatures for their use.

3.  If You Plan to Ride Your Horse in the Winter, Blanket Him

Body clipping a horse removes his natural means of keeping warm, so you will need to blanket him. If you don’t body clip and don’t blanket, your horse will grow a thick, long coat in order to insulate himself from the cold. Unless you enjoy spending most of your barn time currying and brushing out this very long coat rather than riding, you should blanket your horse. Tacking up time is greatly reduced because your horse will remain clean and dry under his blanket.

4. If You Blanket Your Horse, Remove the Blanket and Groom Her At Least Weekly.

If you don’t, you may find an unpleasant surprise in the spring when you finally do remove your horse’s blanket. Your horse may have lost weight over the winter despite her blanket. This is especially true if she has been kept outdoors without shelter. Or her hair may be matted, rubbed raw in places, or clotted with dirt. Grooming a blanketed horse doesn’t take much time, and it pays substantial dividends for your horse and your relationship with her. 
A few more tips:

  • If you live in an area that experiences extreme cold in winter, consider buying two medium weight blankets and double blanketing your horse rather than buying a medium blanket for "warmer" days and a heavy blanket for extreme cold. It takes less time to put on or take off a second blanket than it does to take off one blanket and put on another.
 
  • If you plan to turn your horse out when it snows or rains, consider buying a rain sheet to put over your horse's blanket. There is nothing worse for your horse than shivering under a wet blanket. You can simply put the rain sheet over the warmer blanket during turnout and remove it when you return your horse to her stall. The blanket underneath has a better chance of staying dry that way.
 
  • It's a good idea to keep a backup blanket on hand in case your horse tears the one he is wearing. Otherwise, your horse will have to shiver in the cold until the new blanket shows up. Don't throw the torn one out. Instead, have it repaired (or repair it yourself), and keep it as your backup.
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  • Be sure to have extra leg straps handy in case your horse breaks one.

Happy riding!

[Based on To Blanket or Not to Blanket? by University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources]
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Copyright December 6, 2016 Denise Cummins, PhD

Here are some blankets that we recommend.