Intermediate/Advanced Blankets

So you bought your first horse this spring and had a great season with her. But now it's getting cold :( Time to think about blankets! Why? That's discussed in the beginner section of today's post -- feel free to read it :) In this post, what to know before you buy: size, weight, care, hoods, fit

So you realize you need a blanket and duitifully go to the tack store to purchase one... And are greeted with a whole wall of choices. And absolutely no idea what it is you should be buying. You randomly look at a tag. After cringing at the price you note some other information. Three numbers. No idea what they mean. Great. With Google's help, you end up here :)

I'm not going to discuss brands -- everybody has their own favourites and their own budget. However, there are some things that will be required throughout: size, weight, and care. And for those who *really* want the short version the numbers refer to size, shell and insulation. The end :)

For the long version...:

If your horse is going outside in it, it should be waterproof. Since most waterproof items don't allow sweat to evaporate either, it can lead to overheating which is almost worse than being cold. For this reason you should look for blankets that are both waterproof AND breathable. Harder to find and slightly more expensive, but definitely worth it for your horse's sake. You can always check your horse for overheating by putting a hand between the blanket and the chest or by the girth. If they're overly warm or sweating you've got them over-blanketed. This can happen even when it's cold out -- particularly if it's sunny.

Size

Size is the first number you'll usually see on the tag. It is measured in inches and will range anywhere from about 66" (smaller for foals of course - think baby-clothes) to about 88" (I'm trying to think if I've ever seen a 90" and I don't think I have -- but it doesn't mean they don't exist, it just means I don't work with many HUGE horses :) The usually go up in increments of 2" with always being even numbers, but not always since my ottb is currently wearing a 75" so clearly somebody felt the need to defy the rules *g* Or offer more variety :) Anyways - how do you know what size you'll need?

1. Grab a tape measure and, if you have one, a friend :) Can be done with one person, but much easier with two.


2. Make sure horse is standing square on a flat surface.


3. Have your friend hold the end of the tape at the point where your horse's neck meets the center of his chest.


4. Take the other end of the tape along the side of the horse all the way around to the middle of his hindquarters (will be usually a little less than 1' below where the tail meets the body). Make sure when you're doing this that the tape measure crosses the widest part of the shoulder or your blanket will be too small. Also make sure it's taut (if it's loose your blanket will be too big). Note the measurement. Multiply by 2 and you're good to go.

Now when you're shopping if you're on a half-size go up one. Also, as with people's clothing, different brands and styles fit differently, so while you may technically be a 74, for some brands you may need a 76 or a 72. Well trained sales staff will be able to tell you how the various blankets usually fit.

Weight

Just like you're not going to wear your heavy down-filled parka on a day that's 5deg (ummm that'd be about ..... to our US friends :) it's important that you dress your horse according to the weather as well. Other considerations include activity level, indoor temperature, the length of your horse's hair, and metabolism (a horse that's hard to keep weight on may need a warmer blanket). To this end we have not one but TWO numbers regarding the weight. The second number (after size) you'll usually see on the tag is for the shell (outter layer) and has to do with the weight of the fibers in the fabric. The lower the number, the finer and lighter the fabric (think silk). The higher the number, the coarser and heavier it'll be.

The last number refers to the insulation. Anything below 175 is considered a Light-weight. This could be anything from a rainsheet with no insulation to a stable sheet. A midweight will be in the 175-250 range. A heavyweight is 250+ (up to about 500). Note that realistically the numbers are just guidelines -- anything that's within about 50 of a boundary could switch levels based on the type of fabric used for the shell and the lining. Pretend you have a fleece vest for your "insulation" and you put it over a t-shirt and under a light spring jacket. Now take that same fleece but put it over a sweatshirt and under a heavy leather rain jacket. Technically you've got the same level of insulation, but to a very different result. So you have to consider the overall package not just any one number on its own.

Care

For me, care is once or twice a year making a giant pile of all the blankets and sending them to our wonderful blanket lady who, for a reasonable fee, returns them cleaned and repaired -- complete w/ smilie face stickers indicating all the repairs. However, for those who are a little more ambitious than I...

Most blankets now are made machine washable (yeah!) -- they do tend to be hard on the washers though (and most laundromats will kick you out :) so be forewarned (you might get away with it if you go to a city laundromat where they don't know any better :). They also make a lot of noise since the metal buckles fly around. Generally just follow the instructions -- can't tell you much more than that. Usually wash in warm, rinse in cold. Don't use bleach and don't dry-clean (the chemicals effect the waterproofing and are not particularly good for your horse). The big thing to remember is don't use the dryer as that will undo the waterproofing.

Obviously tears should be stitched, straps must be in good repair, and the inside @ least should be reasonably clean of mud, hair, dirt, etc.


Hoods

Some blankets come with hoods (essentially neck-warmers :) These add time and a bit of a pita to the daily routine, but if your horse has a full-body clip you should seriously consider one (if they have their natural coat on the neck, I don't worry about it). Note that there are some blankets now which do not have hoods but seem to have a little "extra" piece that comes over the withers and just a bit up the neck. These are great in theory. However, in practice I've noticed that since that extra piece doesn't really lie ON the neck so much as over it, there's a tendency for snow and other miserable weather elements to get in there (esp if the horse's head is down) ending with a very wet and very cold horse. Be aware though that's only my personal experience. It's enough that I don't use them any more, but there might be some out there for which that's not an issue.

Fit

Once you've bought your blanket (or blankets as the case usually is) bring them home, groom your horse, and then try them on. It should cover from the withers to the dock (most have little tail flaps now -- great addition!) It should fit reasonably closely -- anything that moves too much, or conversely is too tight, will rub, leaving bare patches on your horse's skin. Check particularly the points of the shoulder and hip as well as by the withers. The blanket should go just past the belly. If it's down near the knees it's way too long and the horse will risk getting tripped up by the straps that attach underneath. Anything that's too big will be subject to twisting and getting tangled. Straps are pretty well always adjustable. They should be loose enough to not be touching the horse (it's not a girth!) but not so loose that they dangle. The chest straps should be snug enough that the blanket is not moving around.
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Beginner Blankets

Why do you have to put a blanket on her? Horses in the wild didn't have blankets. (post includes: why, how and types)

True enough, but horses in the wild also don't live the way my horse does. When you change their environment you must take responsibility for ensuring you do no damage. For one thing, there weren't too many wild thoroughbreds running around Canada. Ever. (not that there aren't a bunch who pretend to be!) The climate is just too
harsh. There are some breeds particularly well adapted to winter conditions (Icelandic, Shetland, etc) -- they tend to be of the short, stocky, hairy kind -- all items that dispose them well for winter. If the average domestic horse were permitted to get nice and fat, grow a thick fur coat that's rarely groomed so it maintains
all its weatherproofing-oils, have enough space to move around and keep warm, and shelter from the nastier elements, they'd probably be just fine outside, naked, in the winter.

BUT we tend to stable most of our horses. Interference number one. That means the temperature will change differently than it would if they were always outside (may be significantly warmer indoors than out) -- which the horses' bodies don't adapt to well. Remember when you or I walk into a nice warm room from the bitter cold outside, we take off half a dozen layers and are then good to go. Your horse doesn't have that option. So he either grows a think winter coat and then comes in and sweats and makes himself ill, or he doesn't, and then goes out and spends all day shivering -- making him more prone to various illnesses and serious weightloss. By blanketing him, you
remove the need to grow the winter coat and thus keep him comfortable indoors and out. Some people will start blanketing in late Aug or early Sept, before it's *really* necessary, so that the horse really doesn't grow any winter coat at all.

Some of us also *gasp* ride all winter! This means the horse is expending energy she wouldn't in the wild. Energy that could otherwise be used for keeping her warm. Before riding, the horse is usually groomed - for health and safety - but this removes natural oils from the coat that are essential to "waterproofing" her. And
while being ridden, she will likely sweat - requiring long cooling periods and messing around with the natural coat oils. Often, to avoid the long cooling out periods, people will clip their horses. If your horse is clipped, she must be blanketed. Period.

Just like jackets, blankets (or rugs if you happen to be in the UK or Australia :) come in all different types, sizes, styles, etc. Your basics are:

• Coolers: usually a big rectangular piece of fabric, with two strings that can be used to tie around the chest and a strap that goes over the ears. Coolers are only used under supervision. They are used on a wet (either from sweat or because somebody just gave them a bath) horse to allow enough air circulation for the horse to
  dry, but slows the rate of drying so the horse doesn't become sick. Picture when you work out in the winter: you get all hot and sweaty, then you stop and are fine for a couple minutes. But slowly you start shivering -- the wet from the sweat becomes cold, and if you don't do something about it you'll end up sick. Same goes for your
  horse. Walking them with a cooler on and making sure they are *never* put away wet will help. Also, do not just put on one of their other blankets while they're wet -- the blanket will get wet on the inside, thereby making it completely ineffective. (essentially like wearing a wet jacket). You can also now get coolers that
  actually have front straps and sometimes belly straps to help hold it in place while you're cooling the horse out. Just make sure it's of a fabric that is going to take the sweat away from the horse -- fleece does not work well!


• Sheets: usually cotton, these blankets are very lightweight and not waterproof. They are meant to be worn indoors by stabled horses -- particularly on cool fall nights when blankets are not *quite* necessary yet, but it still gets chilly in the barn.


• Rain sheets: lightweight blankets that are essentially a waterproof shell with no insulation. May or may not have a liner.


• Light-weight, Mid-weight, Heavy-weight blankets: the weight referenced here is the amount of insulation, not the physical weight of the blanket (which may be quite light even for a heavy-weight :)


• Quarter-sheet: this is used while riding to keep the horse's hindquarters warm. Particularly if they're going to have to stand still for any length of time. It has straps for the girth to go through and one at the back for the tail. These stop it from sliding backwards or sideways.

So you get to the barn for your weekly lesson and discover your horse is wearing a blanket. Great! But ummmm.... How do you get it off to tack him up??? When taking a blanket off, the first thing you need to do is undo all the straps. Start at the back end of the horse; this is an important safety issue -- if something should
happen that resulted in sudden movement and gravity, you don't want the blanket on the ground tied around the horse's legs. The chest straps must always be done up if any leg straps are -- therefore, leg straps get undone first. There may be straps between his hind legs (these are optional, but common), if they're there, unclip them.
Then move to the side (almost always the left side) there will be one or two buckles. These straps may be straight (perpendicular to the ground) or on an angle. Undo these (be careful not to let them hit the horse's legs as they fall!) Then go to the front of the horse and undo the chest straps. Now that all buckles are undone, hold
the blanket where it crosses the withers, and fold it back to the tail (so the blanket is now folded in half). Do that once more from the middle to the back (blanket now folded in quarters, sitting on the horse's hindquarters). Then slide the whole thing off the back and fold it width-wise and hang it up or put it somewhere out of the way. It is important to take it off this way for a couple reasons:

• when folded like that it's much easier to put back on


• much safer as it avoids spooking the horse and there are no random straps flying everywhere as you try and pull it off


• much easier to manipulate (these blankets are big and oddly shaped!)

Now of course there IS an exception. Some blankets don't have chest buckles -- the chest area is sewn shut. In this case you fold backwards (butt to withers) and then slide the whole thing up and over his head. These blankets require care when using and are a bit of a pita to deal with so I'd recommend avoiding unless absolutely
necessary. Why would it be necessary? Sometimes for fit and sometimes because you own an escape artist who undoes the buckles :)

And putting it back on? Well that's just the reverse process. Lay the blanket on the hindquarters, unfold it up to the withers. Do up the chest straps FIRST (note this is the opposite of taking it off when they're the last thing done. Remember the reason for this is that if only one thing is done up, it should be the chest. That way,
should the horse bolt or shy or any other horse-type behaviour, the blanket won't end up tied around his legs. Never have leg or belly straps tied when the chest straps are not done up!) After that the belly straps. If the straps are perpendicular to the ground, they do up straight (ie the strap at the front on the right, buckles to the
strap at the front on the left). If the straps are on an angle, they cross when you do them up (ie the strap at the front on the right does up to the strap at the BACK on the left). Then the leg straps -- two options here, either cross them (left strap attaches to right buckle). Or do them up each to their own side, but when you do up
the second strap loop it through the first one. The reason for this is two fold -- first it's a little more effective at stopping the blanket from twisting and second it stops the straps from rubbing on the horse's hind legs.

And after all that, why do you sometimes see horses wearing blankets in the summer??? These are actually fly sheets -- meant to keep the flies off, deflect sunlight to keep the horse cool, and stop the horse's coat from bleaching (which matters in some sports).

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