1st Time Using a Horse Blanket

Snow! I love it! It blankets the earth in glistening perfection. We have had some snow recently in the Ozarks which is great, but with snow comes cold, icy weather. And with cold, icy weather comes a cold horse.

I keep my horses in the pasture full time. I count on their fluffy winter coat and some provided shelter to keep them warm during those windy, low temp winter days. But for one horse, this plan wasn’t working as well as it should.

Here he is again: Charles, a 25+ year old Tennessee Walker gelding. Charles is a great, kind horse, yet he is really old. He is super thin and is on a special weight gain high calorie diet (it’s all donuts and ice cream!) Which seemed to be working until the cold, icy weather showed up. He wasn’t gaining weight, he was losing it trying to stay warm! In an effort to take care of Charles, I jumped into uncharted waters and bought a horse blanket.

I had never used one before, so I did some research and took the recommendation of my cousin. I bought a Tough 1 600 Denier waterproof nylon with a 70 Denier lining sheet off amazon. (boy do I love amazon prime!) And it turns out my cousin wasn’t wrong. This blanket has worked very well and is durable. It keeps the old timer warm and dry.

But I still had some important questions and I would like to share the answers I found with you! *For those of you who are already blanket users I hope you learn something new from this article or share your own advice in the comments! For those non blanket users, you’ll be one up if you decide to use a blanket in the future!*

When does he need it or not need it??

I know that on those icy cold days a blanket is necessary for Charles, but when does he not need one? And I found this awesome chart!! How cool, plus it’s from a reputable source!

Hold up! Did I get the right size??

When it comes to blanketing finding the right size is important (or so I’m told). A too fit blanket can rub your horse and if it’s too loose it could slide off, entangling the horse. You can sometimes just tell that the blanket fits right: a few inches space at the chest, it doesn’t pull tight, and it covers the entire rump. Measuring doesn’t hurt though. To measure your horse, use a measuring tape and start at your horse’s chest. Keep the tape tight and straight as you measure across its body to meet the middle of the tail. If you get an odd number just round up, that’s what I did and Charles blanket seems to fit him very well.

How do I clean this thing??

So I have heard that you can put the blanket in the washing machine, but I don’t think my mom will appreciate that. According to Melina Freckleton, DMV, the heat of the washing machine can destroy the waterproofing aspect of the blanket. “… your best bet might be to hang the blanket on a fence and use a hose and a scrub brush, “ she says. Making sure the blanket gets completely dry afterward is important.

How do I store it??

I found this amazing post that shows step by step pics of how to fold blankets. Basically clean it, fold it, and up it in a dry, rodent proof spot.

Like any other tack, blankets/sheets have their uses; their pros and cons. And sometimes you just have to experience it yourself before you can really know. I love the snow and I love seeing Charles warm and dry in his new blanket surrounded by snow.

Tails & trails,

Reese