10/30/2025
Great read
🧥🐴 Blanketing Horses: When to Blanket — and When Not To
Every fall, horse owners debate: “Should I blanket my horse?”
Here’s what science says 👇
1️⃣ Horses have incredible built-in insulation.
Their winter coats trap air like a down jacket, and skin muscles lift the hairs (piloerection) to add warmth. A healthy, unclipped horse with access to shelter and adequate feed can stay comfortable in temperatures as low as 5°F (-15°C).
📚 Reference: Morgan et al., 2002, “Thermoregulation of Horses During Cold Exposure,” Equine Veterinary Journal.
2️⃣ Over-blanketing can make them colder.
If a blanket is too heavy, it flattens the coat, removing that insulating air layer — and can cause sweating, which chills the horse when it evaporates.
📚 Reference: Autio et al., 2007, “Response of Horses to Cold Weather and Blanketing,” Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
3️⃣ Energy from forage is the best heater.
Digesting hay produces internal heat — up to 30% more warmth than grain. That’s why free-choice hay is often better than a thick blanket.
📚 Reference: Cymbaluk & Christison, 1989, “Environmental Effects on Thermoregulation and Energy Balance in Horses,” Canadian Journal of Animal Science.
4️⃣ When blanketing is a good idea:
✅ Clipped horses (no natural coat)
✅ Senior or underweight horses
✅ Horses with chronic illness
✅ Wet, windy, or freezing rain conditions
✅ Horses newly moved from a warm to cold climate
5️⃣ When to skip the blanket:
🚫 Healthy horses with full winter coats and windbreaks
🚫 When daytime temperatures rise above freezing
🚫 If the horse is active and sweats under the blanket
Bottom line:
👉 Blanket for comfort, not out of guilt.
👉 Use your hands — if the horse’s chest, shoulder, and base of neck feel warm and dry, they’re managing just fine.
