Does your horse need a blanket?

Horses that have less hair generally need a blanket- but watch and make sure that even though the horse has less hair, he/she is not a hot body. Hot bodied horses warm up faster and generally don’t need a heavy blanket; a medium or light blanket will suffice.

Older horses need blankets, as their core heat is reduced with age. I don’t body clip older horses anymore, and if they must be clipped, I always double blanket. Always watch the older horses in the winter, as they are the ones who lose weight quicker and will require more nutritious food in comparison to younger horses.

Blanketing a baby is generally more trouble than its worth. Young horses will play with each others blankets, generally ending in a tear of the blanket, and possible a tangled baby. If babies can have access to an area to run and play they will keep their cores warm pretty easily. If you do blanket a young horse, watch for shoulder rubs; those happen pretty easily with all the playing a young horse will do.