By: Mckenzie Wheeler, ANR Agent and County Extension Coordinator, Gordon County
As soon as the temperatures start to dip, lots of horse owners are tempted to reach for their blankets. Afterall, if we are cold, they must be too, right? The answer isn’t too straight forward, there are considerations you need to evaluate, and every horse is different.
Most horses will naturally grow a long winter coat which helps to insulate them and keep in body heat. However, this is only in dry conditions. If the horse gets wet, whether that be from rain or mud, blanketing may be considered, especially if the temperature is near or below freezing. If conditions are dry, and horses are adapted to cold climates, full coated horses may be fine to temperatures down to 5 degrees Fahrenheit, which is unlikely for us in Georgia. What about clipping? If your horse has been clipped, say for showing, it is a different story. If a horse has been clipped, or does not grow their winter coat, blanketing would be needed much sooner. The lower critical temperature is where horses must increase their metabolic heat to maintain their normal body temperature. For horses in good shape and of a good body condition, this temperature will be around 5 degrees Fahrenheit if they are accustomed to cold conditions. If they are used to a milder climate and have a winter coat, this temperature will be 18 degrees Fahrenheit, and if they only have their summer/short coat, the critical temperature goes up to 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
How old are your horses? What shape are they in? Older/senior horses and those who are very young, under a year old, will need more care in the cold weather and will need to be blanketed much sooner. If you find yourself with a horse whose body condition score is 3 or less, they are less likely to develop a full coat and have a harder time generating sufficient body heat and will need to be blanketed earlier than those of a higher body condition. Please see Iowa State University Extension’s resource on The Body Condition Score. This is a great resource if you are curious about what BCS looks like.
Does your horse have access to shelter? The elements are a huge factor when determining if you should blanket your horse. Are they out in a pasture all day, and during the coldest part of the day? If so, do they have a place to shelter themselves away from wind and rain, such as a run-in shed or a natural wind break, like a tree line? If they don’t, they are likely to feel much colder much faster, especially in high winds and rain. The higher their exposure to elements, the more likely they are to need a blanket, even with a full winter coat.
There are a couple of common mistakes that are made when blanketing horses across the board that we can work to avoid. Make sure that you aren’t blanketing your horses too soon or at too high temperatures. They can overheat and sweat. Your horse should not be sweating under their blanket without any form of exertion; if they are, they are likely blanketed at too high of a temperature. Make yourself familiar with the signs of heat stress, especially profuse sweating, hot skin, and rapid breathing. If you notice they are sweating under their blanket, they are more than likely more uncomfortable with the blanket than they would be without it. Just like people, horses will shiver when they are cold. If your horse isn’t shivering, they are likely not cold. In a cold stress situation, horses will often feel cold to the touch under their coats, will stand with a hunched posture, may move more stiffly, and huddle together in the pasture. The type of blanket plays a role as well.
There is a difference between stable blankets and turnout blankets. Stable blankets are only meant to be worn indoors, and they aren’t waterproof. If you turn a horse out in a stable blanket and they get rained on, the blanket will hold water and likely cause the horse to be even colder than they would be without the banket at all. Making sure you have the appropriate type and fit of blanket is just as important as knowing when to use them. There are a few steps you can take to ensure a proper fit before you purchase a blanket. Make sure the horse is standing square and then take a soft tape measure and place it in the center of the chest, just below the neck. Take the tape measure and go around the chest and widest part of the shoulder, down the side of their body, and to the point of their rump, about 10 inches below the tailhead. This is the length that corresponds to their blanket size. If they fall between sizes, size up. For example, if your measurement is 75 inches, that is the size blanket you will need. If you measure a 77, the sizes available are 75 and 78, size up to the 78.
All horses are different, and their circumstances are different as well. Ask yourself a few questions before deciding if you should blanket your horse or not. Do they have a full/heavy winter coat? Will they be out in the cold in the elements with no shelter, especially wind and rain? How old are your horses? What is their body condition score? Do you have the right type of blanket, and does it truly fit? Before you reach for the blanket this winter, take a second and evaluate the need for it first.