Horses with natural fluffy coats do well, perhaps even better, without blankets that mat their hair down and don’t allow their coat to puff out and circulate their body heat. Our horses that live outdoors do not have blankets and stay warm by eating enormous amounts of hay which keeps them far warmer than a blanket. It is important that they have a shed to go under to keep them dry.
We blanket horses in our barn because we shave their hair off, removing this protective layer of warmth, and the reason we do this is because we are working them in the winter. When we work a horse in the winter we don’t want to get them sweaty. Wet hair takes a long time to dry in the cold and while wet, looses it warming capabilities. This is why if you do get a fuzzy horse sweaty you need to put a wool “cooler” on, to properly cool them off so that they don’t get cold. Shaving their hair off and replacing it with blankets is far easier. When we ride, we whisk the blankets off, work them, and then replace their blankets again.
Our barn horses have a turn out sheet and two blankets, one or both are for turn out. To make it easier on our help, figure out what the temperature will be in the morning and put that layer on first. The outer layer should always be a weather proof turnout. We have a blanketing guide on the bulletin board above the black box. Note that we consider a fuzzy horse to already have a blanket on , and a light fuzzy horse to have a sheet on. Freshly clipped horses are considered naked.
When dealing with your horses blankets, regardless if they are yours, you are leasing them, or just riding them for a lesson; check their blankets to make sure that they have all their surcingles (belly straps) – the Rambo blankets have three, most others have two. Also check their leg straps or tail cords. Different brands will have different styles. This is super important in preventing the blanket from slipping forward when they get turned out. Check the blankets for their name tags, located on the chest. If their tag is missing or incorrect, or they need repairs let Taylor know so that she can fix it. We do have extra leg straps behind the barn hanging on the metal shelves.
It is super important for the help to have the blankets well labeled when they go out mid day to remove a layer off them in the field, and have a heap of blankets to put back on each horse’s stall blanket rack.
The system to fold a blanket that we like best is to fold them length wise first ( like a hotdog) and then in half (like a hamburger) and then place them on the rack, threading it back to front so that the neat square edges are seen. Straps can be tidily stuffed in the middle.
We recommend the Rambo Turnout blankets and Turnout sheets. They are very durable and weather proof. Most of mine I have had for over 10 years. Other brands have only lasted a season.
For those who want their horse to look fancy, and not lug dirty blankets to the horse show- we suggest ordering a set of Baker Stable blankets and sheets reserved just for the show. These are not for turnout so they will stay far cleaner. Baker blankets are incredibly durable and well fitting and are available online, or from the Tack Room. You can write your horse’s name on them on the inside, embroider them, or put a tag on them to indicate who they belong to. Ideally you will need a sheet and two blankets to be ready for any weather. We can store them in the horse trailer when not in use.