To Blanket or Not to Blanket?

12/14/2012

That is the question ...

We're finally getting some winter-like weather here in the southern part of the central valley of California. We have had the mildest fall ever. I am still riding in long sleeve tops with no jacket!

Thursday's high was supposed to be 54℉ with a low of 41℉. Friday is supposed to be cooler with a high of 52℉ and a low of 37℉. We're also having a little rain and a lot of humidity. For us, this is winter; it's doesn't get too much colder than this.

I am not a fan of blanketing. Instead, I keep my ponies with a full winter coat. I tend to go with what nature intended as often as possible. It's not that I think there is anything wrong with blanketing, I just don't. Well, not very often that is. I have more blankets than I can count, most of which are from my endurance years. I always blanket away from home since it's almost always colder elsewhere, but our barn is very snug, our winters very mild, and horses have a built in apparatus for warming themselves.

A few years ago, Montoya got hung up in her blanket and injured herself enough that she was out of competition for almost a year. She ultimately healed, but it reinforced my no need to blanket creed.

Speedy has been blanketed twice this season after getting pretty sweaty during his Monday night lessons. I don't like to put him away wet and naked. If he's damp, he gets blanketed until the next morning.

On Thursday night, I finally caved and tossed blankets on both my boys. I told our barn owner to leave them on during the day since it's not going to be any warmer. This way she won't have to put them back on tonight. We're going to Hubby's work party so I can't get to the barn to blanket myself.

Click photos to enlarge, especially since they're so good!

I think they'll be happier, but believe it or not, I won't be. I'll worry all day. Are they too warm? Are they tangled up? Is someone feeling claustrophobic? This is all silly as both boys have worn blankets many times before. They probably like the damn things and wonder why I deprive them all winter. Sometimes I ask myself the same question. Next week's weather is supposed to be just like yesterday's, only slightly cooler.

To blanket or not ...

Kelly link

12/14/2012 02:07:22 am

I have Riva blanketed most all the time, since I had her body clipped. Only a question of the light, medium, or heavy weight. Our retired TB only gets blanketed in extreme cold, though.

Our Indiana temps have been very mild so far this fall / winter - we have been in the high 40's for the past few days...but dip to the 20's at night. Makes it hard to decide!

Karen

12/14/2012 10:07:57 pm

Naked horses need blankets for sure!

Val

12/14/2012 09:42:26 pm

I made the decision to blanket Harley last year for the winter months. He is not clipped and has a thick coat, so I use a medium weight blanket only at night and then during the day when the winter is at its coldest. I started blanketing him last year in December, but it hasn't been that cold here yet, so I am waiting. I do not really like to blanket until the temperatures are below freezing. My vet says that she worries more about horses getting overheated from heavy blankets than she does from them being too cold.

12/14/2012 10:09:55 pm

I really don't like to blanket - neither horse wore one EVER last year. For horses that are clipped, hard keepers, old, etc. - theI think blanketing is necessary. But both my boys and round and sassy with THICK coats and they live in a comfy barn. I HATE to think of them being hot - I would go insane if I couldn't take my coat off!

SprinklerBandit link

12/14/2012 11:42:56 pm

You're missing one important point: blankets keep that long, nasty winter hair CLEAN. Huge timesaver.

My guy is full body clipped. Blankets for us!

12/14/2012 11:58:28 pm

That would be true for us except that we don't have long nasty winter! :0) I do frequent leg and belly washes even during the winter.

My TB stays super shiny all winter (his stall and run are bedded with pine pellets, no mud). My gray gets a little dingy, but stays far whiter than most ponies. I am sure the pellets help.

We get so little rain that there's not much mud to cause problems. Our arena is really sandy so even when they roll during turn out, the sand just falls off.

If my boys were clipped, they would get blanketed. Since they're not, they'll have to make do with their own winter coats. :0)

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Not-So-Speedy Dressage