This is a decision every horse owner faces come winter time. Some questions to ask yourself as you debate this issue include:
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Is your horse turned out or kept in a stall?
The stall kept horse is probably a horse in training and being worked hard. This horse has either been clipped or is
under lights to discourage the growth of a winter coat. They need a blanket to give the benefits of their lack of hair coat.
The turned out horse should still have some sort of shelter whether blanketed or not, but especially in our damp climate a
blanket can be a good idea. A blanket can keep your horse from getting chilled on a wet, windy day.
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Will he be clipped or allowed to grow a thick furry coat?
The clipped horse will need a heavier blanket than the horse with a natural winter coat.
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Do you plan to ride a lot through the winter months?
If you plan to ride through the winter months, one big benefit for blanketing your horse is keeping him clean. With the
diminishing daylight hours, who wants to spend half your available time trying to find your horse underneath a mountain of
caked on mud? With a blanket, take the blanket off, and--voila!--a clean horse underneath!
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Is your horse older or a hard keeper?
If your horse is older, or a hard keeper, the last thing they need is to spend needed calories keeping warm. It is a good idea to
blanket your horse in this type of situation so that your feed is going to keeping weight on, not to keeping them warm.
English Tack