The Blanketing Post

This time of year, one of the biggest debates in the horse world begins, and that involves the hot (or cold?) topic of blanketing!

There are countless memes about blanketing, dozens and dozens of facebook group posts, numerous articles and it seems that everyone has an opinion on the subject, so what the heck…here is mine!

If you are a barn owner, the biggest complaint it seems on social media is that blanketing horses is a major PIA. Especially if you run a large boarding barn. Should you charge extra? Do you enact rules regarding how many blanket changes you will do in a day per horse? Do you even bother to blanket?

If you run a boarding barn, remember, the horse comes first. There is a reason you chose this business, and it was for the love of the horse. Blanketing horses is just one of those chores that comes with the territory of operating a barn, just as dumping water buckets multiple times a day in extreme heat.

I have been on both sides of the fence as both boarder and barn owner/manager and while I was a new boarder at one barn, I did not appreciate finding out in December that there was going to be a charge to blanket my 3 horses. None of the other new boarders appreciated that either. The biggest complaint from barn owners is that it takes time to blanket. Yes, that is true. Especially if you have many horses. But if you have lots of horses in your care, most likely you have the necessary help to blanket and un-blanket those horses. Boarders do not like to be nickeled and dimed and your best policy would be to figure out how much time it takes and what you are paying your help, or what your time costs and figure your fee into your board rate and charge just one flat boarding rate. The average that barns who charge for blanketing appears to be $30-40 month, so just add that cost into your overall board bill.

Another complaint is that boarders demand multiple blanket changes in one day. This is where the manager needs to set their foot down and have a rule which states that horses will be blanketed so many times per day. I can relate to wanting multiple changes. I had a Thoroughbred mare who was very sensitive to the weather changes. Especially here in Florida, where we can be in the low 80’s during the days and drop into the 40’s or even 30’s overnight. She did not grow a winter coat and it was imperative that she went into a sheet at 59 degrees, which was changed out to a blanket at 49. If the temperature dropped into the low 30’s, then she required an even heavier blanket or layers. If not, she would colic. She also was fed warm mashes during these extreme weather changes. After 2 winter colics, once I enacted these changes, she never coliced again. Thankfully, she was in a situation where I was there to accommodate these changes, rather than imposing these unreasonable demands on a barn manager.

As a horse owner, we all love to blanket our horses. It makes us feel good to see our horse all bundled up in the winter. I myself love winter and love wearing coats and boots and scarves, so it is natural to project these feelings onto our horses (or dogs for that matter!)

But a horse owner needs to be logical when it comes to blankets. For example, if you own a Quarter Horse, draft horse or a pony, chances are that they already are well equipped for most winters with their own winter coat. Sensitive breeds, such as Thoroughbreds and Arabians will most likely not grow a coat and will probably need extra help with sheets or blankets. In addition, horses which have been clipped and senior horses will also need extra care in the winter to keep them warm.

If you board your horse, help out whenever you can by blanketing not only your own horse, but other horses as well. Don’t place unreasonable demands on your barn staff, such as requesting multiple blanket changes per day (or else be prepared to pay extra for doing so.) Your barn staff will really appreciate the extra help. But be sure you know how to properly blanket, and that includes attaching the leg straps properly. Barn staff should also be knowledgeable in knowing how to properly blanket and knowing which blanket to use and when. I once worked at a top show barn and came to work one morning and discovered that half the horses were wearing coolers and not blankets.

At the end of the day, you know your horse best. If your horse is a wooly mammoth, don’t let anyone make you feel bad because he is going without a blanket while romping in the snow. And likewise, don’t let anyone tell you your horse doesn’t need a blanket, when you know for sure that your horse is a wuss or is sensitive skinned and needs one!

Happy Trails!