Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE Newsletter Archives

Will horse get chilled without a blanket?

From: Kristen

Hi, My name is Kristen and I have a question? My horse just got back from a training school where he was blanketed with a sheet and a stable blanket. The horses there were kept in thier stalls all day except to be ridden. But this weekend I brought him back over to the boarding stable i usually keep him. The set up there is compleatly differnt all except for mine barley ever get ridden and they are all let out all day then put back up at night. I'm afraid to keep the blankets on him while I turn him out but if I dont he'll get a chill. But keeping him up is not an option, he's too unhappy watching the other horses running in the pasture. I really dont know what to do if you can please get back to me asap! thanks! Kristen!

Hi Kristen! Don't worry about the blanket, fold it up and put it away and turn your horse out with his friends. Unless your horse's training barn was in a very warm climate and you have moved him several states away, to a much colder climate, AND unless he has been body-clipped and has NO coat at all, AND the outside temperature is at freezing level or lower, your horse should do very well turned out without a blanket. If he's spending all day playing with friends in a pasture, he'll be much more comfortable without a blanket, and he'll be much healthier without it. Even if his coat is short, if he gets cold, his coat will stand up on end, like a bird with fluffed-up feathers, and that will help him stay warm.

Here are a few more reasons:

If you turn him out with a blanket on, it will get torn by the other horses, someone will step on it, and he won't have a blanket anymore.

If you turn him out with a blanket on, he won't be able to move around as easily - very few blankets are actually designed to let horses move freely.

If you turn him out with a blanket on and he runs around anyway, he'll get sweaty and not be able to get dry again, and then, if it gets cold, he will be REALLY cold. If it doesn't get cold, he'll still be a very uncomfortable and unhappy horse.... and he'll be likely to get some nasty skin conditions, too.

Your horse is undoubtedly much, much happier - and will be much, much HEALTHIER - now that he's in a place where he can be out at least half of the time, and where he doesn't have to stay in a stall wearing blankets. You're giving him a chance to live like a horse - not like a Barbie doll in a box. Good for you.

Jessica

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