HorseWise

Weighing Your

Winter Blanketing   Options

With Bobbie Wowryk, Town n' Country Tack

BY JESS HALLAS-KILCOYNE

Q

How do I determine the best winter blanket weight for my horse so he doesn't get chilled or overheated?

A

   When choosing a winter blanket for your horse, a number of considerations can help you avoid under or over-blanketing your horse, including climate, your horses hair coat, and his environment. But first, let's review the various horse blanket weights available.

The warmth a horse blanket provides is determined by the amount of insulating fill (the fluffy material sandwiched between the lining and the shell of the blanket) it contains. Measured in grams, the fill weigjht starts at about 100 grams for a typical lightweight blanket, 200 to 250 grams for midweight, and anywhere from 340 up to 500 grams for heavyweight.

Consider your climate. Look at last winter's lowest temperatures and plan your horse's wardrobe accordingly, but do not over-blanket. Horses are outdoor

Depending on the climate and the individual, a healthy horse with a thick winter coat will be comfortable without a blanket as long as he has shelter from rain, snow, and wind.

In addition to temperature considerations, blanketing decisions should be made based upon the climate, the horse's age, general health, natural hair coat thickness, and whether he is stabled at night or turned out 24/7.

Fully or partially clipped horses need a heavier blanket with more fill to compensate for the loss of their hair coat and protect them against winter weather.

animals, and can cope with cold much better than humans.

Most horses living on the wet and mild West Coast of British Columbia can comfortably withstand the rigours of winters without the heavyweight blankets often required by horses in other parts of Canada where sub-zero temperatures are the norm.

Unless you live in an area that experiences extreme sub-zero weather, Bobbie Wowryk, owner of Town n' Country Tack, a horse blanket manufacturing company based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, recommends against purchasing a blanket with more than 500 grams of fill.

"It's really important that people don't go absolutely crazy on the thick polyfill unless you need it," says Wowryk. "When we get into minus 50 degrees Celsius, you'll need it. But the second it goes to minus 30 degrees, change that blanket!"

Nature's blanket - your horse's hair coat - plays an important role in determining the blanket weight he needs. A horse whose winter coat is allowed to grow naturally will typically never require anything heavier than a midweight blanket, except in cases of extreme cold or poor weather. A woolly bear should not have a 500 gram pofynll blanket.

"A horse with a healthy winter coat might end up sweating under a heavy blanket, and that's not healthy, says Wowryk. "Bring it down to a 250 gram pofynll."

Some undipped horses with thick hair coats are quite comfortable without a blanket if they have adequate shelter from rain, snow, and wind. However, if your horse is body clipped you'll need to compensate with a blanket of appropriate weight.

Also keep in mind that senior horses and ponies, even those with thick, shaggy coats, may require heavier blankets than their younger herd mates due to certain physiological changes characteristic of old age, which include reduced appetite, slower metabolism, and an overall decrease in the ability to regulate body temperature.

Finally, your horse's blanket should reflect his environment. A clipped horse enjoying turnout during winter will need a heavier blanket than his stabled counterpart, and wardrobe changes may be necessary for a horse turned out during the day and brought into the barn at night.

Factors that influence the choice of blanket for a stabled horse include the construction of the barn including whether it's insulated or heated, and the number of horses in the stable generating body heat.

Once you have chosen the appropriate blanket for your horse, be sure to monitor temperature and weather changes, and adjust his wardrobe as needed. Check your horse daily for signs that he is shivering or overheated.

   www.HORSEJournais.com   •   October 2013

………………..

I  personally  do  not  blanket  my  horse.  She's  lived  outside  all  of  her  life.  And  here  in  Calgary [others parts of the west also]  it  can  get  to  -30 C [or  more]  for  a  week  at  a  time,  during  the  coldest  month  of  January.

Very  important  if  you  do  as  I  do:  if  you  sweat-up  your  horse,  you'll  need  a  good  cooling  blanket [I  have  one  that  goes  also  under  the  belly  and  up  over  the  neck  to  the  ears.  Then  you'll  still  need  to  use  a  hair-dryer  on  you're  horse.

IF  UN-CLIPPED: MAKE  SURE,  YOUR  HORSE  IS  COMPLETELY  DRY  BEFORE  TURNING  BACK  OUT,  ESPECIALLY  IF  IT  IS  IN  THE  -20  -30  C  OR  MORE  RANGE.  MUST  BE  NICE  AND  DRY.  IF  I  WORK  MY  HORSE  INTO  A  SWEAT,  I  KNOW  I'LL  BE  AT  LEAST  ONE  HOUR  GETTING  HER  COMPLETELY  DRY.  BETTER  BE  OVERLY DRY  THAN  THE  OPPOSITE.  KEEP  THE  HAIR-DRYER  MOVING  AS  YOU  USE  IT,  THEN  YOU  CAN  PUT  IT  ON  MAXINE  HEAT  SETTING.

Keith Hunt

1-800-842-6075