L'winter is fast approaching and it's already cold... The horses are starting to put on their winter coatand riders are starting to ask questions. One of these questions is: what blanket should I put on my horse? Rest assured, this article will give you the answers you need.

Why put a blanket on his horse? 

In winterthe horse's coat is more thicker, longerand more waterproof to create a thermal insulation layer. It thus protects itself from coldand wind and the rain. In nature, the horse is "designed" not to suffer from the cold and not to need a blanket. A horse that lives outside, does not work regularly and has a good shelter in its meadow can spend the winter " naked". By living outside, the horse gradually adapted to the temperature and produced hair accordingly.

"As arough guide, the lower critical temperature - below which the horse must be helped to fight the cold (additional energy intake, protection, shelter) - varies: from -15°C for adults to 22°C for newborns, via 0°C for foals." - Dr. I. Mennecier (1)

But today's living conditions for horses are different and require some additional considerations.

An (uncoated) horse that lives in a stall will be more sensitive to temperature changes than a pasture horse. He'll need a blanket at night, for example. The temperature is obviously important: an unsheared horse won't necessarily need a blanket at 5°C. It will, however, need a warm blanket at -12°C. He will, however, need a warm blanket at -12°C. Each horse must be considered on its own merits. Some breeds are more hardy than others. In fact, not all horses produce the same hair thickness. They therefore do not have the same resistance to cold.

In some cases, for a old horse or in ill health in particular, it will be necessary to cover the horse. It is possible to limit the development of winter coat of the horse and therefore reduce perspiration at work by putting a thin enough blanket on him early on to 'counteract' his natural metabolism. The coat will remain rather fine and the horse will be easier to dry after work. Finally, many horses are mowed in winterand must therefore be covered.

The case of the shorn horse 

Horses that work regularly, in order to prevent them from sweating too much, are usually mowed in the fall. Indeed, an increase in the sudation leads to more than fatigue for the horse, a electrolyte lossand a risk one cold snap after the session because of the drying time.

It is important toadjust mowing at life environment, medical statusand work level of the horse. Indeed, several types of mowing exist. The lightest one, for horses that work little, consists in mowing the parts of the horse that sweat first, such as the chest and the underside of the neck. Then, to avoid sweat and prevent injuries at the girth passage, you can also mow under the belly of the horse (apron mowing).

Other clippings are more suitable for stall horses working on a more regular basis. They involve more or less clipping the neck, belly, thighs and legs (draft and coat shearing) to semi-complete shearing (hunting shearing), which leaves a saddle-shaped area of hair on the back for horses in more intensive work, and even complete shearing for sport horses. In general, it is advisable not to clip the horse's withers, which is a sensitive area. For these types of clipping, the horse should be covered with a for working (at least at the beginning of the session) and wear a warm blanket in the stall, to prevent him from getting cold.

"A shorn horse will not have the same lower critical temperature (which will then be closer to 5°C), and must wear a blanket when going outside." - Dr. I. Mennecier (1)

The different covers

The resistance (deniers), heat protection (grammage), composition, quality and impermeability of a hedge are elements to be taken into account. There are different types of blankets: 'breathable' blankets made of polyester, polypropylene or nylon, and warmer blankets made of synthetic fibres.

The stable cover can be carried in winter by a horse living in a stall and the outdoor cover is rather used for meadow horses. In winter, we will also use Kidney cover during work sessions. The warmth of the blanket is expressed in grammage (from 100g to 400g); a high grammage corresponding to a warm blanket. This makes it possible toadapt the cover to the horse A zero grammage to protect an unsheared horse from bad weather and a higher grammage to protect an old or sheared horse completely from the cold.

An uncoated horse will generally not need blankets with a weight greater than 200g. The shorn horse will need several different blankets, to be adapted according to the temperature.

Our little tips for winter 😎

It is important that meadow horses have a healthy shelter and own to protect them. A good layer of straw will allow them to lie down comfortably and keep warm. It is possible to create additional insulation by leaving a thin layer of manure on the floor and underneath the straw layer. Special attention will need to be paid to horse memberslbecause the mud may cause scabies and cracks to be treated as soon as possible for an easier and quicker recovery.

Box horses, even if they have the extra protection of the stall or stable, are not to be neglected in winter. When the nights are very cold, they will need (another) coverand we'll have to be very careful close the doors stables and/or shutters on the boxes to keep them from getting cold.

In winter, the nutrition of the horse is an important point to consider. In spite of the cold, the horse still needs drink a lot. It is necessary to check that there is water available, and above all that it is not frozen (whether for horses in the meadow or in the stall). Put a chunk of wood in the water trough is not always enough to prevent freezing; one solution to avoid having to break the ice and replace the water morning and evening may be to invest in a stable or outdoor 'anti-freeze' drinking troughs.

It may also be necessary toadjust the ration of the horse

which, like us, will use more energy to warm up. Some horses will also need supplements. In addition, it is important that the horse has a good amount of hay (as much as possible), especially in winter.

Finally, at work, you have to take the time to warm up your horse by warming him up. walking at least 10 minutes before starting the session, to give him time to warm up and 'get going'. Less intensive sessions with rest time are to be preferred to prevent the horse from sweating too much. After the session, it will be necessary to make sure that the drys, including the use of a dry blanket...so he doesn't catch cold.

See also our article on: How to work your horse in winter?

See you soon for a new article,

The Seaver team 😘

(1) Office of Dr. Laurens