Deciding what winter horse blankets you need for the upcoming winter can be confusing and frustrating. With so many blankets on the market and no one-size-fits-all solution, shopping for horse blankets isn’t usually an equestrian’s favorite activity. But, since we all love spoiling our horses, we’ve made it easy for you to find the right winter wardrobe for your horse on Breeches.com.
For the Clipped Performance Horse
Many riders who have big goals either over the winter months or in the early spring will continue working and training in all but the most extreme weather. To avoid having to practically blow dry the sweat off of their horse’s thick winter coats, most of these riders will clip their horses to some degree. But, that does create a problem when it comes to blanketing. When you clip a horse, you take away their natural ability to stay warm all winter long and have to replace that natural coat with winter horse blankets.
If you’re clipping your performance horse this winter, you’ll need everything from a lightweight to a heavyweight horse blanket, including at least one with a neck or hood and, if your horse is particularly sensitive to the cold, possibly even one with a belly band or wrap. Keep in mind that there are many different styles of clip and how heavily you blanket your horse will depend on what clip you choose. The more hair you take off, the heavier you’ll have to blanket.
For your lightweight blanket, we recommend the TuffRider Ripstop Lightweight Turnout Blanket. With 100 grams of fill and a standard neck, this winter horse blanket is perfect for a clipped horse on a cool day where there’s a little bit of bite to the breeze. You’re most likely to use this horse blanket the most in the late fall and early winter, or you can use it on the coldest days to layer over your heavyweight blanket.
A mediumweight blanket, like the TuffRider Comfy Mediumweight Turnout Blanket will be the workhorse of your horse’s winter wardrobe. This is the winter blanket your horse will wear the most all winter long, as it will keep them warm on the majority of winter days. With a 1200 denier exterior shell and a detachable hood, this winter horse blanket offers you the flexibility to adjust your horse’s wardrobe for whatever the weather and the durability to last all winter long.
Finally, you’ll also want a heavyweight horse blanket for those frigid winter days when it’s extremely cold for your area and there’s snow on the ground. The TuffRider Super Comfy Heavyweight Turnout Blanket features our strongest exterior shell– 1680 denier, which will be tough for even the most rambunctious horse to rip. With 350 grams of fill and a detachable hood, this winter horse blanket will keep your horse snug as a bug in a rug, even if they’ve had a full clip.
For the “Yak”
On the opposite end of the spectrum from the clipped performance horse, we have the yak. These horses will grow winter coats that are so thick, you could lose sight of your hand in the depth of their fur. Typically draft horses, Shetland ponies, or cobs, these horses would be happy standing outside in even the worst winter weather without a blanket.
However, you will run into different issues with horses that grow such a thick winter coat. With such a thick coat, they will sweat a lot while you ride and after running around in the pasture, which will greatly impact the efficiency of their coat. To get them dry quickly after riding, use a cooler, like this one, to wick sweat away from their body and keep them warm while they dry. Made from anti-pill polyester fleece fabric, this cooler will dry them faster than air drying alone.
Similar to sweat, rainy days can greatly negate your horse’s ability to keep themselves warm. If their coat gets too wet and flattened down with rain, they can quickly become cold and begin to shiver. A rain sheet is a great tool to have on hand to help them stay warm and dry on rainy days.
For the Young at Heart
As our horses get older, you may notice they have a more difficult time holding onto their weight and growing a coat that’s thick enough to keep them warm. To help them maintain their weight and stop them from shivering off precious calories, you’ll most likely need to blanket them more heavily than you did when they were younger.
It’s crucial to have a good rain sheet with a neck on hand. They can wear this solo on cool fall days or you can layer it over a heavier blanket when the weather takes a turn for the worse. Your main goal should be to keep their body temperature stable– not too hot or too cold– so they don’t have to expend calories.
A mediumweight winter horse blanket, like the TuffRider Turnout Comfy Mediumweight Blanket, will be your go-to for these old souls. While they may be young at heart, these horses are (hopefully) not as rough on their blankets as the colt next door, so opt for a slightly lighter exterior shell, like 1200 denier, and opt for maximum comfort for their thin skin instead. This TuffRider Comfy Mediumweight has a silky smooth inner lining that will make them feel like they’ve been freshly brushed every time you take it off.
Finally, you will need a heavyweight winter horse blanket for your older horses, even if you live in the middle of the United States where it may not be as cold as, for example, Michigan or Maine. Remember, if your older horse is shivering, they’re burning calories that they need to hold onto to maintain their weight and stay healthy well into their golden years.
For the Stable Queen
A common occurrence in Western pleasure and dressage barns across the United States, there’s one more type of horse that will need some pampering in the coming winter months– the Stable Queen. Whether by their owner’s request or simply because they refuse to set foot outside in the snow, this horse spends more time inside than out as soon as the weather turns.
For these horses, a good stable blanket and a mediumweight turnout blanket are crucial pieces in their winter wardrobe. A stable blanket, like the TuffRider Comfy Standard Neck Medium Weight Stable Blanket, has just enough fill to keep them warm inside a closed stable, but not so much that they’ll overheat. With a 420 denier outer shell, this stable blanket will hold up to the general wear and tear of living inside.
If the Stable Queen on your farm starts to head for the barn door as soon as a mild autumn breeze begins to blow, you may also want to add the TuffRider ThermoManager Stable Blanket to their winter wardrobe. Designed “like a sandwich,” this blanket is made with polyester / cotton / viscose on top and bottom with a polyester fill in between for exceptional excellent thermal insulation. Like your favorite TV-watching blanket, the ThermoManager Stable Blanket ensures your horse won’t be too cold or too hot in their stall this winter.
Breeches.com: Better Blankets for Your Budget
At Breeches.com, we pride ourselves on supplying our customers with everything their horse will need to get through the winter months, no matter who they have in their barn. While some horses need fewer blankets (or none at all!) and others need to have a winter wardrobe that rivals their owner’s, every horse in the barn needs a little extra TLC to get through the winter healthy, and happy.
Need a new blanket for your horse? Shop now on Breeches.com.