Fall Is Here, Winter Is Coming, Time To Think About Blankets

We've survived another year of bugs, heat, and general summer misery. We're into cooler weather now which is so much nicer for our horses and ourselves. It also means that winter is coming before too long, so now is the time to prepare. One item on the fall to do list of most horse owners is a thorough inventory of our horses' winter wardrobes.

Our first concern is if we have all the necessary pieces available. What is necessary differs from horse to horse and climate to climate. If you live somewhere warm you may need nothing but a turnout sheet for rainy days. If you live somewhere very cold, you'll probably want lots of insulation. If your horse isn't clipped he may not need any blanketing at all if he has access to good shelter. On the other hand, if you plan to clip him extensively he will need coverage. My dream wardrobe for a horse living in a moderately cold climate, with a substantial clipping job and with regular turnout year round? Lots of layers. I stay more comfortable with a wardrobe of layers, I know my horses will as well. Rather than buy a heavy turnout blanket I would prefer to buy 4-6 lighter blankets.

1. A waterproof breathable turnout sheet. This is your outer most layer. It is easy to hose clean when it gets dirty, will keep your horse clean and his under layers dry and warm.
   
2. A quilted stable blanket (weight depending on climate and how extensively your horse will be clipped). This is your insulating middle layer. These are a pain to wash, but if you keep it sandwiched between the turnout sheet and a fleece or knit liner you probably won't need to launder it at all this winter.
3. At least 1 polar fleece cooler/liner, though I prefer to have 2-3 (one to wear and one to air or launder). These are your base layer next to your horses' skin. On warmer days these will be insulation enough under the turnout sheet. On colder days they keep your quilted blanket clean and add additional warmth. They also double as your cooler after exercise or a hot towel bath. The best part about these as a base layer is that they wash easily and dry quickly. Keeping liners clean and dry is the best thing we can do to prevent skin and coat issues from blanketing.
   
4. At least 1 knit anti-sweat sheet/liner, again I would prefer to have 2-3. These are another base layer. They offer less warmth but better moisture wicking and breathability than the fleece. They can be used directly under the turnout sheet for wet spring or fall days. For turnout this may be preferable to the fleece because it will help dry a horse who has been running around playing. On a really cold day you can put one under the other three layers to trap additional warm air next to your horse's skin. Again they can be used as a lightweight cooler after exercise or a bath. In really cold weather you can progressively cool out your horse by first covering him with an anti-sweat, then as he continues to cool you can put a fleece one over it. Like the fleece ones these are easy to wash, which helps keep our horses' skin happy.

After we've collected everything we need to of course make sure that it is clean, in good repair, and fits properly. Ideally we took care of all of this last spring before we put things away for the summer. But for those of us who procrastinated...we're running out of time and need to get a move on.