Choosing a horse blanket

[S_mores]

I live in Northern BC and recently bought a horse. We get snow, wind, and temperatures to sometimes -40 celscius or below during the winter with wind chills on top of that :eek:. I’m looking for advice/ tips on purchasing him a winter blanket.
He will be left with his natural coat but he is going for training for 3 months over the winter and will be living outside in a paddock the majority of the time. She brings them into the barn only when it’s extremely cold , wind, stormy , etc. She said hay will in front of him for the majority of the time and grain/supplements if necessary. I’m thinking I will ask her to put the blanket on him for -10 or below, perhaps just over night but I’m not sure.
I am going to most likely be buying a blanket from Greenhawk, Pleasant ridge saddlery or a local tack store. Any recommended [Canadian] brands ? What sort of things should I be looking for considering the climate? Thanks

p.s. the previous owner said she did not blanket him in the winter but i’d rather get him one

[Scribbler]

I feel if they are out on true range, with other horses to cuddle up to, and natural wind breaks, and the ability to gallop around and warm up, then they may not need blankets but that they are actually a little colder and more miserable if they are standing around in paddocks or small holding pens, without a herd and without the ability to go run around.

The two important things are, does the blanket fit? and, is it reliably waterproof? Fit is about size, obviously, but also about the cut of the blanket. You don’t want it to rub or to pull down on his withers when he lowers his head to eat. I would try to borrow a few blankets to put on him, see how they fit. Also get the measuring instructions from the retailer, I think it’s usually from the middle of the chest to the tail.

[JB]

I assume the horse is from the same area, so already acclimated to those conditions? That will make a big difference.

Assuming that’s the case, then there’s still so much unknown. Just because he wasn’t blanketed before doesn’t mean he was always comfortable.

I’m interested to know what his work will be for those 3 months. If it’s serious work, to the point where he works up a good sweat under that coat, he may need at least some clipping, which will also affect what conditions he can handle.

Sheets need to break the wind, but not lay the coat down (much) and thereby remove the natural warmth factor. This would be a light sheet.

Blankets are going to lay hair down, removing that warmth factor, so they need to replace at least most of that warmth. For a lot of horses, even up there, a medium weight is fine, but it depends on how dense their coat is.

A heavyweight blanket isn’t out of the question, but may not be necessary if he’s going to be coming in for the worst of things.

All turnout sheets/blankets need to be waterproof and breathable. You’re just going to have to try blankets on to see what fits him best, unfortunately.

If he’s got any particular challenges, such as monster withers, giant shoulders, very shallow or very deep girthed, etc, that will help people recommend brands. Otherwise the possible fits are like Schrodinger’s Cat - you won’t know until you open the bag

[Highflyer]

Have you talked to the trainer about it at all? Does she blanket any of the others? She may have preferences-- for example if our boarders want their horses blanketed (which we charge extra for) I want the horses to have a couple of different blanket options-- at least a sheet and a midweight.

[S_mores]

@JB

I assume the horse is from the same area, so already acclimated to those conditions? That will make a big difference.

Assuming that’s the case, then there’s still so much unknown. Just because he wasn’t blanketed before doesn’t mean he was always comfortable.

I’m interested to know what his work will be for those 3 months. If it’s serious work, to the point where he works up a good sweat under that coat, he may need at least some clipping, which will also affect what conditions he can handle.

Sheets need to break the wind, but not lay the coat down (much) and thereby remove the natural warmth factor. This would be a light sheet.

Blankets are going to lay hair down, removing that warmth factor, so they need to replace at least most of that warmth. For a lot of horses, even up there, a medium weight is fine, but it depends on how dense their coat is.

A heavyweight blanket isn’t out of the question, but may not be necessary if he’s going to be coming in for the worst of things.

All turnout sheets/blankets need to be waterproof and breathable. You’re just going to have to try blankets on to see what fits him best, unfortunately.

If he’s got any particular challenges, such as monster withers, giant shoulders, very shallow or very deep girthed, etc, that will help people recommend brands. Otherwise the possible fits are like Schrodinger’s Cat - you won’t know until you open the bag

He is from this area and far as I know always lived here so is acclimated.

I don’t have any blankets to try on him for fit but I did measure him from center of chest to tail and he’s 72 inches. I guess I’ll just have to buy one and return it if the particular brand doesn’t work for him fit wise. He doesn’t have any particular confirmation quirks.

I did ask the trainer about whether he will need to be clipped but she said she keeps them with their natural coat but that she doesn’t generally work them up too much (not tons of sweating) & after a session he’ll be kept inside with a cooler until he dries.

[S_mores]

I’m also wondering whether to get one that will cover his neck?

[Scribbler]

@Smoke

I’m also wondering whether to get one that will cover his neck?

If he has been out in this weather unblanketed up to now he probably doesn’t need a neck cover if he isn’t sweaty or clipped. If the blanket had a removable neck cover you could have it in case things change.

Blankets come with their own set of problems including over heating and fungal infections.

[S_mores]

So if he has shelter and a thick coat is he better off with no blanket?

[JB]

Horses are always better off without blankets until the situation arises when they need it.

Having access to a shelter doesn’t mean he’ll use it. But if its use is a situation where he’d be brought into the barn anyway, that’s a moot point.

Blanketing is way more art than science. The science only tells you how many grams of fill, the durablity of its shell and lining, breathability and waterproofing, and fit. But the art is all about when to use one and when it’s needed, what to use. For that, you just have to experiment.