The Three Reasons We Don't Blanket Our Horses In The Winter Here

[@virginiamoss7045]

Will habitually and regularly blanketing a horse when the weather gets cool or cold, day and night, prevent a heavier fur coat to form so that, if the blanket comes off, the horse is not protected enough? Additionally, I've seen horses shaved in winter (to look "well groomed") with a blanket kept on most of the time. Is that blanket enough to keep them warm in a cold climate? Also, if they sweat (from exercise or even inner condensation) under a blanket, will that cause them to chill?

[@StableHorseTraining]

Good questions. I don't have any studies on hand so I can't write down that I know any of these items for sure. What I can say is that I've studied the effects of blanketing quite a bit and we can definitely make some comparisons to our own bodies and species. I believe habitually blanketing horses reduces their immunity to the cold for two reasons. The first is that it mats down their fur and it can take up to two weeks to recover from that. I did a video with one of the horses that was here that was blanketed for just a few days and then not blanketed for a couple of weeks and there was a visible difference in the height of the "fluff" of the fur between the neck and body. The neck wasn't blanketed as it wasn't a full body blanket and as such there was a clear demarcation between the two sections of the horse's body that had matted or lower fur compared to fully fluffed up fur on the neck. The second is that we as humans can acclimate ourselves to cold if we try. Look at people that do polar bear swims... I could never do that! Unless I practiced and practiced etc and then it's just a way of life. People who live in warm climates get cold easy and people in cold climates get hot easily. Acclimation to an environment can be artificially stunted no problem. I do not believe a blanket stops fur growth. I do believe it can wear it down or even off due to excessive rubbing though. Shaved horses have had their natural protection removed, it should be illegal like it is in some places for dogs, but unfortunately the laws haven't evolved enough yet for horses. I couldn't say for sure if the blanket is enough for those horses, but keep in mind that those horses are almost never allowed out of their closet sized stall, so they probably stay toasty no matter what due to the size of them. The laws of thermodynamics kick in too for horses that a large body takes longer to change temperatures. Horses are big hot creatures... Sweating under a blanket is a real problem and plenty of horses are just begging to be able to cool off and they can't with a blanket on unlike if they were left to their natural abilities. Horses fluff up when they are cold and their fur mats back down when they are hot. It's called piloerection of the hair follicle and we have it too. A blanket completely inhibits a horse from cooling and sweating under their blanket is a very very common problem as people leave blankets on in the warm sun of the afternoon because they are too lazy or just plain not around enough to remove it when it's not night time.

[@jennifer1110]

@@StableHorseTraining thank you for your thorough answer and I appreciate the question being asked! I am so glad I found this channel.

[@BlessingRose]

@@StableHorseTraining This is all so fascinating! I don't own horses, but I love learning about them all the same. Thanks for the answer and videos!

[@fluffybunny8157]

@@jennifer1110 me too!

[@jmgill7074]

I did wonder thank you

[@annieshattuck8171]

Thanks for your video..HAPPY HORSEY HOLIDAY

[@Conny226]

U answered my question thank you😊

[@StableHorseTraining]

No problem 😊

[@saira7741]

learning plenty from your videos on horses. More so than I thought. Thank you

[@StableHorseTraining]

my pleasure

[@chrisusher7144]

Mine have hay 3 two tiimes a day and grass oats carrots apples bananas and lots of love and shelter no blackets south of Oregon on the coast

[@Beachy1955]

Thank you for explaining why you don’t use blankets. All of your horses appear to be very happy, content and well fed. It’s so heartwarming to see. ❤️

[@TheLostBear78]

I live rural in Alaska. Used to have blankets for my ponies, years ago, but they never got used, eventually the mice got into where they were stored, and destroyed the blankets. But I never replaced them. The ponies never needed them. I feed twice a day, but it it's below 0F I increase the amount I feed, so they will have a surplus of hay, so it lasts till the next feeding. Right now at +20F, a standard square bale lasts me 5 feedings. At -25F it will only be 2 feedings per bale. Never seen either pony shivering.

[@StableHorseTraining]

That's pretty funny. You warmed up the mice and rats instead! Sounds like you have it all figured out there, that's terrific. Sounds pretty damn cold to me though... I would need a lot of layers to be out in that!

[@kathygahan6892]

thanks for the video u linked me

[@kathygahan6892]

thanks

[@janeahlstrom9916]

U r an incredibly kind man, the way u respect the animals.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Thank you very much

[@kelsiecaswell9845]

Horses don't need blankies in the wild, they don't need blankies there. Great video!

[@StableHorseTraining]

well... my method isn't a catch-all for all horses. Just because horses in the wild don't need them, doesn't define they don't need them while in captivity. This video was about why they don't need them due to efforts to simulate a more natural eating style for horses and also making sure to provide shelter from the wind and rain/snow. Horses that have to stand out in the rain due to a lack of shelter, not be able to eat all the time (almost any barn I've been to) and/or an inability to grow a natural coat either due to sickness or old age, generally "need" blankets or they will succumb no different than the wild horses do and freeze to death or just plain use too much energy and get very skinny.

[@jomama5186]

This is so interesting !!!I am learning OODLES ! Thank you for making these videos and explaining things so well. I am really enjoying learning so much! 🙏❤

[@martineinfrance]

I noticed some horses sweat/steam in the winter after a ride or tense exercize so people brush them to dry up or put a blanket on particularly on the ones shaved. I'm against shaving and blanketing but understand that sometimes a blanket might be needed on an elderly or sick horse who is not in his full natural capacity to regulate his body temperature.

[@chrisusher7144]

Merry Christmas to you and yours and Zeus you place is paradise be happy and thank God it's great there and your so awesome sweet

[@jeanday9747]

I didn't put a blanket on my horses either. They always had a nice thick natural coats and didn't need extra. Never had any problems. Good informative video for those who don't understand. 💗

[@eldupont3095]

I always thought the point of the blanket was to prevent the fluffiness - for aesthetic reasons. That seemed to be the case at the barn I rode at growing up. I remember some of the boarded horses always had blankets, but others didn't. I once asked the owner "does this horse need a blanket?" before bringing him outside. and she said "nah, let him get fluffy"

[@marthaford6952]

I have an another question how come people build barns for their animal

[@StableHorseTraining]

I don't know the intentions and thoughts of others. I would only be guessing.

[@marthaford6952]

@@StableHorseTraining So you don't believe your horses need a barn is that what you're telling me

[@StableHorseTraining]

@@marthaford6952 It's encouraging to read that you've understood what I've put out in my videos about how horses stay warm and dry and why some don't. Hopefully we can put this line of questioning to a rest now.

[@terridinneen8870]

Thanks!! Been watching your channel for a few weeks along with about 4 other horse channels. Yours, by far, is my favorite!! You just answered all 3 of my questions in this video. Blankets, hay bags, and shelters not enclosed. I also didn't know there was a "rain forest" in Canada. You're always so informative!!! Thank you again!!!

[@StableHorseTraining]

Wow, thank you! I really appreciate you letting me know that. Glad I could answer all your questions :) Yes, it's not a temperate rain forest like we hear about in jungles kind of thing, but it is classified as a rain forest here.

[@MsBizzyGurl]

Zeus is such a personality!

[@meep_show]

Ive put a blanket on my horse because hes currently gaining weight and has a sensitive back. When it was colder and he didnt have a blanket on he was pretty stiff while riding and generally tense. Since were blanketing him in the cold months when the outside temp goes below 5°C at night we put him in a blanket to ensure hes able to turn the energy into body fat (he had his ribs showing when we got him).

[@meep_show]

I dont think clipping/or blanketing is neccesary for all horses, but if their genetics or eventual diseases have an impact on their health i think its a good thing to put on a blanket (e.g. cushings disease and similar diseases)

[@starlenekalinski5633]

I do agree 100% with you about blankets.

[@bonblue4993]

If you have a three-sided cover, it should be curved so there are no corners so that if a horse needs to escape for any reason, he won't get stuck in a corner or feel blocked in. Horses always need to be able to escape if need be. I agree about no blankets - that's a human invention and the only time it should be used is under circumstances that call for it like being sick in a very cold weather or traveling long distances in a van in very cold weather. .

[@StableHorseTraining]

Good point about a 3 sided structure

[@lindat6729]

What do you think about the information that more and more horses have tension in the neck/atlas vertebra. One thought/ contributing reason could apparently have been slow feeding nets. It gives an incorrect eating position and unnatural jerking of the neck, which causes locks and tension in the horse's body vs the positive that it will prolong their eating time. Not judging your feeding way😊 just curious to know your opinion regarding this.

[@StableHorseTraining]

If I recall, that study was done with people putting haybags 5 feet off the ground. There are a few other reasons why that height is bad for horses, if those are provable then it's interesting to add to the mix that haybags should be put much lower. Overall, yes I can understand how haybags can add tension for a horses body for sure, but I believe regular exercise and movement (study also had horses stuck in tiny stalls) relieves a lot of that.

[@lindat6729]

@@StableHorseTraining thank you for the answer.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Agreed but it's impossible at this time to do when in captivity and still meet the other needs of the horses

[@sidilicious11]

I wonder if eating from hay bags wears their front teeth unnaturally.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Some slow feeders are made of hard plastic, those have been shown to wear down the enamel prematurely. Fabric/nylon has not been shown to wear them down unnaturally. In fact I'm fixing the nets so often it's the opposite problem...

[@TheZklassen]

I wish I could find a hay bag that my naughty Fjord won’t rip apart 😂 before we got her she was used to eating twice a day in the winter but we try and divide her feed up between three times a day. I have never blanketed her because she has such a beautiful thick coat in the winter and a barn to get cover in that she refuses to use unless she is eating and chooses to take cover under trees 😁

[@StableHorseTraining]

Nag bags are the only bags I use now. I do have to fix them here and there but they usually last years. Also, make sure your hay bag can move and twist around. Tying them down tight will have a horse be able to get more leverage and also just pick at one spot all the time. Horses (all of them) rip apart the cheap ones without issue and they are a waste of money.

[@jennifer1110]

Thank you so much for sharing about blankets and your shelters. I've never had a horse, but have always loved them and have been binge watching as many videos as I can find these past couple years to learn about their behavior and care. I hope to bring several horses to my property (5 acres) in the coming years. I have been curious about this topic because our winters get cold too (Ohio) and I was wondering if a shedrow barn would be sufficient for warmth and shelter at night. Do your horses also have barn stalls or are the individual areas and shelters where they stay at night too?

[@StableHorseTraining]

The shelters are what you see 😊

[@jennifer1110]

@@StableHorseTraining good to know since I think where you're at gets colder! Thank you 😊 Happy Holidays!

[@pattirockgarden4423]

Agree & do same. Rain & excessive sweat in cold weather is more concerning.

[@barbaracollins5605]

Thankyou for such important information. How should I groom my horse in the winter to keep from brushing off any of his coat?

[@StableHorseTraining]

Just a normal brush should be fine, I've never had an issue of brushing off a horse's coat unless you just went nuts doing it :)

[@barbaracollins5605]

Thanks Stable for the much needed info.

[@tracycameron5099]

question that has occured to me...what about forest fire where you are surrounded by forest and BC is getting relentlessly hit lately? you seem to be quite far north...does that make a difference?

[@StableHorseTraining]

I am almost furthest South that I can get in B.C. actually, probably less than an hour to the border. All good here, it's much further north and east that the fires have been hitting. Thanks for your concern though!

[@sintara8442]

Yes i dont like blankets at all and shaving is even worse! Unfortunately one of my ottb horse, that came from the nice hot climate of france, doesnt get a good enough coat of fur to keep without blankets here. But, this year she is better than last so i have hope for the future. She is always outside with friends, has shelter and unlimited hay in multiple places. When she gets too cold she stops eating and is in danger of colics (has happened the first time). She got the blanket on mid november and its off whenever it is possible, even if its just a few hours.. :)

[@DANdan-co9ux]

They looks warn with the fllafy coat😍I also want to rub it😍

[@ChrisS-fh7zt]

I wish the Belgians I know and be around only used 2 flakes, each eat about 250 lbs of hay a day (24 hour period), but of course they all are about 2,000 lbs or more and average about 16.2 hh at the shoulder. But each can almost pull half their weight and so put that food intake to good use most of the time.

[@StableHorseTraining]

That's insane... I can't even imagine that hay bill.

[@ChrisS-fh7zt]

@@StableHorseTraining We'll that is why he owns 120 acres and so has about 40 of it for hay production and another 40 for corn, or rye depending on the rotation, hence why he owns 6 Belgians to plant, plow and pick/ harvest the 2 fields, and 3 American and Dutch saddlebred's for his buggies. So he doesn't have to sweat too much for that bill unless winter is a little longer than usual and so might have to get 2 or 3 bails (the big round type that are made in bailers) so as to get through it and so wait for the pasture to turn green and bloom in spring.

[@scratchgolfer12]

Love me some Zeus

[@cousiwa09]

What I can't stand is clipping horses.... Then the owner throws a rug over them... And next a neck rug.... Then puts the horse in a stable... stupid imo.

[@StableHorseTraining]

I fully agree

[@lilnh1039]

Did Yoka come from a fishing village, just kidding. She has a fish hook on her forehead and nose. adorable.

[@leeevers8976]

Zeus’s type of weather