As winter is getting closer people want to put a blanket on their horse. Without realizing that horses have a natural way to protect them from cold built right in. A good horse keeper knows that the longer winter coat helps to trap the body heat against the skin. Also, tiny muscles in the skin raise the hairs, creating tiny air pockets that heighten the insulating effect. Flatten this ‘fluffed-up’ coat by adding layers of light blankets, or even one heavy one, can actually make the horse colder
If the horse is not accustomed to being blanketed, it can put the horse at increased risk. If it becomes overheated, it will begin to sweat. The dampness causes it to become chilled later, which then increases the risk of pneumonia or other respiratory infections. If the horse must be blanketed in the colder temperatures of morning, make sure that you remove it as the temperatures rise later in the day. |
When caring for horses. The right grass or hay can provide a substantial part of equine nutritional requirements, and pasturing the horse on high-quality grass will reduce his need for grain feeds. Choosing hay is another part of the equation: low quality hay may provide less than 20% of the nutrition found in the best hay. When the horse grazes on a meal of fresh grass or high quality your care is helping him stay healthy and warm.
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