Advice on wearing and taking off horse clothes

Horse clothing is no substitute for shelter in extreme weather. You may need to provide both your pony’s coat and shelter.

Remove the horse blanket every few days and check the horse’s weight and condition to make sure there are no abrasions.

If the coat is too thick, the heat will cause the horse to sweat, and the sweat may eventually cause the horse to shiver from the cold, destroying the purpose of the coat.

A coat that is too thin may simply allow the horse to sag, in which case its insulating effect will be limited and the horse’s discomfort will be increased.

Once you put a winter coat on your horse, it shortens the length of the horse’s winter fur growth, so you have to wear it until spring.

There is no fixed time of year when you start and end wearing horse clothes. It depends on your geographic location and the unique weather that year.

If the temperature difference is too large, once the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius, the horse may need shelter in addition to the horse coat.

After riding or washing the horse, wait for the horse hair to dry before putting on the horse coat. After strenuous exercise, you can use a thin horse coat to absorb sweat and speed up the drying of fur.

If it is an area with large temperature changes, a heavy horse coat is not the best choice. Several layers of light horse clothing may work better than just one.

When transporting horses, you probably don’t need a lot of coats. A coat may be required when transporting a single horse, but may not be necessary for a group of horses.

How to measure and choose a horse coat?

First, you want the horse blanket to be flawless, with no chafing, especially around the corners of the coat. The coat should cover the horse’s elbows (elbows) and knees (stifles);

Measure from the center of the horse’s chest to the tail of the horse, stopping at the desired length of the horse’s tail. This is the size you will use when buying your horse coat;
Any fur that is clipped will not grow back until spring;
If your horse coat fits well but rubs against the horse’s shoulders, try using sewn cashmere pads or baby diapers to reduce friction;
You can also spray silicone on the bottom of the horse coat to achieve the same effect;
Make sure the harness straps are not too tight, but not too loose so that the horse’s legs don’t get caught in the harness straps;
When trying out new harnesses, it’s best to take a good look at your horse first to make sure your harness straps are properly adjusted.
Find the most breathable fabric;
Dirty horse clothes are less effective at keeping out the cold. Therefore, it is necessary to determine whether the cloth of the horse clothes is easy to clean. If you must dry the coat, you may need to purchase a second spare coat;
Try to find a fabric that resists tears and stains.

How to find the right jacket for your horse?

Situations that require a horse blanket
Whether in northern Canada or the mountains of New Zealand, horses’ natural fur is used to protect themselves from extreme weather. If your horse grows a full coat over the winter, it usually does not need a horse coat, and as long as the living environment meets the following conditions, there are no other special needs.
According to experts, if you’re not going to coat your horse, in addition to making sure he has his natural winter coat, you need to make sure you have these four things around your horse: Shelter, such as a wall or a Three-sided structure or windbreak with dense rows of trees; open water, readily accessible (not surrounded by frozen ground due to spills); hay or hay to help horses retain heat; no rain or sleet, as this Type weather will reduce the insulating properties of the horse’s natural fur.
The following 3 situations need to put horse clothes on the horse
1. Horses that do not have a natural winter coat need a horse coat when temperatures drop; very young and very old horses as they generally have a harder time maintaining body temperature; horses that are sick or in poor physical condition, such as weight Underweight horses need to focus their energy on maintaining basic health rather than keeping warm.
2. Horses that have recently migrated from warm to cold climates may not have adapted to the current temperature.
3. Any horse at risk of hypothermia as advised by a veterinarian.

Horse Blanket – How to Keep Your Horse Warm in the Cold Winter1

The weather is getting cooler, and the horses are beginning to put on horse blanket. Many people continue to ride horses during the winter months. It could be training at the club or enjoying the joy and beauty of winter outdoor riding. Traveling in the snow can be hard work for a horse, so even if you’re walking slowly, your horse will be sweating. There is nothing wrong with this, as long as you cool your horse down carefully (return to normal body temperature and heartbeat) and make sure to dry your horse’s sweaty coat before leaving your horse in the cold.


1. Cool down after riding

The process for cooling your horse after winter riding is the same as any other time of year. You can use a training jacket to cover the horse’s rump (largest muscle) before riding so that the horse’s muscles and lower back don’t get cold. The easiest way to start cooling off is to walk for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how long and how hard you’re riding. Slow walking can dissipate the heat generated by the muscles. By noting your horse’s breathing rate, you can tell if it has recovered from training. Once the horse has returned to its normal resting breathing rate, you can dismount.
After dismounting, loosen the girth, leave the saddle, and put a coat or blanket over it so the cold air doesn’t hit the horse’s back too quickly. Go ahead, remove the saddle, and cover the horse with a sweat-absorbent jacket or blanket that completely covers the horse’s chest and rump. If your horse’s clothing or blanket gets wet, replace it with a dry one. When the horse hair starts to dry, the horse can be tied to a hitch post or stable.

2. Use a towel

Towels will help dry your horse’s wet coat faster, use absorbent towels to wipe your horse’s body, and replace towels when they become damp. If you ride a lot in the winter, it’s handy to keep some old towels handy. The combination of covering your horse with a horse coat and a strong absorbent towel will quickly wick moisture from the horse’s hair. Just uncover part of the horse coat and wipe it with a towel, and then cover the horse coat and wipe the rest of it for convenience.