Why Horses Doesn T Need A Blanket Essay

Why your horses doesn’t need a blanket
“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 a 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 a horse must be blanketed in the colder temperatures of morning, make sure that you or another responsible hand is there to take the blanket off when temperatures rise later in the day. Therefore, it is important to choose a blanket that is appropriate to how much extra protection from the weather that the horse genuinely needs. Modern blankets are much warmer and resistant to weather than traditional wool blankets, using inner and outer shells with an insulating fiber between. Outer shells are usually made of synthetics which are water repellent and windproof, while the inner lining is smoother than wool so it won’t chafe against the horse’s skin. The filling between them provides warmth with much less bulk than older blankets. This means the overall blanket is light enough not to flatten the horse’s coat, and is more durable than their wool or cotton predecessors.
This waterproofing also helps to hold heat in, but in the most extreme cold, the coating might crack. Foam particles or fiberfill usually make up the filler due to their insulating properties, without