About Horse Blankets

Horse blankets (known as "rugs" in the United Kingdom) serve a variety of purposes for the horse and the owner. Blankets can be used to add warmth, to protect an impeccably groomed show coat or to protect the horse's skin from saddles or harnesses. Horse blankets are an essential part of any stable's equipment.

  1. History

    • It is unknown when horse blankets started to be used in the care of domesticated horses. The oldest known breeds of horses and ponies do grow very thick, shaggy coats that can withstand cold and ice. Perhaps not until thin-coated desert-bred horses spread across Asia and Europe did people realize their animals needed some extra help to get through winter. The oldest remains of domesticated horses and their tack (including blankets) were found in Pazyryk, Siberia, and dated to 3000 BC.

    Significance

    • Horses need to be cooled off after strenuous exercise before they can be left in their stalls. If a sweating, hot horse is taken directly from work to its stall, it will get very sick with potentially fatal colic. Horses need to be groomed and walked slowly in order to become dry. If a horse has a winter coat on, this process takes hours. By clipping the coat, this cooling-off process is substantially cut. However, horse blankets have to be added when the horse goes to rest in order to make up for the clipped coat.

    Types

    • There are four main types of horse blankets. The first is a stable blanket to be worn indoors. The second is an outdoor, water-resistant blanket, sometimes called a New Zealand rug. The third is a cooling sheet, a very lightweight mesh blanket to keep the horse from catching a chill when being walked dry. The fourth is a fly sheet, which does help to keep flies from biting the covered part of the body.

    Warning

    • Although modern horse blankets are made with machine-washable materials, most public laundry facilities in North America and Europe will not allow them to be washed in their machines. You have to use your own washer and dryer. Horses also are able to remove or damage blankets.

    Features

    • Horse blankets tend to be made of the blanket and a fastener to keep them more or less on the body of the horse. Modern horse blankets can have two belt and buckle straps on them or may only have nylon Velcro fasteners. They usually fasten under the horse's neck and around the girth. Blankets are made from jute, polyester, cotton, wool or a combination of many fabrics.