Horse blankets are specially designed to fit around the body of a horse from chest to rump, with the goal of keeping the animal warm and protected from the cold and other harsh elements. Aside from that, they provide the horse better comfort and safety by protecting its skin against exposure to the elements.
An equine blanket usually has a pair of straps that cross underneath the belly to keep the material in place, while allowing the horse to freely move about and with a certain degree of comfort. Some blankets even have additional small straps that wind around the animal’s hind legs to keep the sheet from slipping to the sides.
Horse blankets come in different types and designs. Depending on their purpose, blankets can be thick enough to provide warmth during winter and extremely cold weather, or light enough for use during the summer months to prevent coat discoloration, or chafing on the animal’s shoulders.
Standard blankets often are made of smooth nylon or some type of strong synthetic yet “breathable” fiber to allow the horse to remain cool underneath the material. Still other horse sheets are designed to be water-resistant or even waterproof. Any horse blanket can be supplemented with a full hood, which is a separate piece of equine clothing, or a neck cover, which can be directly attached to the blanket.
Perhaps the most important benefit of providing horse blankets is that they help the animal ward off mosquitoes and flies. These biting insects are known as major carriers of parasite-borne diseases, including the West Nile Virus, which can prove fatal for horses.
