Posts Tagged ‘Buckles’

Buying Guide to Horse Blankets

Horse blankets are pretty handy to have around a stable, but not essential for every horse owner. A standard horse blanket is used to keep a horse warm and or protected from wind and other elements.

A horse blanket fits around the horse’s body from chest to rump, straps cross underneath the belly and fasten the blanket securely. Most blankets have buckles in the front, today there are blankets that can be slipped over the horses head. Some blankets also have small straps that loop around the horse’s hind legs which. This helps the blanket from slipping sideways.

Horse blankets are designed according to there use. You can buy a single horse blanket and be content with that, or you could have several and use all of them in a single day. Before buying a horse blanket consider its purpose. I strongly suggest you take into consideration who exactly is going to be responsible for putting on and taking off the blanket.

I can not recount how many dollars and pounds I have seen wasted in a stable yard on horse blankets. I have worked in the USA and UK with horses and I still shake my head in disbelief at the countless times a day I would have to change a blanket on a single horse – to suit the owner. Have you ever stopped to consider how your horse feels?

A horse blanket should be versatile enough that it keeps your horse protected in cold weather. If your horse lives out in a pasture and is not stabled, you ought to buy a blanket that is well insulated to keep him warm. The blanket should also be waterproof, that way you or grooms do not have to run out at the first drop of rain to change blankets.

If your horse is stabled, a single warm blanket will suffice. If you buy a light blanket, he may get too cold and his natural response is to grow thick fluffy hair and look like a teddy bear. Most horse owners prefer to deter this response and blanket their horse. If you buy a thick warm blanket you need to monitor its use.

Temperatures drop at night; if you blanket your horse with a horse blanket for severe cold temperatures in the early evening, you are going to have an uncomfortable horse. Your horse most likely will be too hot and start to sweat. When the temperatures drop, he stops sweating, but has cold sweat to deal with and a wet blanket. If anything the blanket in this case is useless.

However if your horse has been clipped, in cold or even cool weather he is going to need more than a simple warm blanket to provide insulation that his hair coat would have done.

Besides protecting your horse from weather elements, there are blankets to protect from flies and gnats which are useful. A cooler or a sweat sheet is another blanket that is highly recommended for a horse owner. This blanket allows your horse to cool down and dry after being washed or exercised, but protects from draughts or chills.

Horse blankets have various designs and uses. You can buy several or you can buy one, only make sure that the blanket best suits your horses needs. You can then choose any color to your liking, provided they are made in that color.

Horse Guide.

Get information on buying, owning and caring for your horse, learn about Buying Horse Blankets. Learn about your horses anatomy.

Author: Benjamin Wise
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Buy electrical pressure cooker

Turnout Horse Blanket

Blankets are designed to cover majority of the horses body to protect the horse from the winter elements; winter weight blankets are generally used. A winter weight turnout horse blanket is also used when trailering a horse to prevent the fluctuating temperature from giving the horse a chill.

Blankets are design to fit around a horses body from chest to rump, attaching with straps under the horse in order to prevent shifting of the horse blanket. This allows the horse to still move about freely. Horse blankets normally have buckles at the front as well to prevent movement. Some blankets require you to slip them over the horses head which can be challenging with a winter turnout blanket due to the overall weight. Horse blankets can also come with removable straps that are designed to loop lightly around the horse’s hind legs in order to prevent the blanket from shifting sideways while the horse is in the stall.

Turnout blankets are commonly used when a horse is on pasture, in a stall or being trailered. Turnout blankets are manufactured for all weather conditions. Heavy weight turnout blankets are normally made with a thick canvas type material and lined with a flannel material, normally they will be water resistant but not necessarily water proof. Light weight winter turnout horse blankets are made with a rayon canvas material with no liner and are also water resistant but not necessarily water proof. Spring or fall turnout horse blankets are normally water proof made with a water proof type material.

Turnout horse blankets are also used to keep a horse from growing a winter coat, by blanketing in the autumn, while the seasonal change occurs a light turnout horse blanket is required. Turnout horse blankets will need to be applied at all times if the horse has been blanketed in the autumn.

For the summer months a flysheet turnout horse blanket can be applied to ward off mosquitoes, horse, deer, bot and house flies. This type of turnout horse blanket is commonly referred to as a flysheet. This turnout horse blanket is normally made of a nylon based material, it is very light weight and breathable. Fly sheets are becoming more popular due to the high number of insects.

Blankets can also come with neck covers or a full hood. Neck covers are normally attached directly to the turnout horse blanket, hoods are a separate piece all together and can be purchased individually. A full horse blanket is used before a show to keep the horse clean and or to protect the horse from insects.

A well know brand to look for when purchasing a turnout blanket is Rambo blankets. They also carry a wide range of saddle blankets for individuals looking to keep the horse dry or warm while under extreme exercising conditions.

In colder parts of the country winter turnout blankets can come in handy; especially the winter fleece horse blanket. This all purpose blanket can be used for ponies, companion horses and show horses.

Various types of horse blankets available for different temperature zones are Rug turnout sheets, fly sheets, light weight waterproof, fleece blanket, light weight winter and heavy weight winter.

turnouthorseblanket

Author: Christina Jefferson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Import duty tariff

Powered by Yahoo! Answers