01/24/2026
A good read on blanketing!
Let’s talk blankets.
On just about every post or video we share where a horse is wearing a blanket, the “anti-blanketers” inevitably show up with comments like:
“Horses don’t need blankets.”
“Horses are built for winter.”
“Horses are warm without blankets.”
What people often forget is that climates are different. Temperatures are different. Precipitation is different. Wind is different.
I used to believe horses were always fine without blankets—until I watched horses visibly shivering in the cold. And at that point I had to ask myself: why would I force an animal to be uncomfortable and shiver just because it should be adapted? Shivering is not “normal winter behavior.” It’s a sign the body is struggling to maintain heat.
We also need to stop comparing domestic horses to wild horses. They are not the same. Wild horses survive—but survival is not the same as thriving. They suffer injuries, starvation, illness, and exposure that we would never accept for a horse in our care. Our AQHA and APHA horses are not built like wild horses, nor are many of today’s domesticated horses. Most would not make it through a Canadian winter without significant suffering, and many would not survive at all.
We blanket because we want our horses to be comfortable, not because we are cold. Horses tell us when they’re cold—through shivering, tense posture, tucked tails, reluctance to move, weight loss, or changes in demeanor. Ignoring those signs doesn’t make us “tough,” it just makes us dismissive.
Our climate is especially harsh. We deal with heavy wind and mixed precipitation that strips away a horse’s natural insulation. Temperatures can swing dramatically—recently from +10°C down to -27°C—combined with rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow, and strong winds. Horses are not adapted to rapid temperature swings or constant wet, windy conditions. Those elements overwhelm their ability to thermoregulate and significantly increase health risks.
So before commenting “horses don’t need blankets,” ask yourself:
❄️ Do you know the climate this horse lives in?
❄️ Do you know their history?
❄️ Are they young, old, injured, clipped, immune-compromised, or from a warmer climate?
❄️ Do they struggle to maintain weight?
❄️ Are they prone to pneumonia or respiratory illness?
❄️ Do they grow a poor winter coat?
❄️ Maybe there is a major storm on the way and the horses aren’t acclimatized to the weather coming?
The list goes on.
Blanketing isn’t about human feelings or aesthetics. It’s about individual horses, individual needs, and individual environments. And those matter far more than blanket statements ever will.
Photo by Mikhala Dorey Brackson Photography
