Blanketing: Straps, Snaps and Snafus

Unusual winter storms across the southern United States have pushed many horse caregivers into fast lessons about cold weather care, making blanketing a practical, context dependent tool rather than a rule to follow. Joined by dressage trainer Elizabeth King, Désirée explores how horse coats function as adaptive biological systems shaped by climate, genetics and lived conditions, how domestication alters those systems and why wet cold often matters more than temperature alone. The article looks at which horses benefit most from blanketing, common fit and waterproofing failures that create hidden stress and the importance of foundational winter care such as continuous forage, shelter and water access before reaching for a sheet. The focus returns to observation over ideology: noticing what each horse does in each set of conditions and adjusting accordingly.