Let us say winter is here and you're warm and cozy by
the fireplace, drinking the hot chocolate and reading a good book. Maybe
you are enjoying some soothing music while ensconced in your favorite
pajamas; all wrapped up comfortably in your soft blanket while the snow
falls lightly outside.
What about your horse? Is your horse in a clean, warm stall in the barn,
with fresh hay and clean water, protected from the elements? Did you
remember his horse blanket? It's not as though he can waltz over to his
little closet and take it out of the drawer! Your precious investment is
depending on you to remember the particulars of his care.
A cold horse in winter is a pitiful thing indeed. If you decide to buy a
horse, even if it is just for the sake of saying you own one, please
take the time to provide proper care and housing, medical attention, and
the right equipment. Part of that equipment and proper care involves the
horse blanket.
A horse blanket is particularly needed in the cold, hard elements of the
winter season. The horse has no way of actually saying, "Hey, could you
hand me that blanket, please?" It is a living, breathing creation and is
counting on the master of the estate to give it what it needs to
survive.
The horse blankets need not be elaborate, expensive pieces of valuable
art. They simply need to be functional for the animal. The function here
is to hold in the animal's body heat in the winter. Of course, they are
also used as cushioning underneath the saddles among other things.
Which, by the way, is also needed in the winter and the blanket helps
the horse stay warmer while being ridden outside.
Miniature horses have their own furry horse blankets in the winter. Even
though all horses have thicker hair in the winter, the minis look
woolly! They sometimes enjoy running in the snow just for fun! One type
of miniature horse is the Falabella, which are said to be survivors of
the Ice Age. They must have been an extremely tough breed of animal to
survive the harsh winters from that period of time.
Maybe you are wondering if the horses of the Ice Age needed blankets.
While I'm sure plenty survived without them, horses being gentled and
tamed by mankind have also been bred somewhat spoiled or weakened, if
you will. I suppose you could compare it to a dog that has been kept
inside with the central heat since a pup. If you put the dog outside in
the yard in the harsh winter, it will struggle against the cold.
Besides, just because a horse survived the Ice Age doesn't mean he
should be forced to endure the winter without a horse blanket now.
Humans survived living in caves with no electricity or modern amenities,
but now we've spoiled and pampered ourselves and most would have a hard
time surviving harsh conditions of nature. So, care for your horse with
the love and tenderness that is deserved.
