Animal Health

Spring has arrived, bringing with it the perfect opportunity to clean and store your horse blankets properly. After a long winter of protecting our equine friends, it's crucial to give these essential pieces of equipment the care they deserve.

The worst thing that many people do is store dirty blankets for the summer. The sun and heat will bake the ammonia into the blanket, leaving permanent stains and weakening the fabric. When you are ready to store your blankets for the summer, please make certain to clean them first! Regular cleaning helps ensure a healthy environment and extends the life of your expensive blankets, pads, and other gear.

A dog tent intended for camping will be able to provide your pet with a lot of comfort. Like you, your pet also needs comfort. Come to think of it, we all need comfort when we are about to sleep. Pets need comfort too

Providing extra layers of clothing for your horse in the form of blankets is a great way to help them stay warm, especially if your horse does not have access to a suitable shelter. During very cold and/or wet weather, the added protection of a blanket can provide extra protection.

Mud = yuck! At this time of the year mud becomes a common occurrence in many horse paddocks until summer when things dry out. If mud is an issue on your horse property you may be under the impression that it is an unavoidable part of having horses. But it doesn’t have to be...

If you have an unlined rainsheet, you can see the underside of the denier thru the lining. If you hold the rug up to the sun and look up from the underside – you will see the thousands of little pins holes of light – these are the waterproof pores in the fabric that give the rug its breathability. The waterproof membrane insures the holes are smaller than a water molecule

When trying to choose the right blanket for your horse, there are as many options as there are types of weather. Of course much of the decision making process has to do with the individual horse, its coat, age, health, and what type of shelter it has access to.

Some readers explained that they wash their horse blankets at home in their washing machines:

“I wash at home, but then have to 'de-hair' the washer!”

“Front loading washer and dry on fence. Timed when spouse is away...”

Horses are tough on blankets – it’s a fact of life. They roll in them, get them covered in mud, manure and urine, and use them to play tug-of-war. There are, however, a number of steps to take to ensure your blankets live a long and useful life.