Repairing Your Blankets and Equi

Repairing Your Blankets and Equipment

It’s August -- and what a splendid time it is to ride in many areas of the country. Clear cool mornings and plenty of warmth in the afternoon. During this time, we’re all thinking about riding and vacationing. We think about how summer is nearing its traditional end, and we’re starting to plan for the fall season including heading back to school.

Right now is also the time to get a jump on some equipment repairs. The most important one to get an early start on is the winter blanket. Winter? Yes, winter. I know you think that winter’s far away. And the rains and the snows that come with it are a distant thought unless you live much farther north than most of us. If you live that far north, then you’re probably riding a snow mobile this time of year. But for the rest of us, winter is still out in the future a bit.

The trouble with the colder months is that they show up whenever they want, sometimes late and sometimes early. It’s usually that first good cold rain or really chilly wind that reminds us that we might want to put a blanket or a rain sheet on our horse. There are many reasons to blanket a horse. One of the biggest is to keep rain scald down to a minimum in those areas with lots of moisture. In those areas with colder temperatures, the best reason to blanket your horse is to keep them from losing too much body heat.

Now we all know that horses can live in mighty cold temperatures without the aid of a blanket. I’ve seen horses in Montana standing in two feet of snow, with two inches of snow on their backs, and they weren’t wearing any blankets. Those horses develop a winter coat that’s thick and rich and protects them from the elements in their environment.

However, not everyone lives in Montana, and not every horse develops a Montana winter coat. For those horses that don’t develop a winter coat, it’s nice to help them stay warm with a blanket when necessary. By keeping the horse warm, we also reduce our feed bill. If the horse doesn’t have to manufacture extra heat because a blanket is conserving the animal’s heat, he will eat less and maintain his weight better.

Which brings me back to the idea of blankets and equipment repair and maintenance. Now is the time to get your blankets to the cleaning service. Make sure you also ask them to check for necessary repairs to straps and holes in the fabric. Why do this now? Because there’s a good chance that when you removed it last winter it was wet and you hung it up to dry and then forgot about it. It probably has some winter mud on it and perhaps a loose strap or missing buckle. Now is the time to solve this problem instead of waiting until those first cold days. If you wait, you may find yourself in the same position as other people -- waiting an extra long time to get blankets back because the cleaning service is too busy. Also, if you don’t assess your blankets now, or at least by September, you may not realize that your horse needs a new blanket this year and you may miss some of the better blanket sales.

By checking your equipment well ahead of when you need it, getting it serviced early, and having it ready when you need it, you’ll reduce the stress of trying to juggle this issue when you’re too busy with the back to school events and the holidays that come with the fall season.

Yes, I did send my blankets out to be cleaned and repaired. And you should, too.