How do I put on a horse blanket?

Updated

When putting a blanket on your horse, it is important to be careful and place it gently on the horse's back. This is important to avoid the horse being hit by the metal buckles on the blanket, and to minimize the risk of the horse being spooked. 

1. Start by placing the blanket on the horse and let the blanket cover part of the neck. 

2. Make sure that the blanket is fully unfolded and that there are no folded parts on the horse. 

3. Pull the blanket back towards the withers, flush with the horse's fur to avoid chafing. Make sure the blanket is covering the withers. 

4. Snap the bow buckles that are under the horse's neck. The blanket can then be adjusted further back. 

5. If the blanket has girths, the girths that lie under the horse's belly must be buttoned in a cross so that they crisscross each other. Make sure these are not too tight, but they shouldn't be too loose either. They should lie against the horse's belly, but you should still be able to fit a clenched fist under the girths. 

6. At the back of the horse there can be both a single strap, or a single strap on each side of the blanket. If it is a single strap, this must be attached behind the horse's tail, and has the purpose of preventing the cover from blowing up over the rear. If there are two straps, there are usually also loops on the blanket which can be found in front of the horse's hind legs. To put this on correctly, the left strap should be placed on the outside of the horse's left hind leg, and then towards the inside of the left leg. The right strap should be placed on the horse's right hind leg, through the left loop and fastened in front of the horse's right hind leg. They should crisscross each other. 

When you then go to take off the horse blanket, it is good to start from the back and work your way forward. Start by unbuttoning the leg laces first, then the girths under the belly and finally the bow buckle. Remove the blanket by pulling it back, going with the growth direction of the horses coat.

Guide tagged with: Horse Blanket
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