Well after the HINTS I wrote up a week or so ago about feed, fitness, and 
diets I received quite a few requests for HINTS on some other specific 
topics. This week I am going to talk on about sheets and blankets as there 
are lots of things to think about here. This time of year we who reside here 
in Central New York can wake up to sunny 55' weather and have 3 inches of 
icy snow fallen by lunch break. The first thing I have to mention, having 
had one of these horses myself, is to keep an eye on those that colic easy 
in the extreme weather changes. Not to panic the newer horse owners, or the 
boarders that don't get the day-to-day care issues--- these horses are often 
the younger ones-I have seen it mostly in geldings 1-5 years of age, and 
they do seem to grow out of it. I don't know of any scientific research on 
the topic-I can only tell you of the horses I've known to colic as if their 
systems could not handle extreme change. That being reminded, I'll move on 
to the topic of sheets and blankets. First, if you are considering this for 
a real show horse-one that has minimal turn out, is likely body clipped in 
the spring and shows nearly year 'round..well then this piece of my thinking 
won't really apply to you. You have heavier blankets, layers, hoods and more 
to deal with than the average Joe turned out most days. In my real job I 
have worked "on the road" for many years. This often meant putting my horses 
out at the crack of dawn where they stayed until I returned home sometime 
late that afternoon or evening. The best thing I could do for them was to 
use a weatherproof/waterproof sheet. Whether 600 or 1200 denier, they block 
the wind and keep the wet off your horse's skin. Nothing soaks through as 
fast as good ole' Central New York WET snow. These sheets keep the body dry 
and therefore warm. That is the contest-- cold won't really harm but wet 
sure can. There are heavy blankets & heavy turn out blankets, but really, I 
have only found the heavy thick ones useful in those EXTREME cold situations 
and usually the horses are indoors wearing them anyway. So what to look for 
in a sheet or blanket? The higher the denier-the more it can take. Meaning, 
if you have geldings that play hard-get the higher denier coating-they rip & 
tear less easily. Make sure it has leg straps! This keeps your blanket/sheet 
in place. These straps should be crossed between the hind legs to prevent 
rubbing against the inner gaskin. Please don't not crank them up tight 
either! They can safely hang part way to the hock. Your belly straps are 
available in a variety of forms-criss-cross, single belly strap, single 
buckle or double, etc. One thing to note is to use a band around the 
surcingle "T" Piece so when inserted through buckle part, it will hold 
against the horses' running and playing and will not come apart as easily. 
The front chest of your sheets and blankets can also come in various 
forms-single buckle, doubled, velcroed, closed (that you have to slide over 
the horse's head).. Ok, so now I have pretty much pushed the type of 
sheet/blanket that seems best suited for our area, let's talk about fitting 
and trying on sheets and blankets. First, to measure, start at center of 
front of chest and measure around to center of tail. You can go online and 
search several sites for measuring tips. So then how do you put it on? 
Depending on the horse you can do this in a variety of ways. When I have 
fitted a high strung youngster for the first time, I try to have a 2nd 
person to help. One holds while the other sacks him out to the blanket. Now, 
don't be foolish-do it gently, lay the blanket on and off, pull it up and 
down their back, let them see, hear and feel it! The 2nd person is holding 
the horse, and keeping his movements to a minimum. If he starts to run just 
hold him in a little circle and talk calmingly. A year or so ago I blanketed 
a laid back young horse for the first time, in her stall with no movement, 
no problem. Turned out she was scared stiff! I got her moving in the stall 
to hear the rustle of the fabric, but the real dinger was the next morning 
at turn out when she saw the sheets on the other horses-every time they 
approached her she ran off-likely thinking they were being devoured by those 
big things and she wanted no part of it! Once your horse is adjusted to 
sheets on/sheets off, you can likely slide them overhead and avoid the 
constant buckling at the chest. Roll the sheet from the butt forward up the 
horse's back, and then gently lift overhead. Likewise. hold it in a rolled 
up form to put it on over their head-this isn't usually much of a problem. 
The removal can be harder if they suddenly lift the head and you get hooked 
at the ears-take care and be calm! Have someone experienced help you the 
first time. I am not suggesting anyone do any of this the first time out, 
but I wanted to get some discussion out here about different sheets/blankets 
and methods of use. Have ideas to share? Thread into the discussion!!