Blanketing Your Miniature Horse/Shetland Pony

 I get a lot of questions about blankets over at my tack store, www.ozarkcanada.com
on how to choose the correct size and type of blanket for a miniature horse or shetland pony.  Here are some guidelines that we give, I hope they are helpful.

Measure the distance from the center of the chest to the point of the hip, keeping the tape measure level. This measurement, in inches is your animal’s blanket size.



 

What Type Of Blanket Does My Animal Need?

TEMP                         HORSE WITH FULL COAT                             CLIPPED HORSE
60°F/15°C                  Requires none                                                 May require a sheet if rainy or windy
50°-60°F/10-15°C      Nothing or light blanket(80 gram)                    Light to medium blanket(80-250 gram)
32°-40°F/0°-4°C        Nothing or light/medium(80-250 gram)            Medium/heavy(200-300 gram)
14ׄׄ°-32°/-10°-0°C       Nothing or light/medium(80-300 gram)            Medium(200-300 gram) with liner or 300 gram
<14°F/-10°C              Medium/heavy(300 gram and up)                    Heavy(300-500 gram) with liner


Your horse’s age, body condition, health, coat condition/thickness, activity level, access to shelter, time spent outside and previous experience/exposure to these types of temperatures all must be considered as well. These are only to be taken as general guidelines.

 Blanket Types
 Turnout Blankets
 
Turn out blankets have an inner layer of fill to keep your horse warm, an outer layer which is waterproof to keep them dry and cut the wind. A good turnout blanket with have multiple fittings to keep it in place, including leg straps. Most will have a tail flap to keep the wind out and the side snugly in place. Many will have the additional fittings for a neck cover.

Turnout Sheets
 

Turnout sheets are lightweight, and usually waterproof to provide protection against rain, wind, hail, snow and mild to moderate temperatures. The blanket will have good fittings and a tail flap to keep it in place and keep the wind out.

Stable Blankets
 

Stable blankets are meant to be worn in the barn, and do not need to be waterproof. The should be well fitted and comfortable. Stable blankets could also be used underneath a turnout blanket for added warmth.

 Stable Sheets
 

Stable sheets are lightweight, and comfortably fitted, meant to keep your horse clean while they are in the stall. Sheets are not waterproof, however could be used under a turnout for added warmth.

 Coolers
 

A cooler is meant to be worn after a bath or a heavy workout to help your horse dry
faster and keep from getting cold.
Fly Sheets
 

  Fly sheets are worn to provide protection from insects during the warmer months.