Winter blanketing practices: An online survey

Horses are extremely tolerant of cold weather however there are some conditions that can cause a horse to shiver and seek shelter. Here is a survey of practices in North America. The article associated with this Forum / Topic discusses in detail the factors that should influence your decision whether to blanket or not.
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Winter blanketing practices: An online survey of North American horse owners☆☆,
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lMichelle L. DeBoer a, Aubrey L. Jaqueth b, Ashley Tuszka a, Krishona L. Martinson c

Abstract
Blanketing is a highly debated practice utilized in the equine community as part of winter horse management. Despite this, little research is available on the prevalence, reasoning, and management decisions related to use of blankets for horses in North America. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop an understanding of blanketing management practices and beliefs of North American horse owners. A 33-question, branched online survey was developed and available between December 1, 2020 and January 5, 2021 and advertised using social media and e-newsletters. The FREQ procedure for Chi-squared analysis in SAS was used when comparisons were made between participant-reported frequencies. There were 1,450 respondents from North America who completed the survey. Demographic information indicated the majority of respondents were from the Midwest region of the United States (68%); however, geographical region did not impact the frequency of blanket usage (P = .17, X2 = 8.99). When respondents were asked to self-report discipline, recreational riding was the most prevalent (40%). Overall, 54% of respondents (n = 790) reported blanketing the majority of their horses during the winter. The most frequently selected reason respondents chose to blanket horses was exposure to precipitation (78%). Out of the respondents who did not blanket the majority of their horses (n = 660), the primary reason for not blanketing was access to shelter (50%). This survey provides valuable information on blanketing and winter management practices reported by horse caretakers in North America and will help direct future research and education efforts.

Introduction
In cold climates, horses can maintain their core body temperature using physiological and behavioral adaptations such as shivering [1], vasoconstriction [2], hair coat changes [3,4], and hay consumption [5]. Additionally, horse owners may utilize other artificial adaptations including blanketing or housing horses in a stable. However, research on blanketing and its impact on the health and welfare of the horse is minimal. While recent studies in North America have demonstrated horses blanketed with medium or heavy weight blankets have increased lumbar surface temperatures [8] and decreased forage intake without altering bodyweight [9], extensive research on blanketing has not been performed. As a result, it is difficult for horse owners to make informed decisions due to the lack of information on the topic which can result in assumptions and misinformation.

This has made blanketing a highly debated topic, even though blanketing horses in the winter is a widely used practice. A survey in Sweden and Norway determined approximately 80% of horse owners blanketed their horses and the majority are at least partially housed in stables during the winter [6]. However, the ability of a horse to stay warm in cold climates can vary based on numerous factors including the breed of the horse [7] and geographical location [8]. These differences may lead to unique regional management practices and beliefs on winter horse management. As a result, the objective of this study was to develop an understanding of blanketing management practices and beliefs of North American horse owners in order to identify where future research and education efforts should be directed.