Why a Fleece Blanket is a Good Choice for Your Horse

Did you know there are roughly 400 different breeds of domestic horses? If you’re on the market for a horse blanket liner, horse sheets, neck cover, or just the best blanket for horses, fleece might be a material you should look into. A fleece blanket for a horse is a good choice. Fleece is often promoted by manufacturers as good for liners and coolers, but now, some are pushing it as a good material for stable blankets as well. Fleece is an excellent material for horse blankets. It purportedly has significant warming qualities. It’s highly breathable and lightweight. It’s compact, yet it stretches effortlessly with each movement. A fleece blanket for a horse is also excellent against the horse’s skin, and keeps its coat in fine condition. It can also be used as a heavier blanket with a nylon shell added as an outer layer. Fleece is an excellent choice, both for clipped horses, and for horses with long coats. Because it doesn’t force a horse’s coat to lay flat, it could help the horse stay warmer than alternative materials might. Fleece isn’t waterproof, but it does repel outside moisture, at least to an extent. It does this effectively in light snow. Velcro fasteners are the best option for fleece blankets, because they’re fairly flexible, and allow for a considerable range of movement. Basic straps can become distorted with movement. Unfortunately, fleece can retain bedding more than nylon would, but it doesn’t quite as much as certain other fabrics. The lower the nap is on the fleece blanket, the easier it is to keep the blanket clean. Thankfully, it’s easy to both wash and dry from home. Besides being effective as blankets, fleece is typically used as coolers—sheets that wick moisture away from the animal as it sweats, so it can remain dry (which is especially important in cold weather). At the same time, it traps heat against the horse’s body, so it doesn’t catch a chill while drying. Fleece coolers are just as useful in warmer weather, when your horse needs to be cooled down and dried off after strenuous exercise. The sweatier the horse’s coat, the longer it will take for it to dry completely. Placing a cooler on a horse after a long or hard ride will keep it warm, while its normal body temperature slowly and safely returns. It might be helpful to know that, when a horse is exercising, he produces enough heat on his own to stay comfortable. It’s only when he becomes still again that he will be susceptible to cold and illness. Hopefully this information has helped you see the benefits of using a fleece blanket for a horse.