The blog The Soul of a Horse posted about using horse blankets in winter — specifically, the author, Natalija Aleksandrova, advocates not using them in most cases. Aleksandrova post is making waves in the equine community and firing up those on both sides of the issue.
The post gets into the pure science of why a blanket should not be used. She says:
“On a genetic level, the domestic horse is the same as its wild counterpart: it has the same abilities and needs to survive. Basically, they do not need anything more from the human than only to provide keeping conditions that this species is supposed to have by dictate of Nature: freedom of movement 24 hours a day, free access to appropriate food 24 hours a day, herd life, proper hoof care, shelter which it can enter and leave freely.”
Of course, it’s up to you to decide what is best for your situation and what you feel is best for the animals in your care. You can read Aleksandrova entire post here and judge for yourself!
