As humans wear various outerwear in winter to stay warm, horses need protection too. At One Stop Equine Shop we carry an assortment of sheets, blankets, neck covers, scrims and fly control clothing for cold-weather riding and training activities.
Hoods should fit by blanket size and should extend 5-7 inches over the top of your horse’s ears to prevent blanket rubs.
Warmth
Wind and rain can quickly cause the neck of a horse to become cold, creating discomfort for him or her. A blanket that covers from withers to tail is often helpful in warming his or her mane and neck area if equipped with an attached hood or neck piece.
Padded, breathable fabric prevents heat loss from the horse’s body and mane, providing additional warmth for their overall comfort. Furthermore, blanket rubbing is extremely uncomfortable for horses; thus the padded neck section provides extra protection to sensitive areas on his or her head or shoulders from this potentially painful friction.
Many blanket brands provide an array of styles and colors to match a horse’s current coat, creating a uniform appearance in the barn. Hoods and neck pieces connect securely with snaps or Velcro systems at withers height to complete this uniform appearance, offering an additional uniform look; many manufacturers even offer color choices with these accessories!
There are numerous reasons for using a horse neck warmer, from combating cold weather conditions and keeping mosquitoes and flies at bay, to improving recovery and comfort for the horse. The primary goal of these heaters is preventing heat loss through chest, throat, mane and neck areas while providing extra protection from fly and insect bites. Additionally, they serve to improve recovery time as well as increase comfort levels of those recovering after injury or surgery.
Other features can be added to a neck cover to make it an invaluable part of your horse’s winter wardrobe, such as detachable front flaps that prevent wind or cold from blowing into their mane and neck, or belly bands to provide additional warmth in front of their chests.
Back on Track Mesh Neck Cover is an innovative solution to tight, sore neck muscles. By harnessing natural body heat from horses’ bodies to produce soothing infrared thermal warmth, breathable mesh material and Back on Track’s proprietary Welltex fabric with ceramic powder reflect their own heat to increase circulation, which in turn can help muscles recover and relax more quickly.
Coverage
Like you, horses require clothing options depending on the season to keep warm, dry and protected from the elements. Sheets offer limited warmth while bulkier blankets will keep them cozy warm.
Your horse’s winter coat may provide enough insulation against cold winds or rain, while his body ferments roughage in his hindgut to generate internal heat for core temperature maintenance. But even this layer can be compromised by winds or rain; neck warmers can offer an additional barrier against external elements to ensure comfort throughout his day of activity.
Blanket hoods and neck covers come in multiple sizes to meet your horse’s individual body type, while also coming in materials like cotton, polyester or fleece for his needs. Furthermore, you’ll likely find that these pieces match existing blankets perfectly!
Blanket hoods and covers offer many other features to help you select the appropriate blanket for your horse, such as fill, denier rating system and closures. Fill refers to how much “stuffing” there is inside each model; higher fill can provide greater warmth compared to low-fill options; denier ratings measure strength in exterior material strength so a heavy-duty blanket with higher deniers would likely be stronger and water-repellant than its lower denier counterpart.
Blanket hoods and covers come equipped with different fastening mechanisms, including snaps, Velcro fasteners and surcingle clips that function similarly to belly surcingles. Some blankets and hoods feature high-neck designs that reduce pressure on the withers, while some provide poll-to-tail coverage to fend off cold air, rain, or snow. You may even come across gusseted blankets whose extra fabric swatch is sewn onto their shoulders to eliminate pressure points and prevent bunching or rubs.
Moisture Control
Many horse neck warmers feature moisture wicking fleece or wool materials to pull moisture away from the skin, helping your horse remain dry and comfortable during cooler temperatures. This moisture control feature can be especially important during sweat accumulation which can create chilling effects on their bodies. Many blankets also include moisture absorbing liners to further help wick away sweat while decreasing odors.
Some neck warmers are designed for use during cold-weather workout sessions, while others are better suited to warm-weather sessions. Chris Parsons often layers multiple sweats over his halter horses during workout sessions to increase sweat production and encourage them to move their neck in such a way that gets rid of salty sweat more efficiently. He uses stretchable neoprene neck sweats with adjustable Velcro tabs so they fit as snugly as possible and typically wears two to four sweats depending on temperature conditions and his horse’s requirements.
Detachable fly neck covers are commonly attached to stable sheets and turnout blankets in order to provide protection from insects such as mosquitoes and flies during warmer months. Many of these products also provide UV protection while some come equipped with insect repellant to further ensure protection.
As the days shorten, your horse begins growing its longer and thicker winter coat in preparation for cooler temperatures. This coarser fur acts as an natural insulation system by trapping warm air close to its body while shielding against harsh elements. Unfortunately, as this winter coat thickens it can cause discomfort by trapping hot air close to its core while trapping cold air outside – potentially leading to chafing from blankets or sweat sheets worn on clipped horses if worn together with blankets or sweat sheets – leading to potential shoulder/neck chafing issues when worn together – therefore additional warmth around collar provides extra warmth while also keeping mane clean and dry.
Some blankets feature an integrated fly neck cover, making them convenient for colder climates or ever-evolving conditions. Others also come with detachable neck covers to offer more flexibility if your horse has shorter necks or is inclined to chewing and biting on blankets.
Convenience
Just like your wardrobe, your horse’s outerwear needs to provide flexibility for any weather condition. Attaching detachable neck covers to their blanket can add extra protection from wind, rain and snow; in conjunction with fly sheets they also help keep flies at bay! Detachable neck covers come in all shapes and sizes allowing them to be attached directly onto their sheet or fly blanket or purchased independently.
When temperatures dip, neck warmers provide your horse with extra warmth while leaving its head free for eating, drinking and training. While during hotter weather a neck cover or hood may help to prevent heat exhaustion and sunburn; body clipped horses that have short coats may find these covers especially helpful in keeping warm!
Equestrians often prefer sweating wraps as an efficient and convenient means of managing multiple horses at the same time. A sweating wrap consists of thin, insulated or neoprene fabric designed to generate intense heat to facilitate sweating; once wrapped around each horse they should sit for just enough time for them to produce an intense sweat, after which time the wrap is removed and they receive a thorough bath and are back into riding form.
Separate neck warmers can serve the same function and come in various colors, fill weights and materials to meet specific blanket sizes and easily attach to turnout or stable blankets. Fly neck covers can help prevent biting insects and UV rays from irritating a horse while outside and work great with horse hoods for protecting mane rubs during riding.
To use a neck warmer properly, first mount the horse as normal – either from a block or by mounting from the ground – before attaching the neck warmer using its strap to the front sheet and closing its buckle securely around its base. Be mindful not to tighten too tightly as that could cause discomfort to either their necks or restrict breathing.