Why do we need to blanket in Florida?

While Florida may have one of the nations warmest climates, most horse owners still choose to blanket their horses during our cooler months. A show horse requires a pristine coat 12 months out of the year, so when their biological clocks tell them to grow a winter coat - we shave them.

Our horses also rarely watch the Weather Channel, but if they did, they would know that our temperatures here can change any where from 32° during the night to 88° during the day! When a horse with a long winter coat sweats during the day, more than likely he will not have time to dry before the temperature drops again at night.

A long coated, damp horse can also develop a skin bacterial infection such as Rain Rot. Even if your horse won't be entering the show ring any time soon, it's best to keep his coat down with a sheet or a blanket.