A horse's coat changes twice a year along with the season, and that largely determines how you care for the horse. Whether you need to clip and when a blanket is needed depends on how much the horse works and how it's housed — not on a fixed rule.
How the Coat Moves With the Season
A horse grows its winter coat not because of the cold, but because of shortening daylight. From late summer, the coat starts getting longer and denser; in spring the reverse happens. These two transitions are called the coat change, or shedding.
During shedding, a horse loses a lot of hair in a short time. Brush more often and more thoroughly during this period: it removes loose hair, helps circulation, and gives you a good chance to check the skin for bald patches, scabs, or rub marks. A rubber curry comb or a special shedding comb works better here than a soft brush.
A dense winter coat does exactly what it's supposed to: it insulates. The hairs stand up and trap a layer of warm air. A healthy horse with a normal winter coat is rarely cold outside, even in frost, as long as it can stay dry and out of the wind.
Should You Clip a Horse?
Clipping is only needed if the winter coat becomes a practical problem, and that almost always comes down to sweat. A horse with a full winter coat that works hard sweats heavily and then dries slowly afterward. A horse that stays wet and sweaty for a long time can cool down and becomes harder to get clean and dry.
Rule of thumb: the more a horse keeps working through the winter, the sooner clipping makes sense.
| Situation | Clip? |
|---|---|
| Recreational horse, little work in winter | Usually not needed |
| Regular hard work, sweats heavily under the saddle | Often yes, fully or partially |
| Competition horse that keeps training through winter | Usually yes |
| Older horse with a noticeably long, curly coat | Discuss with the veterinarian (can indicate Cushing's disease / PPID) |
There are different clip patterns, from a small strip on the neck and chest to nearly the whole coat. The more you remove, the faster the horse dries — but also the more heat it loses and the more blankets it needs. A clipped horse can no longer hold on to its own warmth well and therefore needs help.
A late-emerging, long, or curly coat in an older horse isn't a reason to clip as standard, but it is a reason to consult the veterinarian: it can be a sign of a hormonal condition.
When Is a Blanket Needed?
A blanket isn't standard equipment. A healthy, unclipped horse with enough forage, shelter, and turnout usually manages perfectly well without one in a Dutch winter. Forage matters more here than most people think: digesting hay produces warmth from the inside.
A blanket is worthwhile or necessary in these cases:
- A clipped horse — it's missing its insulation and needs a blanket depending on the temperature.
- An older, sicker, or thin horse — it holds on to warmth less well.
- Persistent cold combined with rain and wind — that combination cools a horse down more than dry frost.
- A horse without shelter that stands outside all day in bad weather.
A blanket comes in types and weights (the fill is usually given in grams, for example 100, 200, or 400 grams). A waterproof turnout blanket is different from a thin stable blanket. Over-blanketing is a real risk: a horse under a too-warm blanket starts to sweat, and sweat under a blanket then cools it down. So feel regularly under the blanket at the withers to check the horse isn't damp or sweaty.
If in doubt, it's best to guess light. Many horses end up over-blanketed rather than under-blanketed.
Summer: Sweat, Sun, and Insects
In summer, care is about the opposite: losing heat instead of keeping it in.
- Cooling down after work — rinse a sweaty horse with lukewarm to cool water and scrape off the excess water with a sweat scraper, so it doesn't sit under a warm layer. Let a sweaty horse dry off quietly, not standing in full sun.
- Shade and water — a horse out in the field needs shade and fresh drinking water at all times in summer. Water needs rise considerably in the heat.
- Insects — flies and midges are a serious nuisance in summer. A fly rug, fly mask, and/or insect repellent help. Some horses react with a strong allergy to midges (sweet itch); discuss an approach with the veterinarian in that case.
- Sun protection — horses with pink, hairless skin (often around the nose) can get sunburned. Shade or a specific protective product helps here.
A horse that barely sweats or doesn't sweat at all despite heat and work is a warning sign. Reduced sweating can cause the horse to overheat; take that seriously and call the veterinarian if in doubt.
The Transition Periods: Spring and Fall
The trickiest moments aren't deep winter or high summer, but the shifts in between. In spring and fall, the weather swings widely: a cold morning can turn into a warm afternoon.
In these periods, blanket policy is mostly a matter of watching the weather and the horse, not a fixed blanket that stays on for weeks on end. A horse sweating under a blanket in the afternoon sun after being blanketed that morning is over-blanketed. Brush more often during shedding periods, since a lot of loose hair comes free.
Practical Summary
The core questions and their short answers:
- Clip? Only if the winter coat becomes a practical problem because of work and sweat. No work, no sweat, usually no reason.
- Blanket in winter? Clipped, old, sick, or thin horse, or a horse without shelter in wet-cold weather: yes. Healthy, unclipped horse with shelter and forage: often not.
- Over-blanketing is a bigger risk than a bit too little. Feel under the blanket regularly.
- Summer is about cooling down, shade, water, and insect protection.
- Coat change mainly calls for extra brushing and a look at the skin.
Always have a noticeably long or curly coat in an older horse, or a horse that isn't sweating, checked by the veterinarian. The rest is mostly a matter of watching the season, the weather, and the horse itself.
See also: Daily Horse Care: The Basic Routine · Glossary: blankets · Level: Considering Your Own Horse