Hoods Make Horses Warmer

Introduction

Even though horses wear custom fur coats, sometimes they need extra warmth during the winter months. Blanketing horses is a widespread practice, though most horses are well adapted to colder climates (Mejdell et al., 2019).

Previous studies have shown that horses prefer blankets when temperatures drop below -10 °C. (Mejdell et al, 2019) Owner surveys have also documented common blanketing habits and timing (DeBoer et al., 2022). However, empirical data quantifying the actual thermal effectiveness of blankets remain limited.

This study investigated the impact of a hooded neck cover on neck surface temperature and thermal stability in horses.

Methods

Three horses (Tia, Cinnamon, and Jack; 13.1–14.3 HH) were fitted with commercially available blankets with detachable hoods. Surface temperature was recorded using MX2202 Pendant Loggers (Onset Corp.) braided into the mane at the one-third and two-thirds points along the neck. Loggers recorded temperature every 5 minutes, 24 h/day.

Each horse wore a blanket daily, with the hood attached or removed on alternating days. To control for individual horse and blanket differences, Tia and Cinnamon swapped blankets every other day. Jack used his own blanket, with the hood attached or removed on alternate days. All horses were turned out together daily with identical access to wind shelter and brought into the barn at night. Blanket and hood status were recorded daily. Data was analyzed in Excel.

Results

Temperature analysis revealed that hooded neck regions were 17 °C warmer than non-hooded regions. Furthermore, the standard deviation for temperature measurements was notably lower with the hood (4.0 °C) than without (5.5 °C), indicating significantly greater temperature stability across the duration of the testing period.

Discussion

As the neck represents approximately 15% of a horse’s total surface area, these results suggests that the hood effectively traps metabolic heat and increases overall thermal retention. The hood appears to act as a buffer against external environmental fluctuations; it allows the neck to remain warmer during windy or cloudy conditions while simultaneously moderating heat gain during sunny, calm weather.

Future research should utilize swallowable temperature loggers to track internal core temperatures alongside surface data, determining if hoods provide systemic thermal benefits or merely localized warmth. Comparing insulated versus uninsulated materials will also clarify if heavier weights significantly increase heat retention compared to unweighted models.

Additionally, monitoring horse behavior is essential. Since current temperature fluctuations correlate with each other rather than external weather, behavioral data may reveal the underlying drivers of these patterns. Identifying these factors will help establish clear guidelines on when blanketing is most physiologically beneficial for the horse.

I would like to thank my mom for her support in changing blankets during the school day, and my dad for lending me the pendant loggers and providing expert advice on experimental design and statistical analysis. I am also grateful to my siblings, who helped locate displaced loggers and hauled blankets to and from the outdoor pastures.

Special thanks go to my horse, Tia, who enjoyed being pampered while the loggers were braided in and appreciated her new hooded blanket. I am also grateful to Cinnamon and Jack for their patience with frequent blanket changes and for sharing their blankets to make this experiment possible.

References

Mejdell C. (2019) The effect of weather conditions on the preference in horses for wearing blankets. Science Direct. 212: 52-57.

DeBoer et al. (2022) Winter blanketing practices: An online survey of North American horse owners. Science Direct. 113.

Hammer C.; Gunkelman M. (2020) Effect of Different Blanket Weights on Surface Temperature of Horses in Cold Climates. Science Direct. 85.