Seasonal Advice: The Automatic Cleaning Blanket

“One of the best things owners can do both for maintaining their turnouts and their horses’ coats and manes is regularly removing blankets and practicing good grooming,” says Clare Silke, product innovation manager for Horseware Ireland. However, taking additional steps to maintain the interior of your horse’s clothing and blanket and keep them clean can, in turn, help keep your horse clean. Follow Silke’s advice below for a shiny, happy horse all winter long.

Silke recommends regularly wiping down the lining of blankets and hoods using warm water and a mild or non-biological detergent to remove grease and particle buildup. Once the lining is dirt free, she applies coat polish spray to these areas, creating a glossy film along the surface to help to repel dirt. This also allows the lining to move freely with the horse.

If static is a problem, a clever way to help prevent static buildup is to rub down the inside of your blankets with a dryer sheet to help remove any static clinging to the fabric.

Keeping your horse’s mane clean is a great way to prevent rubbing, says Silke. In addition to regular grooming, she likes to use mane and tail sprays to keep the mane glossy and smooth. If weather permits, she suggests a hot towel rinse along the crest to help reduce dandruff or skin particles transferring to the blanket’s interior.

“If this grooming and cleaning is done regularly while your horse is blanketed, you’ll achieve the best possible results,” says Silke.

This article about cleaning horse blankets appeared in the January/February 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!