Deciding whether a horse needs a winter blanket is often a question of faith. Clipped, sick and old horses should obviously be covered. Some riders cover their horses relatively early in the year in the hope that they will then develop a lighter winter coat. Others are of the opinion that a healthy horse is sufficiently protected against the cold by its winter coat. This is true for many ponies and robust breeds from northern countries. Other horses are well protected against the cold by their winter coat, butin cold, windy weather, they will quickly become cold. If your horse is kept in an open stable or spends longer periods of time in a winter pasture or paddock , you should get it a medium or heavyweight turnout rug.