Publication type: scientific article published in Journal of Equine Veterinary Science
Preview: The objective of this study was to examine changes in surface temperature of blanketed horses during cold weather. Four mature stock-type horses were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Treatments included 3 different blanket weights (based on g of fiberfill): light weight (LW; 0 g), medium weight (MW; 200 g), heavy weight (HW; 400 g), and a nonblanketed control (CON). Thermographic images were obtained from a standardized lumbar location before blanketing and immediately after cold exposure. During cold exposure, horses were outside with ad libitum access to grass hay and water for 1 hour. Mean temperature was -23°C with a wind chill of -32°C. After 1 hour, horses were brought inside (15°C) and lumbar images immediately recorded. A 30-minute equilibration period was allowed between each sampling period. Analysis of variance was computed using the general linear model procedure of SAS with statistical significance declared at P values ≤ 0.05. There was an overall treatment effect (P = .02) for lumbar temperatures after horses were outside for 1 hour with temperatures measuring 22.3°C, 26.8°C, 30.3°C, and 31.5°C for CON, LW, MW, and HW, respectively. Lumbar temperature was warmer (P ≤ .009) for HW and MW compared with CON and tended to be warmer (P = .10) in LW compared with CON. Change in lumbar temperature decreased significantly (P ≤ .01) in CON compared with all other treatments. In conclusion, wearing a blanket can increase lumbar surface temperature during cold weather with the degree of warmth influenced by blanket weight.
