Walking On Volume 6, Issue 10, October 2019 | Page 12

Back to Basics Things You Must Do When Cleaning Your Horse Blanket By Theresa Truscott For hygiene reasons each horse should have its own blanket. Sharing blankets can facilitate the spread of skin problems such as girth itch, ringworm, and other fungal infections. Even if no hors- es in the stable have known skin problems, fungal spores can cling to the blankets and be spread to other horses. If the blankets are used often during the winter they should be washed at least twice, using cold water and a disinfectant soap. Rinse the blankets well to make sure that no soap residue remains otherwise it might irritate the horse’s skin. It is better to wash a winter horse blanket in cold water rather than dry cleaning it. Dry cleaning will not remove odors, and the heat and chemical solvents can dissolve the waterproofing and shrink the bindings. Moreover, using a domestic washing machine can wreak havoc on your home drainage system, which probably will back up even- tually. This is not to say that you can’t launder some blankets at home. Lighter weight blankets that don’t get too dirty, such as coolers and show sheets, can be washed in your machine. Some stable sheets also can be machine washed, depending on their bulk. If you’re going to put a blanket into your washer make sure it has enough room to agitate, otherwise you won’t get all the dirt off. That pretty much eliminates heavier, bulkier blankets that barely fit into the typical domestic ma- chine. The two biggest problems people encounter when they clean their blankets at home are storing them before they are completely dry and not rinsing them thoroughly. You do need to ensure that your blanket is completely dry otherwise it will rot if you fold it and put it away for the summer. Generally speaking, the best choice - especially if you have expensive, heavy turnout blankets - is to send them to a dry cleaner to have it cleaned professionally. This cost will be self financed as it will allow your blanket to have a longer life. For a free report on “How to Improve Your Riding” see Theresa’s Horse Aficianado blog at [http://www.horseridingblankets.com/blog] and have fun with other horse lovers. Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Theresa_Trus- cott/359757 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3636125 The Walking On B ulletin B oard! Attire / Tack Awards Advertise your farm or business. 30 words - text only - $40 for one year • 30 words with photo or logo - $75 for one year. (phone, email & website do not count toward 30 word limit) Don’t miss out on this affordable advertising opportunity. Email [email protected] to place your ad today! 12 • Walking On