Hairy Dogleaf

When I was leaving my fiddle lesson this afternoon, I noticed that one of the two horses in the pasture had a blanket covering him. I guess this was still on my mind, and decided to research the subject a bit. Apparently, horse blankets come in a variety of weights depending on when it'll be used and needed by the horse, mostly it isn't recommended as a common practice. Horses, like dogs and probably other animals, have different types of hair... an under/inner coat of hair that keeps the creature warm and an outer coat that repels water and the elements. Unless there isn't enough hair, or the hair has been cut, most horses don't need a blanket.

I remember when Max (Jen's dog), got his usual summer haircut (he's a lab/chow with long hair) and the vet reprimanded Jen for cutting Max's hair saying something like he wouldn't have as much protection from the elements. Guess it holds true for horses too!

Lucky for us humans that we don't have to be as concerned with the length of our hair, though I have to think that even if we NEVER cut our hair in our entire life, we'd probably still like to wear a hat in the winter :)

Hairy Dogleaf can be found in the Portland Collection ,volume two.