Once the cold weather rolls in and your horse is wearing his blanket on a regular basis, you might notice his hair is falling out in places where the blanket rubs. 

Hairless patches develop on the shoulders, withers, and other areas where a horse’s blanket rubs as he moves. This could be a sign that you need a better-fitting blanket, but if you have a hard-to-fit horse this might happen regardless of how the blanket fits. 

Tip: Try sewing thick fleece to the inside of the blanket on the rub areas. Or outfit your horse with tight-fitting lycra slinky or “underwear” that covers the rub zones like this one from Schneiders. Either way, you’ll prevent further damage to the hair follicles that might otherwise result in discoloration or permanent hair loss.