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A horse blanket is for protecting your horse from the elements. To keep your horse warm, protected from the rain, wind, heat and sun. They are tailored to fit around your horse's body with straps crossing underneath, allowing your horse to move about freely without dislodging the blanket.

The traditional horse blanket is a woven blanket, usually made of wool. Modern blankets are much warmer and resistant to weather than traditional wool blankets, using inner and outer shells with an insulating fiber between. outer shells are usually made of synthetics which are water repellent and windproof, while the inner lining is smoother than wool so it wont chafe against your horses skin. The filling between them provides warmth with much less bulk than older blankets. This means the overall blanket is light enough not to flatten your horses coat, and is more durable than their wool or cotton predecessors.

Another type of horse blanket, the Cooler blanket is a square blanket with ties that is draped over your horse if it is hot and sweaty after a workout, or has just been bathed and is wet all over. It is kept on while your horse is being cooled down as it allows enough air circulation for your horse to dry, and prevents chills and drafts.

Horse blankets are sometimes used to keep your horse's hair short. Blankets also protect horses that are kept with a short coat for show purposes.

In summer a lightweight blanket may be used to help your horse ward off flies and to prevent the hair coat from bleaching out. These blankets are usually referred to as a "sheet" or a "fly sheet". Usually they are made of nylon or strong synthetic fiber with the capacity to "breathe" so that your horse can remain cool.

If your horse is given a full body clip, or even a partial clip, it is recommended a blanket be kept on at all times if the weather is cool because your horse no longer has the natural insulation of a longer hair coat. If a blanket is put on your horse at the beginning of winter in order to suppress the growth of a winter coat, or if your horse is kept clipped in cold weather, the blanket must stay on until warmer weather arrives. If your horse is subjected to cold weather without either a horse blanket or a natural hair coat to keep it warm, it is far more vulnerable to sickness and ill health.

It is important to choose a blanket that is appropriate to how much extra protection from the weather that your horse genuinely needs.

Make sure that the blanket fits your horse properly, regardless of the blanket type. A blanket that is too tight will irritate the skin and put your horse at risk of developing abrasions and sores, while a blanket that is too large can slip down under your horses belly. Not only will that result in the loss of almost all the blankets insulating ability, if your horse gets its legs tangled in the blankets straps, it can be seriously injured. Putting the blanket on properly also helps to ensure a good fit.

It is best for each horse to have its own blanket. Sharing blankets can lead to the spread of skin problems such as girth itch, ringworm, and other fungal infections. Even if no horses in the stable have known skin problems, fungal spores can cling to the blankets and be spread to other horses.

Does your horse need a blanket?
Check out the horse blanket information and resources provided by
Bryan Thorby at http://www.pet-lovers-info.com
Your Horse may love you for it. Also links to other fine equestrian products, books and magazines.

A good golf swing takes numbers off your handicap. If youre like many golfers, your quest for the perfect golf swing is a never-ending endeavour.

Did you know you can greatly improve your golf swing by holding your clubs tightly? And by tightly, I mean tightly. not so tight, however, that your back, neck and shoulder muscles bunch up when you make the swing.

Far too many golfers believe that they must hold the club loosely when making their golf swing. They believe that their swing will be stiff and unyielding if they hold the club tightly. this faulty belief contributes to a less than ideal swing.

No golfer has ever developed a bad golf swing from holding the club too tightly, but many have done so by holding it too loosely. this loose grip causes errors that you can avoid by gripping the club tightly. The loose grip results in the hands opening at the top, over swinging, collapse of the left wrist and numerous others. If you are accustomed to a loose grip, the tight grip may feel awkward at first, but it is worth the effort. Your golf swing will improve and you will carry through with the swinging motion more effectively.

When you take hold of the club, remember that Tight is Right.

To hold the club properly, you are going for a tight, two-knuckle overlap. In other words, your fingers should be tight enough that almost all fingers are grasping the club. Right handed golfers should ensure that fingers three, four and five of the left hand, and fingers one, two and three of the right hand are on the club, with the forefinger of your right hand connecting with the tip of your left thumb. this prevents the club from dropping into the v-space between your thumb and forefinger at the top of your golf swing and causing a lack of control that you will have regain as your golf club swings downward. Obviously, if you are a left handed golfer, you will reverse this positioning for your golf swing.

Your stance is also important. It helps to remember a couple of points when you are positioning yourself for your golf swing.

Now, this is the correct way to how to stand up to the ball so you get a good golf swing. Its not difficult, but there are a couple of things to remember.

Stand far enough away from the ball that you have enough room to swing the club back freely and to gracefully arc the golf downwards towards your feet during the downswing. You should divide your weight evenly on your feet, and flex the knees. If youre not sure how much to flex, err on the side of too much flex rather than too little. Bend forward from the waist so your shoulders are rounded. The right shoulder should be lower than the left shoulder, since your right hand reaches further down the clubs shaft than the left hand. The opposite is true if you are a left handed golfer.

Now make your golf swing! Keep these golf tips in mind and youll be on your way to paring the course!

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