Holloway's Pretty Good Horse Barn

08/02/2026

Princess Nathalie, medal winner and top trainer, talks about Throughness:“The left hand balances the left shoulder, the right hand balances the right shoulder, the horse is not allowed to balance himself on your hands, you’re only allowed to have the shoulders on your hands.”�https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2023/05/top-tip-throughness-how-to-get-it-how-it-feels-with-princess-nathalie/

03/02/2026

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞?

I have seen statements on this subject floating around social media and I felt it was time to step in and set the record straight!

𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞.

For as long as I can remember, this practice has been taboo, you just shouldn’t do it. However, the University of Kentucky came out with an extension publication a few years back on why this generalization is false and I want to share that information with you along with some of my own relevant research.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐝?

The thought here is that by blanketing a wet horse, you trap the cold water next to their skin, which will actually make them colder. And if this actually happened, I would agree that this practice would be detrimental. However, if you have ever blanketed a wet horse with a blanket that has fill or added insulation, you know that within a matter of hours your horse will be warm and dry again.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐲?

Well the fill in the blanket will wick away and absorb the moisture and the body heat from the horse will help it evaporate.

𝐇𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

The moisture or humidity underneath the blanket could increase the risk of skin conditions or rain rot. As a result, you should change out the blanket as soon as you can to allow the blanket to adequately dry.

Also, if you use a sheet without fill, there is no insulation to absorb the moisture and this practice COULD be problematic. I found this to be true even for a dry horse. Two winters ago I performed research and placed temperature and humidity sensors underneath blankets of different weights including sheets with no fill. During the winter, I found that while the temperature under the sheet was warmer than the environment, the humidity under a rain sheet was far greater than the humidity under medium or heavy weight blankets as there wasn’t any fill to absorb the moisture. This is problematic because when high humidity occurs alongside cold temperatures, it can feel much colder, as humid air conducts heat away from the body faster than dry air. These results demonstrate the value fill can add to a blanket - not only to provide insulation but also to regulate humidity. Based on these factors, I would not recommend blanketing a cold, wet horse with a rain sheet.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

Blanketing a dry horse is the gold standard. And if you are able to dry off your horse before you blanket, please do so. However, we know this isn’t always feasible, especially for those who don’t live with their horses or have to deal with unpredictable weather. And in those scenarios, blanketing a horse with a blanket that has fill is a much better option than letting a cold, wet horse shiver.

Cheers!
Dr. DeBoer

23/01/2026

Don't just walk, trot, canter mindlessly on the track. GYMNASTICIZE those big hairy beasts!

18/01/2026

"You can always find love at the barn!" - Heather (Gentry's Mom) 🤎🖤🤍

07/01/2026

PSA from Grace: Sometimes blizzards arrive early. Label your sheets and blankets so we can grab 'em quick!

21/12/2025

How do YOU challenge yourself and your horse to get "just a bit more" than you thought you could?

“Oz never did give nothin' to the Tin Man That he didn't, didn't already have.”

Those words are familiar now, 51 years after the band America first sung them in 1974, but the issue that they raise is just as troublesome today as then.

That many of us have skills, traits, abilities that we don’t have enough self confidence to actually believe. When The Wizard OF Oz “gave” a heart to The Tin Man, Courage to the Cowardly Lion, and a brain to the Scarecrow, those characters needed those trinkets and certificates to accept things they already possessed.

We see these insecurities every day in the way humans deal with horses, how they handle and ride or drive them. And I am not talking about bravado, posturing, false courage or competence, but there are so many insecure riders who are that way not because they don’t have all sorts of strengths and abilities, but because, like the Tin Man, the Lion, and the Scarecrow, they don’t have self confidence.

So how can THAT be changed?

Here’s just one idea, and please pitch in with other strategies---

It’s unlikely that any time soon some wizard is going to hand us a diploma in something we may wish we had, but maybe try this---Take the insecurity and push it a little bit. Scare yourself A LITTLE BIT. Don’t terrify yourself, but make whatever it is SLIGHTLY uncomfortable.

If riding outside of an enclosed space makes you nervous, don’t go gallop in some open field, but walk around in places near the barn with some riding friend on a steady horse to keep yours confident. Get used to it little by little.

Or say that cantering faster than a slow lope makes you nervous. Don’t just plunge in and try to go fox hunting—so to speak---but in a ring where you are more OK with it, try getting up in a half seat, and go a LITTLE faster for some strides. Then slow down, and when it seems appropriate, do it some more.

Build by bits and pieces, and see where it takes you. The chances are good that you can become your own Oz, and that version of yourself can give you what you already have but don’t yet believe in.

Thoughts?

18/12/2025

Oh, to ride like Ingrid (and wouldn't it be fabulous to ride WITH her?!)

Ingrid Klimke talks about developing the young horse with Franziskus...
“The hindlegs must be energetic under the centre of gravity, that means the hindquarters get much more muscle, the back gets so much stronger, and the horse really shows himself."
https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2023/02/ingrid-klimke-talks-about-hind-leg-development/

17/12/2025

Our brains are incredible!

Your brain struggles to differentiate between vividly imagined achievements and real ones, using the same neural pathways, which allows self-belief (even false) to feel real and drive action, while also getting "desensitized" to self-sabotage like "just one time" lies, making it harder to stick to goals.

Essentially, your brain builds reality from your strongest thoughts, whether positive (visualization) or negative (limiting beliefs/excuses), making it an "unreliable narrator" that needs conscious redirection through small, consistent actions to build genuine capability.

AKA: Repeatedly imagining success activates the same neural circuits as actually doing it, laying down pathways that make you feel capable, even without proof.

Your brain uses mental shortcuts (like "The Sky Is Falling Con") to misinterpret problems, making tasks seem bigger or impossible.

The "One Time" Lie: Your brain loves the familiar and safe; "just one time" breaks a commitment, teaching your brain it can get away with it, making future discipline harder.

The "Perfect Plan" Lie: It convinces you that you need a perfect plan before acting, keeping you stuck in inaction because clarity often comes through action, not before it.

Instead: Act "As If": Consciously adopt empowering beliefs, noticing small bits of evidence that support them to train your brain to look for opportunities.

Small Steps: Take tiny, manageable actions (e.g., one small step toward a goal) to build real evidence and momentum, bypassing the need for a perfect plan.

Reparenting Your Brain: Acknowledge the brain's protective patterns (like fear) without shame, then gently teach it you can handle the truth and new approaches.

You can train your brain to see the good or see the bad. You can train your brain that you will not lie to it and it will make paths to your success. You can change your life. One step at a time.

12/12/2025

Good food for thought

𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬, 𝐬𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. . .

If I had a dollar for every time someone pulled out this tired argument, I could finally build that new barn I have been dreaming about.

So I am here to set the record straight. Comparing domestic horses to wild horses is not the slam-dunk some people think it is. Rather, it falls apart once you get past the surface because it was never solid logic to begin with.

Yes, ‘wild’ horses, moose, elk, antelope, and whatever other critters people like to use in this argument don’t wear blankets. But here’s the part that is conveniently left out: they survive by paying a price. There is no safety net. Nature is not kind. And when a wild horse isn’t thriving, nature removes it. And it can be a painful and drawn out process.

Thankfully, domestic horses don’t live this way. But the trade off is that they are required to live within the constraints of human expectations.

They live in limited space, depend entirely on what we provide, and do not have the ability to roam miles to find shelter, better forage, or protection from the elements. Some drop weight dramatically in winter. Some have metabolic disorders, clipped coats, low body conditions, or age-related problems. We groom them, ride them, and many have been bred for refinement and traits that excel in the show pen, not rugged survival.

And here’s the biggest difference: our responsibility to domestic horses is not to simply allow them to survive but rather we have a responsibility to help them thrive.

I am a huge advocate for letting a horse be a horse. But it is not always that simple. Humans domesticated them so it has become our duty to manage them.

Blanketing is not about pampering. It’s not about fashion. It’s not about treating horses like fragile glass figurines. It’s about understanding the individual needs of the animal in front of you. Some horses will be perfectly fine naked all winter. Others will burn calories they don’t have, shiver for hours, lose weight, or struggle quietly.

Will they survive without a blanket?
Most likely.

But will they thrive?
That depends on the horse. And as their caretakers, it’s our job to know the difference.

So stop using that lazy “wild horses don’t need blankets” line.

We’re in the 21st century. We have knowledge, tools, and compassion. Use them. Do what’s best for your horse, not what a wild animal has no choice but to endure solely based on principle.

And I want to be clear. I think MANY horses do just fine without blankets, just not ALL horses. And that is the distinction I am trying to make here.

Cheers,
Dr. DeBoer

I am also super grateful for Untamed Souls Photography (link to their page in the comments!) for letting me use their picture in this post. While I pride myself in creating my own visuals, I didn’t have anything I loved for this post and her picture captured my vision perfectly!

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Cmm3YCV3q/?mibextid=wwXIfr

09/12/2025

Another delightful Saturday pole/jump day in the books 🥰