Horse Underwear--One of My Favorite Inventions!

If my late grandfather (a horseman born just after 1900) were to have seen this photo of a flower-print garment, he'd have had no idea what the item was for. And if I were able to tell him, "Grandpa, this is a piece of horse underwear"--well, I probably wouldn't dare to print what he'd have said. In Grandpa's earliest days, horses wore harnesses. And pulled buggies or harvesters. Even later, when he bred ponies and horses for the pleasure markets, he'd most likely have found it ridiculous to dress horses up in anything resembling clothes.

And he'd have had a point. In the most basic sense, horses are born with all the "clothes" they really need. They're mammals. They have fur. It grows long or short, depending on season, all on its own.

Still, I'm among those who love the appearance of a horse with a perfect haircoat. I find it relaxing to go to the barn for a little "horse-Barbie" time. I'm in the group that likes the eye candy of color coordination. So, I love the invention of lightweight coat-protecting garments that stretch as a horse moves, that are easy to care for, and that allow for a measure of personal expression. I have whole wardrobes of these items designed to be worn under tougher-fabric outerwear.

They wouldn't have been Grandpa's cup of tea. But what the heck--he didn't drink tea in the first place!