Blanketing Advice

[myamego]

So I have a new horse arriving in a few days! In the city I recently moved from, it was warm enough to only blanket clipped horses, horses with full winter coats were left alone. This new city has winters that average high 40’s/low 50’s during the day, and obviously colder at night (freezing temps). Both cities are in SoCal and only an hour apart, but there’s a big altitude difference. Since it’s in SoCal, I won’t get too much rain, but I heard that I will get snow flurries! This new city is also pretty windy, so wind chill factor needs to be considered.

As this is my first horse in a climate I’m not used to, I have nooo idea how to blanket! Per my trainer’s suggestion, I’m getting a waterproof, medium weight turnout blanket. The horse is a 17 y/o Quarter Horse mare, she’ll be spending the coldest months unclipped, and she’s gonna be living outside in a pipe stall that’s covered on one side with a roof. She’s used to being blanketed in the winter, but it’s colder here than the area she’s coming from. I live 3 minutes from the boarding barn, so I’ll be going every morning and night to take the blanket on and off.

At what point would you blanket this mare? Once it hits the high 40’s at night? Low 40’s? 30’s? What about when/if it hits the 40’s during the day, should I blanket her during the day too, or just keep to blanketing her at night? Right now, it’s about mid 60’s during the day, it hits 50 around 10pm and continues to drop to 40 at 5am, then warms up again.

Is it better to under or over blanket? If, for some reason, I can’t make it to blanket her one night and I can’t find anyone to do it for me (very doubtful, as I have family in the neighborhood behind the barn and one of the barn managers lives on site, but still), what would be your threshold between “she’ll survive for the night” and “you really have to find someone to blanket her”?

I know I sound like a paranoid horse mom, because I am! :lol: But I’d rather ask all my questions now than panic in the moment! Thanks in advance!

Side note - I have a lot of resources (old trainer, new trainer, old owner of the horse, etc) that I’m using as well, but it’s a guessing game since the horse and I are both new to the lower temps. Eventually I’ll see how the mare reacts to certain temps but I’d rather not wait until she’s shivering to keep her warm!

[warriorhorse]

At 40s & 50s horse’s don’t need to be blanketed. If they have a shelter and hay they are fine even if its wet and windy, mine live out 24/7 no blankets. Had freezing rain/ snow last night and windy horse’s were fine at 30 degrees no blankets.

Mine live out in blizzards no blankets ,and survive just fine with hay and unfrozen water,and temps of 35 below zero no blankets then either.

[Texarkana]

Definitely better to go conservative and under blanket than over blanket IMO. There’s plenty of things that a horse can do to get warmer: eat more hay, run around, seek shelter. But there’s not much they can do to get cooler except sweat and occasionally rip their blankets off.

I don’t think you can go wrong starting with the combination of a turnout sheet with no fill and a medium weight turnout. Turnout sheets are great for unclipped horses to keep the chill off in the winter wind and wet (the latter not so much a problem for you). The medium weight is good for when it gets even colder. They can be layered in an extremely frigid snap.

As for temperatures, they can be quite horse dependent. My rule of thumb for unclipped horses is leave them naked for anything 50 or above. Generally I don’t reach for the blankets with fill until the temp drops below freezing. I use the sheets for temps in the upper 30s/40s when they might need more protection. But temps alone are not the only factor to consider— a horse may be completely comfortable naked on a calm, 32F degree sunny day, but need extra protection on a 40 degree damp, windy night. Also, even within my own small herd, I have to bend my rule of thumb constantly. The thin-skinned wimpy mare loves a heavyweight at 40F, then there’s another mare who is part polar bear and rarely wears anything.

Lastly, if consistent blanketing is a concern at this barn, you might be better off just letting her go naked and keep a blanket for emergencies only. There’s nothing worse than a horse sweltering in his blanket on a warm afternoon following a cool night. Likewise, I don’t think it’s fair to the horse to be left unexpectedly chilly one night because no one was available to put a blanket on when the horse usually wears one.

[myamego]

@Texarkana I thought about getting a sheet! I’ll add that to the list. I did think that a medium weight in the 40’s was a little intense, so a sheet is a good compromise. I figure that I’ll eventually develop my own rule of thumb just for my mare. Consistent blanketing isn’t a concern, it’s just things like family emergencies happen and whatnot, so I was thinking about that. But for things like vacations, I’d let the barn manager know ahead of time and pay her to blanket for the time that I’m gone. Thanks so so much for the advice!

[Texarkana]

@myamego Another option is to invest in a waterproof sheet + liner to start, which tends to be cheaper than spending $ on a sheet + blanket. Might be a good option if you are worried a blanket will be used infrequently. Although from the perspective of barn staff, liners can be a pain in the butt.

[JB]

@myamego

At what point would you blanket this mare? Once it hits the high 40’s at night? Low 40’s? 30’s? What about when/if it hits the 40’s during the day, should I blanket her during the day too, or just keep to blanketing her at night? Right now, it’s about mid 60’s during the day, it hits 50 around 10pm and continues to drop to 40 at 5am, then warms up again.

It’s more than just about temps. 40* and sunny with no wind is warmer than 45* at night with 20mph winds and/or a solid rain.

Think more about the specific conditions. Cold is rarely the outright issue for most horses. It’s when winds keep warm air from being trapped between hairs, and when rain lays down the coat (removing that warm air layer) and soaks the skin

Is it better to under or over blanket?

All else equal, a bit better to under- than over-blanket. But if under means a shivering horse all night, and over means he’s just a bit warm, over is better. If you have to make a decision in the morning when it’s cold and a medium weight might be nice, but by noon-ish it’s going to be warm, then naked is a better choice.

If, for some reason, I can’t make it to blanket her one night and I can’t find anyone to do it for me (very doubtful, as I have family in the neighborhood behind the barn and one of the barn managers lives on site, but still), what would be your threshold between “she’ll survive for the night” and “you really have to find someone to blanket her”?

The above - if conditions are such that she’s likely to be shivering for hours, I don’t find that ok. At some point you’ll “mess up” and find her shivering, or sore from shivering if it was overnight. So you will have to take some time to learn what her particular tolerances are. 40* on a quiet night may be totally fine for her all Winter. 40* with winds more than 5-10 might means she really likes that medium weight

@warriorhorse

At 40s & 50s horse’s don’t need to be blanketed. If they have a shelter and hay they are fine even if its wet and windy, mine live out 24/7 no blankets. Had freezing rain/ snow last night and windy horse’s were fine at 30 degrees no blankets.

Mine live out in blizzards no blankets ,and survive just fine with hay and unfrozen water,and temps of 35 below zero no blankets then either.

Your experiences and your world don’t mean the rest of the world follows suit. A lot of horses absolutely need blanketing at 40*, and will not survive in excellent shape living out in blizzards.

do most horses need a blanket when it’s 40* and they are dry? No. But not all horses will use a shelter that’s available, so put a blanket on if they’re going to be wet or in wind, or if 40* really is just too cold for someone. And yes, that applies even if they have all the hay they can stuff their face with

I don’t want my horses to just survive. I want them to thrive. That’s why they all had blankets on for almost a whole week last week due to cold rain. Blanketed and out is better than stalled all that time.

Horses where you live grow a much more dense coat than almost any horse in SoCal or NC, so you cannot state that horses “surviving” in what MI or MN or WI or wherever you are has to offer, means other horses farther South can do the same.

[Amy3996]

Age can be another factor to take into consideration. Older horses sometimes struggle more to keep themselves warm. My 18 year old Warmblood has needed heavier blanketing as he’s gotten older. He used to be fine with a sheet if it was under 45°, medium under 20°, and heavy if it was in the low single digits or really windy, snowy. He gets chilled more easily now, so he gets a sheet under 55°, medium under 40°, and heavy under 20°.

These are all weather-dependent, too, as some others have mentioned. 55° and sunny is a different story than 55°, windy and driving rain. Some horses run really warm, some much cooler. It may take some trial and error for you to figure out how your particular horse ticks.

[myamego]

@JB It does get pretty windy up here, so I could use the sheet when the temp isn’t low enough for a medium weight but it’s really windy. I’ll figure out my mare’s temp tolerance eventually, I just don’t want her to suffer while I do

@Amy3996 That’s partly why I’m worried, 17 technically isn’t senior but it is older. My mare also has mild arthritis, so standing around being cold wouldn’t help that! Plus she’s used to being bundled up in an area where it’s less cold than here. Luckily it rarely reaches 20 degrees here, or I’d probably have to bundle her from her ears to her toes! :lol:

[CHT]

I find an unclipped horse, with a blanket that leaves their neck mostly uncovered, seems to handle a bigger temperature swings, than a more covered horse. I do like neck covers when it is windy or raining/sleeting though. I also find a blanket with light fill (100g -150g) seems to handle a bigger variance than a plain rain sheet.

As the horse is new to you, it is really hard to say what blankets she will need. Most of the horses at my barn are unclipped, and their blankets today varied from nothing, to 300grams (it was windy and below freezing - 9 celcius).

[outerbanks77]

Personally, for that climate and stabling situation, I’d get a 100gram turnout blanket, and on of the lighter turnout sheets, like the Bucas Sun Shower.

A heavier rainsheet lays the hair down, so it won’t add much warmth, but will of course protect against wind and rain. The 100gram will compensate for laying the hair down, but still be OK if it’s on during the day and temps start getting towards 50. You could then get a liner/fleece in case you get a cold snap where it gets into the teens.

I have a thin-skinned Appendix mare who barely grows a coat, and I just changed her out of her 100 gram into a 220 gram midweight, now that it’s staying closer to 40’s during the day and well down into the 20’s at night. My WB filly that grows more of a coat just went from nothing to a midweight due to rain. Otherwise, with temps in the 20’s at night, she is totally fine.

[myamego]

@CHT That makes sense, I’ll look for a turnout blanket with a light fill, thanks!

@outerbanks77 The liner won’t move around too much? I was cautioned by the mare’s old owner that layering might cause the blanket to twist around.

[outerbanks77]

@myamego

@outerbanks77 The liner won’t move around too much? I was cautioned by the mare’s old owner that layering might cause the blanket to twist around.

they can, but it sounds like it would only be needed briefly and occasionally in your climate, so shouldn’t be a big issue.

[Edre]

A lot of this is going to be really horse dependent. How much winter coat she grows, how cold tolerant is she, and what type of cold you get.

However, you specify that she is used to being blanketed (even at a warmer climate). Provided this is actually necessary (and not the situation that can happen sometimes, “I’m cold so horse must be cold too! Have a blanket!”), then I would look at investing in a sheet with no fill and then a lightweight blanket (ideally less than 100g fill, but 150g fill is managable).

I am in a much different climate from you (midwest - prone to very wet mid/late falls, wet snowfall, wind, wild temperature fluctuation) and I would start blanketing right around when the daytime highs no longer broke 40 - lows would be mid 30s or upper 20s. The horse in question at that point was a bit older (17), but had a great dense winter coat and didn’t need much help - he was inside overnight in an insulated barn and out of the wind, so the night lows weren’t really a big deal.

I would look at using that rule of thumb to guide you as well - while some horses end up blanketed during daytime highs of 40s (mid, even upper 40s - which I definitely don’t think is necessary!) I personally try to avoid it, provided the horse is in good health and weight, and has a reasonable food quantity for the weather. Sheet for low 40s if it’s super damp cold/blustery, and then transition to the light fill blanket if you drop to daytime highs of upper 20s or so.

The nice thing about having a sheet and a light fill blanket is if you end up having those crazy weather events that aren’t super characteristic (but maybe happen once or twice a season) - for you, maybe your highs dropping to the aforementioned mid 20s or even colder - you can layer your blankets. Sheet on top of the light weight fill. I’ve never had an issue with layering, despite doing it for several years - just remember to check your straps and adjust fit as necessary.

[Peggy]

I don’t blanket, clipped or unclipped, at 50°F or above. I don’t worry too much if it’s a few degrees below 50°F and the horse isn’t freshly body clipped, but mine is inside a barn at night and it’s definitely warmer.

When I had a horse further inland where it got colder (low 40s were pretty typical and it froze from time to time) I tended to use something with light fill or a liner. Something that breathes is going to be your friend because the horse can tolerate wider temperature swings without getting overly heated. They make blankets with 100-150 g of fill that will probably work for your situation.

[jetsmom]

Unclipped, i don’t blanket when its 40 or higher, unless its really windy or raining (or forecast to be), and then i will use a waterproof sheet. For 30-40 i use a lightweight fill blanket. Below 30, a medium weight. If its windy, i will use a medium weight for 35 or below. Below 20 a medium weight if its only going to hit that fir a couple hrs and not windy. If its windy i do a heavyweight below about 25.

[CanteringCarrot]

@warriorhorse

And just because of where i live doesn’t mean horse has dense thick winter coat like you seem to think.:rolleyes: He doesn’t and he doesn’t wear a blanket. Don’t live in any of states mentioned so wrong again with your assuming.

LOL you didn’t read the part about “wherever you are” I guess.

From past experience, I am skeptical that your horse(s) are in a condition that most of us would be satisfied with, so there’s that. It all depends on the horse, so maybe yours are just fine. Maybe.

I find my 100g quite useful. My clipped guy lives is medium-heavy weights primarily. Our winter is typically mid thirties during the day, and mid to low 20’s in the evening. It also gets quite windy, so I have to factor in more than just temps. Of course that can vary because the weather is not so predictable all of the time.

I find my liners useful too. The Horseware liners attach to their compatible blankets and do not move. However, I used my 100g liner under my older Rambo all-in-one and it didn’t move. I did clip it at the back where the tail strap rings are, but it wasn’t fixed at the neck like it would have been under my other blankets made for the liner system. It was just fine.

I own more blankets than I probably should due to sales and wanting back ups in the case of destruction, so there’s that.

[CHT]

The problem I have had with liners isn’t that they move too much, but rather that they can cause static to build in the liner.

[myamego]

@Edre Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was blanketed more than necessary, she lives on someone’s personal property and was an oversized pampered pet for the past 2 years :lol: but she is older, is used to have an in n out stall to escape the wind/cold/rain, and is going to be in a colder climate than she’s used to, so I want to be prepared for her to be more sensitive to the cold.

Has anyone seen or tried the Noble Outfitters 4-in-1 Turnout System? It’s a sheet that has pockets on the inside that you can fill when needed with a 150g insert, 250g insert, or both. I found it on SmartPak, seems like a great idea!

[piedmontfields]

I would suggest a sheet (no filler) and a medium fill blanket for your situation. Plus plenty of good feed/hay! Wind and wet are the major challenges you will address.

p.s. This is from the view of the southeast, where we sheet below 52F and Medium below 40 F and Heavy below 30 F. But it is wet and damp here.

[stryder]

Did I understand the OP correctly that she’ll be in a pipe corral with a roof on one end? So no side enclosures to block the wind? If so, wind chill at night may be something to consider.