Blanketing Chart

[candyappy]

@scislandsprite

However, she’s out during the day without access to a run-in or shelter when it’s raining/snowing etc but inside at night in a barn that is usually ~15 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than it is outside. I know hay really keeps them warm, especially 24/7 or free choice hay, however they get fed hay 3x a day so I think that will influence things a bit.

I would have a major issue with any horse stuck outside with no shelter in inclement weather like you describe. A blanket is no substitute for getting out of the wind & wet but I realize not everyone has that boarding option.

That would be the only time she really needs a blanket, otherwise I personally wouldn’t put one on her.

She is fat and has a good thick coat and as long as she stays that way she shouldn’t get cold especially if inside. That blanket list idea of your BO’s has too many ways a staff member can get it terribly wrong.

A percentage of barn workers seem to be unable to feed supplements correctly even when pre bagged , so I would be worried about my horse sweltering in a blanket when temps happen to swing or they get the forecast wrong.

I haven’t blanketed in decades but I used to and it was hard enough to get it right even when I did it myself, let alone trust someone else.

[scislandsprite]

@Simkie

Ten degree windows are so narrow that it’s within the “miss” range of the forecast, though, ykwim? Especially if there’s no barn manager, it might be smart to make this as simple as possible.

@emeraldcity

For me, it’s more of a limit than “he must be in this blanket at this temperature”- like, if he’s in his medium already and the temp is going to go a bit over the max for his medium, he can stay in his medium. If it’s going to go WAY over, then a change is needed. But if it’s going to go under the “max” for his medium, then he should at least have that on, not less. My barn does not adhere strictly to them, and they know to keep him in more clothes rather than less when in doubt. The only time I’ve ever seen him sweat in a blanket was a day when he had his medium on and it unexpectedly got up to 60deg and sunny, oops.

Fair point! I altered the temperature ranges to be wider & also added a note that they’re not set in stone so no one has to freak out about trying to change the blanket if it’s a couple degrees over. Thankfully, the Vari-Layer blankets seem to give me some flexibility which helps!

@clanter

personally for us I would add Wind Speed and Direction into that chart as if we have no wind and sunny it can be very warm even on a 15 degree day

Adding in a wind speed of 40 MPH from the north and it can be Cold when in the 50s

Agreed! I added a note that the temperature ranges are talking about the “real feel” which does a better job of factoring in precipitation, wind, humidity, etc & mentioned that ranges aren’t overly strict either. Then it’s not so “stuck” on the numbers.

@Renn_aissance

My barn accepts blanketing charts within reason and has not kicked me out of the barn for mine. For them to work, the barn and the chart makers need to be operating under some commonly understood parameters:

I like this idea a lot, it definitely sounds like it would make things simpler! There’s not really similar parameters among the boarders as a lot of the horses vary in winter coat, age, etc but hopefully we’ll get closer to some sort of a consensus.

@candyappy

I would have a major issue with any horse stuck outside with no shelter in inclement weather like you describe. A blanket is no substitute for getting out of the wind & wet but I realize not everyone has that boarding option.

That would be the only time she really needs a blanket, otherwise I personally wouldn’t put one on her.

She is fat and has a good thick coat and as long as she stays that way she shouldn’t get cold especially if inside. That blanket list idea of your BO’s has too many ways a staff member can get it terribly wrong.

A percentage of barn workers seem to be unable to feed supplements correctly even when pre bagged , so I would be worried about my horse sweltering in a blanket when temps happen to swing or they get the forecast wrong.

I haven’t blanketed in decades but I used to and it was hard enough to get it right even when I did it myself, let alone trust someone else.

Yes, not having a run-in is a bit of a bummer. I’d love to DIY one but any shed I make would be questionable at best. During very extreme weather they’ll usually in for part of the day but they’re all used to being outside all day so if turnout is bearable for the horses then they’ll go out. Lots of boarding places in my area have closed so moving barns isn’t a super feasible option. I don’t think I know of too many other places in the area that will truly turn them out all day and isn’t all solo turnout. (Not that solo turnout is bad, my horse just really prefers a friend!)

[SMF11]

If it makes you feel better, the time the horses use their run ins here is during the summer. Every single time I’ve fed in a blizzard they have been nowhere near the sheds!

[2DogsFarm]

@scislandsprite

there will be a few different people doing the blanket changes

Yabbut, if these people are trusted to feed & turnout & (I assume) monitor boarders’ health, are they not horse-wise enough to figure out blanketing?

[Renn_aissance]

@scislandsprite

I like this idea a lot, it definitely sounds like it would make things simpler! There’s not really similar parameters among the boarders as a lot of the horses vary in winter coat, age, etc but hopefully we’ll get closer to some sort of a consensus.

That is the beauty of agreeing on the parameters of “how do we understand the temperature to be calculated and how many times are we changing rugs around here.” Once we have a common working definition of how we establish how cold it is or isn’t, that accounts for everyone using a different weather app and so on, each individual horse owner can decide how to blanket Pookie according to Pookie’s variables.

My Pookie is 27 and furry but he’s turned out at night in a field at the top of the hill, which catches the wind and is usually 10 degrees colder than the field at the bottom of the hill. Somebody else’s Pookie in the bottom field is clipped but he’s wearing fewer clothes than my horse because the weather dynamics of his field make it warmer where he is. A third person’s Pookie is a fat Dartmoor Pony in full coat and isn’t wearing a rug at all unless there’s freezing rain. If everybody’s Pookie has their own chart that complies to the barn’s standards of what they will and won’t do, and each owner understands that to the barn staff, “30 degrees at night” means a nighttime low of 30 on the RealFeel according to Accuweather at 5PM, then it really doesn’t matter to the barn that each Pookie has their own individual biology and environmental situation. Each owner knows what 30 degrees means and has made Pookie’s chart to accommodate Pookie’s needs, and the barn staff don’t get texts saying “so I know it’s supposed to be 40 tonight but since it’s raining can you put Pookie’s 100gm on instead of her sheet?” from every owner of every Pookie in the barn.

Every horse person is crazy about something, and my crazy is blankets. I really, really try not to get kicked out of the barn for this.

[Texarkana]

This thread makes me so glad I don’t currently have to stress about blanketing at boarding barns.

OP, I don’t know if what’s in your first post is the original chart or edited, but it seems pretty reasonable. The only thing I suggest is remove the raining/not raining part for simplicity’s sake and find a compromise (or just plan on making a special request to leave the blanket on if the weather is horrendous). I understand why you have it, I do the same thing when I’m blanketing, but it just adds an opportunity for confusion among the staff.

I’m generally in the camp of leave them on the colder side, as mine get sweaty easily even in modern blankets, but I think 35 dry v. 45 wet is a small enough window that you can probably pick 40 or 45 for all conditions and be okay.

[Simkie]

@2DogsFarm

Yabbut, if these people are trusted to feed & turnout & (I assume) monitor boarders’ health, are they not horse-wise enough to figure out blanketing?

But…as this thread very well demonstrates, we ALL have a different idea of what’s reasonable. There is no SINGLE right way.

The OP uses 3 different blankets over 0-32. I use one. If we’re boarding together, and each blanketing the whole barn on different nights, we’re both going to be frustrated.

[scislandsprite]

@SMF11

If it makes you feel better, the time the horses use their run ins here is during the summer. Every single time I’ve fed in a blizzard they have been nowhere near the sheds!

I did briefly board at a place with a run-in and my horse used hers a lot, even when it wasn’t raining! She definitely likes having one so I do feel bad.

@2DogsFarm

Yabbut, if these people are trusted to feed & turnout & (I assume) monitor boarders’ health, are they not horse-wise enough to figure out blanketing?

@Simkie

But…as this thread very well demonstrates, we ALL have a different idea of what’s reasonable. There is no SINGLE right way.

The OP uses 3 different blankets over 0-32. I use one. If we’re boarding together, and each blanketing the whole barn on different nights, we’re both going to be frustrated.

Yep, none of the people turning out/feeding/blanketing are bad, they’re all pretty knowledgeable. There’s just kind of a wide array of horses and each of the people have different blanket preferences!

@Texarkana

This thread makes me so glad I don’t currently have to stress about blanketing at boarding barns.

OP, I don’t know if what’s in your first post is the original chart or edited, but it seems pretty reasonable. The only thing I suggest is remove the raining/not raining part for simplicity’s sake and find a compromise (or just plan on making a special request to leave the blanket on if the weather is horrendous). I understand why you have it, I do the same thing when I’m blanketing, but it just adds an opportunity for confusion among the staff.

I’m generally in the camp of leave them on the colder side, as mine get sweaty easily even in modern blankets, but I think 35 dry v. 45 wet is a small enough window that you can probably pick 40 or 45 for all conditions and be okay.

I definitely miss being there everyday and being able to do it myself! For reference, the chart in the first post is still the original one, I made the edits to a chart on a spreadsheet. That sounds like a good idea, I think I’ll do that so then there’s not that awkward window of wet vs. dry!

[Amy3996]

@fivestrideline

My tb runs COLD and his back gets tight if he’s chilly so we start blanketing when the temps stay under/around 60 at night. I would find a chestnut popsicle if I used your chart .

My TB is the same. These thin-skinned types are a whole different challenge. He’s at a close to ideal BCS right now, maybe just slightly under. He has a coat that’s more peach fuzz than actual hair. There are no shelters in their turnouts. It was 55°F with 20 mph winds and steady light rain today. He got a sheet and the BM said he was dry and just warm to the touch under it.

My chart looks something like this:

Sheet (0g): 45°F-60°F
Midweight (220g): 30°F-45°F
Heavy (360g): 0°F-30°F
Heavy+100g liner: Below 0°F

All of our blankets have detachable hoods, and the medium and heavyweights have bellybands as well.

I got a whiteboard last winter and would leave 2-3 days worth of blanketing instructions on his stall front. If I couldn’t make it to the barn or we got a wild weather change, I trusted our BM to make a judgement call and she nearly always got it right.

[pony_baloney]

My fluffy pony lives out 24/7 with a shed. The only time I’ve seen him or his herdmates use the shed is to escape the heat and flies in the summer. My main concern is keeping him dry, so he has two 0g turnout sheets (Amigo and SP Ultimate). One is heavier than the other. If the weather is dry and cold, he’s usually naked with a round bale to munch on.

My previous horse had the same kind of lightweight sheets plus a blanket liner. When inside the sheet would come off and would go back on when turned out. He was older and needed the extra warmth of the liner.

Most important in your case is making sure the sheets and blankets fit properly and don’t cause rubs. You’ll take more care to notice this on your horse compared to the staff blanketing/unblanketing many horses a day.

[Postandrails]

@scislandsprite

I like this idea a lot, it definitely sounds like it would make things simpler! There’s not really similar parameters among the boarders as a lot of the horses vary in winter coat, age, etc but hopefully we’ll get closer to some sort of a consensus.

For sanity sake, I would start with everyone agreeing on a set chart first, and then individually people can nominate how to blanket for each category. If everyone makes their own chart with their own categories then it is going to be much harder to work with.

[Simkie]

@Postandrails

I would start with everyone agreeing on a set chart first, and then individually people can nominate how to blanket for each category. If everyone makes their own chart with their own categories then it is going to be much harder to work with.

But different horses have different needs.

I am one person with similar horses in breed, coat and weight, and I have a horse that’s blanketed one layer heavier than the others. Because she needs it. And one I keep a layer lighter. Because she needs it.

There isn’t ONE single answer that will work for every single horse out there.

[Postandrails]

@Simkie

There isn’t ONE single answer that will work for every single horse out there.

I don’t understand. I wasn’t suggesting one single answer, I was suggesting one set of temperature ranges.

[2DogsFarm]

@Simkie

we’re boarding together, and each blanketing the whole barn on different nights, we’re both going to be frustrated.

Agree 1000%
So multiple charts are going to mean a lot of frustrated caregivers.
What a headache, having to read a chart for Every.Single.Horse.Every.Single.Day. & more than once with temp & weather changes.
I can’t see any reasonable way to solve the dilemma without owners being reasonably understanding if their idea of What’s Needed When gets mixed up on occasion.

[emeraldcity]

I used to board at a coop, and every boarder wrote their own blanket plan for their own horse. When doing turnout, you first check the high/low, and then as you touch each horse, you peek at their plan and make sure they’re blanketed appropriately. I didn’t find it cumbersome or challenging at all, and no one else ever complained either- there were 12 horses, 11 owners doing care at different times.

We did have some agreement about not making the plans too complicated, and each horse was only allowed two blanket options at any given time (so I might have a medium and a heavy available when it’s really winter, but I’d take the heavy home and bring a sheet when it started to get warmer). Overall, blanketing was never an issue.

[Texarkana]

I worked in a big hunter barn with 50+ horses and every one had their own chart. I didn’t find it frustrating at all; the charts actually made it clear as day.

It was only ever frustrating when owners made their charts overly complicated with excessive numbers of blankets. But thankfully the barn manager usually shut that down.

In a big full service barn, you’re going to be changing blankets all winter no matter what.

[ndirish07]

I have two horses. As others have said, it’s entirely dependent on the horse, wind and precipitation. My foxhunter gets fully clipped and barely gets more than a medium even when it’s freezing out otherwise he sweats. Meanwhile, my hot house flower warmblood would be in 500 grams and he only had a shallow trace clip.

In order to not have different charts for different horses, can you just label your blankets with the weight and tell the caregiver what you need done if there’s a blanket change needed? That honestly seems way easier. My blankets have the horse’s name and blanket weight (both “medium” and the grams since people get that confused occasionally).

[Pico_Banana]

I have always erred on the side of lighter blanketing than most boarding barns where I’ve been. Now that I have them at home and I see how they do, I actually blanket even lighter. I am in MA, as well.

I rarely use my sheets any longer, unless it’s pretty warm but super windy or rainy.

I think the 100g blanket is the best invention ever. It’s so versatile and I feel it’s really enough down pretty much to freezing. I start using these around 40 degrees, depending on wind/precipitation.

Once it hits freezing, the mediums come out.

Last year we only had a day or two that merited heavyweights. Knowing that, I just doubled up the 100g and the mediums for those couple of days.

All of this is if the blankets are either Wug-style or you have a neck cover. Without one of those, I might blanket a touch heavier. I never used to think that made a huge difference but I have since converted.

All of this said, both of my chestnut mares appear to run warm, so YMMV.

[scislandsprite]

@ndirish07

In order to not have different charts for different horses, can you just label your blankets with the weight and tell the caregiver what you need done if there’s a blanket change needed? That honestly seems way easier. My blankets have the horse’s name and blanket weight (both “medium” and the grams since people get that confused occasionally).

That’s essentially what I did last year! I just wrote on my whiteboard that the two blankets on my blanket bar consisted of the 100g Rhino Wug as a light-medium blanket and the 250g Rhino Vari-Layer Plus as a medium-heavy blanket. I did most of my blanket changes but if they thought she needed a different blanket, they just used that.

I wrote down the blanket weights on my newer chart (not the one in this forum’s original post) but good idea on also adding in light, medium, heavy etc.!

[scislandsprite]

Yes the 100g is so helpful! All of mine are either Wugs or have hoods so one less thing to worry about. Your blanketing guidelines look fairly similar to what I finally ended up deciding on last night, hopefully MA won’t have a brutal winter.