Here is a quick and easy guide to blanketing your horse this autumn/winter. If it is sunny and calm, add 10°F to what is shown in the guide.If your horse is clipped...
60-65°F -- Turnout sheet50-60°F -- Sheet over lightweight liner
40-50°F -- Midweight insulated turnout rug, or turnout sheet over stable blanket
30-40°F -- Heavy turnout rug, midweight rug over stable sheet or fleece liner, ot turnout sheet over stable blanket plus liner
20-30°F -- Heavy rug over fleece liner, or medium rug over quilted liner or stable blanket
Below 20°F -- Heavy rug over quilted liner or stable blanket, or midweight rug over quilted lliner or stable blanket plus fleece.
If your horse is NOT clipped (meaning he/she has a full coat)...
50-55°F -- Turnout sheet
40-50°F -- Sheet over lightweight liner
30-40°F -- Midweight insulated turnout rug, or turnout sheet over stable blanket
20-30°F -- Heavy turnout rug, midweight rug over stable sheet or fleece liner, ot turnout sheet over stable blanket plus liner
10-20°F -- Heavy rug over fleece liner, or medium rug over quilted liner or stable blanket
Below 10°F -- Heavy rug over quilted liner or stable blanket, or midweight rug over quilted lliner or stable blanket plus fleece.
40-50°F -- Sheet over lightweight liner
30-40°F -- Midweight insulated turnout rug, or turnout sheet over stable blanket
20-30°F -- Heavy turnout rug, midweight rug over stable sheet or fleece liner, ot turnout sheet over stable blanket plus liner
10-20°F -- Heavy rug over fleece liner, or medium rug over quilted liner or stable blanket
Below 10°F -- Heavy rug over quilted liner or stable blanket, or midweight rug over quilted lliner or stable blanket plus fleece.
Despite following these rules, it is still important to change or adjust your horse's blanket every day whether the weather changes or not to avoid sores due to rubbing. Also, make sure you check your horse to make sure he/she isn't too hot or too cold.
If your horse is not warm enough, his ears will be cool to your touch, exposed hair coat will stand on end, his/her body will be tense, he/she will be shivering, and his/her will be tail clamped. If he/she is t
oo warm, he/she will be restless, and will have sweat under his/her blanket(s).
*These guidelines first appeared in the September 2001 issue of Practical Horseman magazine. For more on blanket design features that help your horse's blanket fit his individual conformation, see the November 2003 issue.
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