Blanketing temps

[eponacowgirl]

I'm sure this topic has been beat to death, but I just wanted to see what everyone did for blanketing.

I'm lucky enough to be out at the barn about 12 out of 14 blanket changes, so I'm able to asses and figure out what I want my kids to wear. They're both 9 year old TBs with no run-ins, little trees for shelter, both cold natured and tend to not grow a good winter coat. They do have access to high quality round bales all the time. Granted, I'm in middle TN, they could both go all winter long without blankets and make it if it weren't wet. I'm trying to keep some hair off of them, as they're both in heavy work 4-5 days a week. I also understand that hair growth is related to day length and so on and so forth. I have my own theories on this and don't need anything about that. They do have a bit of hair on them now, as I let them go without blankets much longer than I usually do.

What temps do you change blankets at?

I have a TO sheet (water proof, breathable, high neck) and a mid-weight for each horse.

I typically sheet if under 50, MW if under 35 or 40 pending other conditions.

I do check them a couple times a day to see if they're warm when I'm out catching others.

[Wigwag]

My rule of thumb is about the same as yours. Once temps start hitting the 20's at night and 30's during the day, especially with wind, on goes the winter blanket and it usually stays on 'till early spring (I'm in Indiana, so once it gets cold it usually stays that way, except for the occasional weird weather weekend in, say, February).

I have a 6 yr old TB gelding on stall board.

[pinkdiamondracing]

OTTB's strictly here, and no run-ins, trees, shelters. So under 40, winter Rhino's on, left on until weather is over 40 day and night.

[Simkie]

Fully body clipped horse, living outside in a run in:

Above 70: naked
Below 70: Rambo wug sheet
Below 50: Rambo wug medium weight
Below 30: Rambo wug heavy
Below 0: Rambo supreme (420 g) with neck cover

For a horse with hair:

Above 50: Sheet if overly windy or wet
Under 50: Sheet
Under 30: Medium weight
Under 0: Heavy weight or medium weight with liner.

[Merle]

eponacowgirl, my ranges are the same as yours for my TB. He's on stall board but he needs weight so I want to help him as much as I can. Tonight it's in the low 30s and he's inside with his medium weight on (and nice and toasty underneath!).

[2boys]

I am glad I read this thread. It has prompted me to write out my blanket plans. Here it is:

under 30
tb stable (with turnout sheet over it in wet weather)

under 20
tb stable
qh mw rambo
pony mw turnout

under 10 and below
tb hw rambo
qh mw rambo
pony mw turnout

[fourmares]

What temperature people blanket at will depend on what they consider cold... that will depend on where they live and the average temperature that they are used to. Think about it, in Wisconson people might wear T-shirts when it is in the 50's... get temperatures in the 50's in California and people are getting out scarves and ski jackets. (seriously... you see some people in ski jackets when it hits the low sixties.)

[flypony74]

Epona, do you want ME to comment? Heckling directly from the blanket burrito?

[eponacowgirl]

I meant to specifically mention you in my OP.
NO COMMENT NEEDED, FLYPONY!

[mbm]

since horses are cold weather animals and they evolved on the steppes in very cold weather, i tend to think over blanketing them is not a good idea.

so that said, my body clipped mare gets her waterproof sheet - either her Rhino or similar during the day for t/o if it is raining or if it is under 50 during the day (edited to add: i live in Norther Ca so it rarely gets really cold here.... during the day in the winter it is usually 40-50F). she goes out during the day and in at nite.

at nites during chilly weather, depending on temps, she will wear either her rambo rain sheet, her thinsulate lined rain sheet or maybe her stable blanket that has lite fill (big D, or my fav which is a thinsulate lined blanket)

if it gets below freezing i might put on a cooler under her blanket depending on if it is windy or what not.

i would never blanket my horse if the temps were above 50-55.

[jesterjigger]

I stay pretty close to the Schneider's chart http://www.sstack.com/content/txt/warmth.htm I stay between the full coat and improving the coat guidelines depending on if it's windy/rainy/snowy.

[mbm]

jesterjigger - fab chart!
altho i dont think you can get a horse to shed by putting more blankets on? i think shedding is based on sunlight....

one of my barn rules is that horses cant be over blanketed... and it is amazing to me how much blanketing people do here in sunny CA!! you would think it is the arctic!

i will say tho - that a year in Ontario canada really showed this California girl what cold really is and how well horses do in the cold - even clipped. that experience totally changed how i blanket.