To Blanket Your Horse or Not to Blanket Your Horse: The Truth No One Wants to Say Out Loud

Every winter, like clockwork, the same circus rolls into town. Someone posts in a private Facebook horse group—“Should I blanket my horse tonight?”—and suddenly 273 self-appointed experts appear out of the ether to declare their gospel truth. You get the “never blanket, ever” crowd, the “I blanket at 40 degrees or you’re abusive” crowd, and every possible chest-thumping opinion in between. It’s exhausting. It’s maddening. And honestly, it’s unnecessary.

Here’s the real truth, the part no one wants to say out loud:

Blanketing is a personal decision based entirely on YOUR horse, YOUR setup, and YOUR preferences. Period.

No Facebook mob, no barn-aisle gossip, no “my trainer said” should override what you see with your own eyes.

First Things First: Know Your Horse

Let’s cut through the noise. A few obvious rules apply:

• Don’t blanket a horse that isn’t trained or comfortable wearing one. A panicked horse in a blanket is a 1,200-pound accident waiting to happen.

• If it’s warm, remove the blanket. Horses can and do overheat, even in winter.

• Repair ripped straps or broken hardware immediately. A dangling chest clip or torn leg strap is a vet bill in the making.

Now for the part social media commentators tend to forget:

If your horse is cold, blanket them.

Cold horses show you they’re cold:

• Huddled in the corner of a stall

• Curled like a little ball in deep bedding

• Shivering

• Tight muscles, braced posture

• Less movement, less interest in going outside

• Eating excessively just to generate heat

None of this makes you a “snowflake owner.” None of this means your horse is weak. It simply means your horse is an individual with individual needs.

Sometimes a blanket is not a fashion accessory — it’s a tool. A blanket helps them maintain temperature, move more freely, burn fewer calories, stretch, forage, be a horse, rather than stand stiff and miserable in one spot burning energy to stay alive. Warmth equals mobility. Mobility equals health.

A Helpful Guide: Layers by Temperature

Every horse is different, but here’s a general, reasonable, non-hysterical temperature chart that works for many horses. Adjust based on age, body condition, coat length, wind exposure, and overall health.

40–50°F

• Unclipped, healthy: No blanket or rain sheet if wet/windy

• Clipped or thin: Lightweight (100–150g)

30–40°F

• Unclipped: Rain sheet or light turnout

• Clipped, seniors, or hard keepers: Medium weight (180–220g)

20–30°F

• Unclipped: Medium weight

• Clipped, seniors, thin: Heavy weight (300+ grams)

Below 20°F

• Unclipped: Medium or heavy depending on wind/wet

• Clipped, older, arthritic, or thin horses: Heavy with a hood or layering system

Wind, moisture, and their living environment change everything. A horse on a windy hilltop will need more help than one tucked in a sheltered barn.

How to Make Sure the Blanket FITS (Because This Part Actually Matters)

A poorly fitted blanket is worse than no blanket at all.

Quick fit checklist:

• Withers: Should not pinch or rub. High-neck cuts can be a game changer for many horses (especially seniors, wide shoulders, or those who hate pressure).

• Shoulders: Your horse should be able to move without the blanket pulling tight across the chest.

• Length: The blanket should end around mid-cannon bone. Too long = tripping hazard. Too short = drafts and rubs.

• Belly straps: Snug but not tight—you should fit a hand between the strap and belly.

• Leg straps: Twist them once, snug enough to hold, loose enough not to bind.

If your horse hates their blanket, it’s often a fit issue, not a personality flaw.

Stop Listening to Strangers on Facebook

The solution nobody seems to mention is the simplest one:

Observe your horse. Do your own research. Make your own decisions.

Blanketing is not a moral battle. It’s not a referendum on horsemanship. It’s not a badge of honor to blanket or not blanket. It’s just one tool in the toolbox of caring for your horse in the way they need.

So the next time you see a 200-comment thread of people telling others how wrong they are… just smile, close the tab, and go check your horse.

They’ll tell you everything you need to know.