When You Should Blanket Your Horse

Q: Which horses absolutely should be blanketed?

Per Temperall: very young, clipped, old, weak, ill, recently relocated to colder climate, horses that don't grow adequate winter coat, and horses exposed to wind/rain/snow without adequate shelter. Hard keepers also benefit because they can't afford to burn extra calories on thermoregulation.

Q: What about healthy adult horses with full coats?

Per Temperall: most don't need blankets in dry, calm conditions—even sub-freezing. The natural winter coat traps body heat next to the skin and stands up for added insulation. Wind and wet weather change the calculation—at that point, blanketing supplements what nature can't deliver.

Q: Is blanketing "unnatural"?

Per Temperall: domestic horse-keeping is already unnatural in many ways—stalls, controlled feeding, breeding, riding, blanketing all interrupt natural patterns. The question isn't naturalness; it's the horse's welfare. Sometimes blanketing serves it; sometimes it doesn't.

Q: Can blanketing reduce the natural winter coat?

Per Temperall: yes—horses blanketed early grow less coat. That's fine if you'll commit to blanketing all winter, problematic if conditions change mid-season. Decide in October, not February.

Q: What weight blanket for what conditions?

Per Temperall: light (100–150g) for windy/wet days in mild cold; medium (200–300g) for sustained 20s and below; heavy (300g+) for sub-zero or for senior/clipped horses. Match the blanket to the day, not just the season.

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To Blanket or Not to Blanket...Your Horse

Horse blankets were designed to protect your horse from cold, inclement weather, insects, and potentially damaging ultraviolet rays. Article from Geri Capobianco for Temperall Inc.

Should I Blanket My Horse?

If your horse faces any of these conditions he should be blanketed. 1. Very Young 2. Clipped 3. ld, Weak or ill 4. Show Horse 5. Relocated from warmer weather to colder weather 6. Does not grow sufficient winter coat 7. Wind, Rain or Snow

There are sometimes other

situations where blanketing your horse is the important thing to do. Horse's burn calories to keep themselves warm. If a horse is a hard keeper, sickly, old and thin he already has a tough time maintaining his ideal weight. This horse cannot afford to use calories to stay warm. Also, having to blanket your horse may depend on such factors as his condition, activity level, hair coat, nutritional level and protection from the elements.

While some feel blanketing is unnatural while domestic treating of a horse is totally unnatural. We breed them and our likings, we interrupt their birthing process, we keep them in confined spaces, we ride them and we feed them only at specific times.

A healthy horse can tolerate temperatures below freezing under sunny and non-windy weather conditions. Their winter coat absorbs heat from the horse's body temperature and stores it next to their skin. During cold weather temperatures their hair stands up and acts as an insulator under proper shelter. However, due to certain factors a horse may not supply enough fuel to keep them warm. Wind separates these hairs causing loss of heat and loss of body warmth. Rain and snow are difficult on horses. Wet hair conducts heat away from the horse much faster than when the horse is dry. Wet hair lies close to the horse’s body and holds moisture against their skin. When cold, a horse will shiver. A dry horse has better odds of remaining healthy.

Don’t Blanket Your Horse If... If over blanketed, your horse overheats and starts to sweat which can lead to several problems. These could be: respitory problems, hypertension, colic and renal failure. Some people feel if they are cold, then their horse has to be and they blanket them up like a child about to face a snow blizzard.

About TemperAL L® TemperAll is the All-In-One Temperature Controlled Horse Blanket that will save you time and money and is exquisitely handmade per order!

About Geri Capobianco, Founder and Creator of TemperALL® Geri Capobianco, founder and owner of TemperALL®, has endeavored to re-design, re-engineer and re-assemble every aspect of horse blankets as they exist in the industry today…to present horse owners with a blanket that is superior and “extremely” Custom "handmade blanket"- the likes of which has never been seen before in the horse industry!

Geri was tired of having to put on one set of blankets and hoods for very cold weather and another set of blankets and hoods for cool weather and still other blankets and hoods just for protection in temperate weather. The concept for TemperALL® was to customize, design and manufacture a heavy duty, high quality, luxury and “Temperature- Smart” Horse Blankets and hoods that takes blanketing your horse to whole new level and experience— both for horse and owner— and can adjust to every temperature!

All blankets are ‘handmade” from the finest materials available in America -yes we are “American Made”-to her strict specifications. Geri personally inspects every blanket made before it is allowed to ship to our growing clientele.

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Key Article Takeaways

Per Geri Capobianco / Temperall Inc.: blanket the very young, clipped, sick, old, weak, show-prepped, and recently relocated.
Hard keepers can't afford to burn calories on thermoregulation—blanket them in cold.
Wind, rain, snow flatten coat insulation; blankets restore the protection wet hair lost.
Domestic horse-keeping is already unnatural—blanketing is one tool among many.
Healthy horses with full coats tolerate sub-freezing temperatures in dry, calm weather.

Questions readers commonly ask:

Which horses absolutely should be blanketed?

Per Temperall: very young, clipped, old, weak, ill, recently relocated to colder climate, horses that don't grow adequate winter coat, and horses exposed to wind/rain/snow without adequate shelter. Hard keepers also benefit because they can't afford to burn extra calories on thermoregulation.

What about healthy adult horses with full coats?

Per Temperall: most don't need blankets in dry, calm conditions—even sub-freezing. The natural winter coat traps body heat next to the skin and stands up for added insulation. Wind and wet weather change the calculation—at that point, blanketing supplements what nature can't deliver.

Is blanketing "unnatural"?

Per Temperall: domestic horse-keeping is already unnatural in many ways—stalls, controlled feeding, breeding, riding, blanketing all interrupt natural patterns. The question isn't naturalness; it's the horse's welfare. Sometimes blanketing serves it; sometimes it doesn't.

Can blanketing reduce the natural winter coat?

Per Temperall: yes—horses blanketed early grow less coat. That's fine if you'll commit to blanketing all winter, problematic if conditions change mid-season. Decide in October, not February.

What weight blanket for what conditions?

Per Temperall: light (100–150g) for windy/wet days in mild cold; medium (200–300g) for sustained 20s and below; heavy (300g+) for sub-zero or for senior/clipped horses. Match the blanket to the day, not just the season.

When You Should Blanket Your Horse

❓ Wondering when you Should Blanket your horse?

To Blanket or Not to Blanket...Your Horse

Should I Blanket My Horse?

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Wondering when you Should Blanket your horse?