Hello! I‘m looking to buy either a turnout blanket or sheet for my 18 year old TB horse. I live in Virginia-- a temperate climate state. In the dead of winter (January) it can get into the low 20‘s in the night but I don‘t know if my horse needs a blanket to keep him warm or just to shed water. Copper stays on 30 acres of pasture all the time, the only time he goes in a stall is to eat. My question is does he need a turnout blanket or just a turnout sheet? Basically I‘m asking if my horse will be cold :)
I would get him a waterproof sheet to protect him from the rain and catching chills due to being wet. He won't be cold, Iive in Pennsylvania and it gets even colder here, I don't blanket my 13-year-old thoroughbred. The only problem would be if he got wet, which is why I recommend the sheet.
beings how your horse is in his late teens I personally would probably suggest a blanket. Because the older he gets he's going to need more to keep him warm and we all know when our horse is cold the weight starts to drop off. You just need to be sure not to just leave it on all winter. Put the blanket on only when its cold and take it off first thing in the morning. Just remember like I was saying earlier the older they get the more it takes to take care of them. Going with the blanket, is really going to help him keep his weight on him during the winter months, because also the older they get the harder it is to put whatever weight they lose back on them. I hope which ever you chose is the right choice for you. good luck!
Most horses are fine throughout the winter without a blanket of any kind, but since your horse is a Thoroughbred (who can tend to be hard keepers) and a little older, he might benefit from it. From my experience, it is best to wait until a horse's full winter coat grows in to put a blanket on him (unless you want to keep him more sleek.) If he already has a pretty good coat growing on him, he would most likely do fine in a sheet. If the temp makes a large, sudden drop, or if you notice him shivering or dropping weight, then you should put the blanket on him.
V are rated 149mph and W is 168mph so that probably isn't an issue.
