Horse Blanket Weight by Temperature Calculator
Enter tonight's overnight low and your horse's clip to get a starting-point blanket recommendation.
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Blanket Weight by Effective Temperature
| Effective temperature | Typical blanket | Fill weight |
|---|---|---|
| 45°F and above | No blanket needed | 0g |
| 32–44°F | Sheet / light cover | 0–100g |
| 18–31°F | Lightweight | 100–200g |
| 5–17°F | Midweight | 200–300g |
| -10–4°F | Heavyweight | 300–400g |
| Below -10°F | Heavyweight + liner | 450g+ |
How to Choose a Horse Blanket Weight
Which blanket a horse needs on a given night depends on more than the thermometer. A clipped horse has lost the winter coat that would otherwise do most of the insulating, so it runs colder at the same air temperature than an unclipped horse standing in the same field. A fully body-clipped horse can need a notably heavier blanket than an unclipped horse at the same overnight low — the clip, not just the weather, drives the decision.
Shelter and body condition shift the picture further. A horse with access to a run-in shed or barn out of the wind and rain holds heat better than one standing fully exposed, so the same temperature calls for less insulation when shelter is available. Older horses and hard keepers — horses that struggle to maintain weight — tend to run colder than a standard adult in good condition and often need a step up in fill weight at the same temperature.
Published charts disagree on exactly where each band starts. Some sources trigger blanketing at 45°F for a clipped horse; others set the line closer to 32°F for a horse with a full coat. Fill-weight labels (lightweight, midweight, heavyweight) are not standardized across manufacturers either — one brand's midweight can be another's heavyweight. Treat any single number, including this one, as a starting point and adjust from what you actually see: a horse that's shivering needs more, a horse sweating under the blanket needs less.
See also: Horse Water Intake Calculator · Body Condition Score Guide